TGIM: Mind, Body, and Goal

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday! I hope everyone feels refreshed and motivated with the official start to the fall. This time of the year can be when you skate through the end of the year or the time to refresh your goals and double down on reaching them.
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tl;dr We are down to the last quarter of the year. In order to make the most of it, put your mind and body into reaching your goals. Put yourself in the mindset that you’ve already reached your goals and physically structure your environment to reflect what that life will look like when that goal is reached.
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We’ve all been told about the mind-body connection. What we think impacts how we feel and how we move impacts how our brain works. But recently I listened to a podcast that talked about how using the term mind-body connection insinuates that they are two separate entities. But the mind and body actually operate together in unity.

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Consider the placebo effect. There are many well-established studies about how participants in studies feel physical sensations in their bodies when given a placebo pill whether it was a heart rate medication or psychedelic. They are told they are receiving the drug itself but instead are administered a “sugar pill.” Our brains are so powerful that we can be convinced we physically experience these sensations because we were told so.

Your mind is also so strong that there is a phenomenon called phantom limb pain. Those who undergo amputation experience pain in the amputated limb even though it’s no longer there. The brain senses physical pain even though there is no limb there to touch. The brain creates and senses the experience.

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The brain is a powerful organ that we have barely begun to understand. It creates sensations, imagery, smells, tastes, and sounds. It interprets the lights and noises around us to make them interpretable information for us to understand. It helps our bodies move through space and navigate the world around us. Simultaneously, our bodies also provide the information the brain needs to analyze that data.

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The mind and body work together to help us navigate the world. They can be used strategically to help us reach our goals.

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Consider the times you’ve tried to reach your goal working against your mind or body. For example, you want to lose weight because you want to look a certain way but your brain wants the cookies and the cakes. Your brain painstakingly considers the desserts as you try to resist them and stay out of the kitchen. Somehow, your brain convinces you to make your way into the pantry, and your fingers are covered in guilty crumbs before you know it.

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Imagine being able to use the power of your mind to assist your body in reaching your goals. This might look like practicing some affirmations to state your purpose into the universe. Or maybe this is a meeting with a group of like-minded people to orient yourself to your goals with others. This may also mean trying to stay present when working on your goals instead of thinking about a million other things. When you have your mind and body oriented in the same direction, you are much more likely to reach your goals.
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Your brain and body are well-oiled machines that are constantly at work. They may be working for you or against you. It’s up to you to learn how to best put them to use. Using a conscious effort to use them well can help you reach your goals. But it has to be a conscious effort because left to their own devices, they will run you in circles.

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What goal(s) are you working on for this last quarter? How can you best direct the unified effort of your mind and body to reach them? Shoot me an email and let me know what ideas you have.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from 10% Happier with Dan Harris, “The Harvard Scientist Who Says You Can Use Your Thoughts to Improve Your Health with Ellen Langer.”
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With that, approach this last week of September with intentionality to do your best in the last quarter of the year. Get clear on your goals. Be honest about what will have to wait. And get your mind and body ready to work to make it a great end of the year!
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Until next time,

Shannon

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P.S.

1. I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
2. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape having ill health.
3. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
4. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
5. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.