Setting Goals
Reboot Your Brain

I recently learned about another way of setting goals. The creator of this method is John Reese and he calls his method - Reboot Your Brain.

Basically in order to reboot your brain you need to spend at least a few hours with 3 pads of paper and a good pen. It took me a little over 3 hours one night to do this setting goals exercise.

The link to his explanation is below (the last time I checked it took quite a few seconds for the video to load so be patient, it is worth it):

Reboot Your Brain Video by John Reese

I have summarized the procedure for you below:

Step #1 - The To Do expedition

Take one of your pads and a pen and list all the things that you need to do in your life. You list each thing on one line. You keep writing until you are mentally exhausted and cannot think of anything else you need to do. I had a list of about 180 separate things I needed to do. You keep writing until you cannot think of anything else for 5 to 10 minutes.

Now take a short break to walk around for a few minutes.

Step #2 - List Your Desires

Take a different pad and a pen and list all the things that you want to buy, have and experience, one per line. This would be the bigger things like cars, houses, trips, stuff and experiences that you think will make your life wonderful, exciting and satisfying. Keep writing to the point of mental exhaustion until you cannot think of anything else you desire for 5 to 10 minutes.

Take a short break.

Step #3 - List Your Fears

Take your third pad and write down all your fears, one fear per line. List what you are afraid of.

Take a short break.

Step #4 - Take all 3 pads and read each entry, in order, one by one and aloud. Start with the to do list, then the desire list then the fear list.

Step #5 - Write down any new thoughts for each list as a result of reading all three lists. As you are reading one list you will probably think of additional to dos, desires and fears.

Step #6 - Examine Fear List

Look for ways to alleviate fears and then add these ways to your to do list pad.

Step #7 - Examine Desire List

Think of possible solutions to your desires. See if you can think of things that you can add to your to do list that will bring you closer to your desires.

Step #8 - Prioritize your to do list

Then sit back and relax. You have now created your master to do list and have effectively done a very much more effective setting goals exercise than most anything you have probably ever done.

It is then recommended to do this exercise once every month. It probably will not take as long as the first time.

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