Joy Juice

Have you ever tried to set a goal, something that is far out in time, something that will take a while to accomplish? Maybe you want to lose 30 pounds. Or perhaps you want to complete your first 10K. Or maybe it is as simple as developing a daily meditation practice. Whatever the goal might be, you know deep down inside the end result won't happen overnight.

When trying to reach a goal, two very potent practices take advantage of how your brain works. We know that what happens between those two ears of yours is what drives your behaviors, right? So why not harness the rich potential that is already available to you now!

Step into your desired outcome

I am sure you have heard of top-notch athletes using visualization to reach their goals. I want you to expand upon that idea of creating a visualization.

First, I want you to create a picture of yourself having your desired experience (physical weight lost, at the finish line of your 10K, meditating). Put that picture in a place where your eyes are "looking up and to the right." Put in somewhere out there in space. While looking at that picture, notice what you look like from the outside. What is different than now? How are you holding yourself? Now slide inside this future version of yourself. What is it like to be on the inside? What are the things you are saying to yourself? What are the feelings that you are having? Explore what it is like to have the experience just the way you would like.

The benefit of visualizing in this specific manner is that our brain primarily stores information based upon pictures, sounds, and feelings. It also uses tastes and smells but to a lesser degree. When we visualize using our brain's language, we communicate to ourselves what it is that we want/desire. How amazing is that?

Acknowledge every win, no matter how small

Now that you have set your desired outcome, it is time to get back to day-to-day life. Here is where it can get tricky for people. When a goal is way off in the future – 3 months, 6 months out – it is often challenging to stick to the daily habits it will take to reach the goal.

Each time you do something that aligns with your goal (skip the snack after dinner, buy the new running shoes, etc.), give yourself positive feedback. Take a moment to acknowledge that you made a choice in support of your goal. It is these small wins that add up to big wins over time. Too often, people dismiss the little things thinking they don't matter. But it is the consistent small steps that help you to win!

Here's the thing…. Every time you give yourself credit for the little wins, your brain secrets dopamine. I like to think of dopamine as "joy juice." The more we give ourselves a pat on the back, the more joy juice is released. Making the small day-to-day tasks feel like wins will make our brain conditioned to the dopamine hit, and then it wants to keep doing the activity! Our brain is wired to seek out the most pleasurable option of choices.

When we train our brain to seek the new habits we want to create by consciously getting our brain to release joy juice for each desired action, we train our brain to make the desired habit one that becomes automatic.

Now ask yourself…

What is a goal you have?

What does the desired outcome look like for you (in pictures/feelings/sounds)?

What are the daily habits that you need to do to reach your goal?

Now consciously see each small habit you complete as a win and get your joy juice flowing!!


I would love to hear what you are working on creating for yourself, Schedule a complimentary call here!