Note: Longer post but instructional in methods of achieving/manifesting goals.
What’s worked and what hasn’t – and why.
Catch Phrase: It Works.
I didn’t come up with this title that simplistically yet perfectly illustrates the truth that writing goals down increases the likelihood they’ll be achieved.
Someone long ago did us the favor.
The publication that bears the title outlines one of multiple methods I’ve utilized throughout the years to help me achieve goals.
Successfully.
What’s relevant is what the various methods I’ve used – successfully – have in common.
The written word.
But first, a little perspective.
Aka a little history.
Speak, See, Write.
Speak
The power of prayer.
My initial education – so far as I can remember – to an action that could help achieve goals – came in second grade.
When I was 7.
The nun explained God could help us achieve goals if we prayed to Him and told Him what we wanted.
She also explained we could ask – not pray to – our guardian angel for the same purpose, which only served to confuse the heck out of me.
Not to mention the confusion of praying to Mary for intercession through God or Jesus.
This method produced mixed results.
No wonder given all the confusion.
I didn’t dare ask for clarification lest the woman grab me by the arm, sink her nails into me, and shake me within an inch of my life.
And slapping me for daring to ask.
Such was the life of my early education.
Isn’t that special?
I asked my father who’d somehow survived 12 years of Catholic school – and some Catholic college to boot – to explain. Unfortunately, his answer only served to deepen the confusion.
He prayed to the Holy Spirit.
He did his best to explain the holy trilogy but it didn’t settle matters.
I set it aside.
See
The power of visualization.
In spite of the confusion about prayer I never stopped speaking to God.
I was more than happy to frame the reference as Universe if/when appropriate.
During a particularly challenging part of my life…
Toxic Corporate Soup years
I asked God for help.
A big believer in the Midwest work ethic I asked to be pointed in the right direction after which I would be happy to do whatever work I needed to do.
Borders to the Rescue.
Next thing I know I’m at Borders Bookstore in Birmingham, Michigan.
I had a sudden strong urge to go to the one on Woodward.
I walked in the door and mentally said “Okay, God. I’m here. What do You want me to see?”
I was led to a section and when I got there a book fell off the shelf onto the floor at my feet.
This kind of stuff has happened to me my entire life. I’m always geeked about it but not surprised; nor are those who’ve spent any time around me.
It was Robert Stone’s Celestial 911.
But Wait! There’s More!
I was inspired to drive to the other Borders.
Southfield.
Walking in I repeated the “What do you want me to see?” sentiment.
Mentally.
After a fruitless search I was on my way out when something had me stop at the table of books parked near the door. One book – a workbook – grabbed my attention.
Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization Workbook.
I bought it along with Mark Fisher’s The Instant Millionaire and left.
I dutifully followed the steps in Shakti’s workbook.
Cut out images, imagined the pink bubble sent out to the universe, and wrote – in pencil – my Ideal Scene.
At that time it was for a romantic partner.
The image exercise was for a successful writing career.
Life intervenes.
My tech consulting career took off with incredible speed chaos and success.
Notice I didn’t say writing career? Or romantic partner goal?
Write
The power of the written word.
In 1998 – engaged to the man who was the result of the one written exercise I’d completed – I reread Mark Fisher’s book.
Aaron and I had plans.
Believe it or not it didn’t occur to me that I’d successfully achieved a goal through writing.
As per Shakti’s comments I’d put the workbook with my Ideal Scene – written in pencil – in a box I hadn’t opened in 3 years.
I dutifully followed the instructions outlined in the millionaire’s fable but got less than stellar results.
More on that in a minute.
Intrigued by the concept of writing goals down to increase the chances of achieving them I went back to Borders – Ann Arbor this time – and found Write It Down Make it Happen.
Life Intervenes.
Aka chaos.
A wedding, sale of a house, new job across the country and incredible cultural and lifestyle changes later…
My efforts were lost in the chaos sauce for some time.
Until…
I opened a box to find Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization Workbook. Pulling it out I thumbed through, noting the images I’d cut from magazines were now a parody of a lifelong desire to be a successful writer.
A parody that cut deep.
I was a technical consultant successful enough Hewlett-Packard relocated me across the country but not the published author I’d worked one of the exercises for.
Ideal Scene.
Nailing the goal.
As I read what I’d written in the Ideal Scene my jaw dropped. I was married to a man who fit the description/scene I’d written exactly!
In every aspect!
In the years since I’ve tried various methods of writing goals down.
With various levels of success.
My success stories are so exact as to defy chance.
Yes, I am acquainted with the scientific method.
Sooooooo…
The good stuff right?
What Works? What Doesn’t?
The method I’ve had uncanny success with is writing out the Ideal Scene.
Uncanny as in getting everything I wrote out in the scene.
The Catch.
I can’t speak for the universe but I have a feeling you can write details til the cows come home – something I’ve seen in Pleasanton, California mind you – but if you aren’t meant to have something, you ain’t gettin’ it.
That being said, in my experience, you get exactly what you write out.
No more, no less.
Example.
When I used the Ideal Scene method to manifest our home in the SF Bay Area, I laid out the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, wood floors, a fireplace, nice neighbors, nice property, all sorts of goodies. I did, however, leave out the style.
I ended up with a ranch instead of the Victorian style I had been imagining.
The method I’ve had some – admittedly – weird results with comes from It Works.
It works – but it’s weird.
Example.
My first brush with this method was a version of it in the book by Mark Fisher.
Didn’t work for me.
The next version came after reading It Works.
Didn’t work for me.
More recently and after reading – and trying – several variances of the written word – I came to see there are opposing nuances at work.
Arguments for and against.
A Note About Scripting.
Scripting is a more recent term for the Ideal Scene exercise.
With varying degrees of methodology as per the author.
I’ve personally found most of these newer versions emotionally exhausting.
I’m a writer so the mental part is okay.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t succeeded.
Or rather – one method has – but more on that in a minute.
From what I can tell my biggest mistake using the method outlined in It Works is that I did not consistently read the list.
As per instructions.
More recently while in the midst of the pain of burnout I went back to this simple method of listing goals.
Though the wording had been tweaked per a more updated book on the subject.
This time I dutifully read the list multiple times a day.
For months.
I achieved everything on the list.
Some of which I have zero explanation for as it just happened.
Here’s the thing. I eventually stopped reading the list each day because the more I read it the more I realized I didn’t have what it was I wanted. So I let it go.
For 2 – 3 months.
The goals were achieved anyway.
How? No idea other than it seems to be a blend of the It Works method with Shakti’s Ideal Scene method.
Conclusions.
What worked – or didn’t – for me.
I can’t tell other people what will work for them. I can simply share what worked for me.
As others have done for me, both verbally and by publishing their stories.
I can say achieving goals is a journey that may take you along paths you never knew existed.
And which there is no way in hell you would have gone down if you knew what would happen along the way.
My most recent success – and one of the more difficult goals as it was related to health and well-being – came after reconsidering Scripting due to reading The Last Law of Attraction Book You’ll Ever Need.
After reading Andrew’s book I decided to give Scripting another go.
Capitalized because of what a pain it was for me.
Day after day I dutifully performed the task though it was mentally and emotionally painful.
I did not have the resources to be doing it but I was desperate to feel better.
What helped was that I’d signed up for Andrew’s emails.
The right words at the right time.
But then they stopped.
No idea why.
I was tempted to contact him about it but decided it was a test from the universe. How serious was I?
I continued Scripting.
No idea how I had the emotional and/or mental strength to do so.
Desperation?
All I know is one recent day I was walking and realized that what I’d Scripted – in detail – a la Ideal Scene – six months previously had come to pass. What’s key is I’d needed a certain level of results within four months.
I achieved that goal.
I can say this much. I am grateful for Andrew and the people who have given him their time to do videos and share stories.
The right details at the right time.
Understanding and Awareness.
It wasn’t one method so much as the right method at the right time.
An answer to a prayer.
Visualizations were provided by me.
My goals.
Be well!
Post Note: More on why the career goal was deayed in upcoming post.
Elizabeth Maxim 