5 Steps To Maximize Your Mind To Achieve Your Goals

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.”
~Napoleon Hill

Last week I had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Charley Harary. It was entitled 5 Steps To Maximize Your Mind To Achieve Your Goals. I was completely blown away by his performance- so I had to share it with you.

I took notes throughout the whole presentation, but the 45 minute video is available for your viewing pleasure here (it has a very homemade feel). The presentation is part of a 10 week program I’m doing at RAJE (Russian-American-Jewish-Experience) USA in Brooklyn, NY. It involves learning about Judaism, learning Hebrew, and listening to millionaires and several billionaires speak about their roads to success.

The cool part about the video, even though it has such a homemade feel, is that I’m in the audience. You can experience what I experienced as well as hear me interact with Charley. It’s a nice alternative to hearing my interpretation of Charley’s presentation by hearing it directly.

5 Steps To Maximize Your Mind To Achieve Your Goals

Prerequisites:

Whatever you have is enough. You don’t need more brains, more strength, or more anything. Whatever resources you have are enough to accomplish what you want.
No excuses about deficiency. No handicaps can hold you back from achieving your goals.
Desire and decision to work. If you have the desire, and you make this decision, and you do all the necessary work. You will accomplish what you want.

The 5 Steps

Define What You Want. Instead of letting things happen to us in our lives and instead of letting our emotions guide our decision making process we should define what we want and use logic and reason to get to our destination. Often times, if left off the leash, our emotions can hinder our progress and serve us as a disadvantage.

The truth is that a lot of times we do not have a firm grasp of what we want. We may say we want love, happiness and success, yet not know their true definitions. This is the step in which we define it, because by defining it, we gain a new appreciation of how to reach it.

Figure Out Where You Are. During this presentation, Charley gives us a very interesting example that I haven’t heard before. A king travels through the forest and sees dozens of trees with arrows perfectly fitted inside of bull’s eyes. Upon further investigation it seems that a young boy has shot these arrows into the tree. However, he first shot the arrow and then drew the bull’s eyes around them as part of his game.

This seems a little too similar to how we do things in our lives. We do something, and then change our whole definition to reflect our actions. Yes, the relationship I’m in is abusive, but I’m happy and in love. No, if we clearly defined what happiness and love were, we would be able to remove ourselves from the relationship and start fresh elsewhere.

Involve Your Emotions. I’ve previously mentioned that our emotions can serve as great boundaries and distractions between us and our destinations as opposed to following logic and reason. That was only partially correct. Once we’ve uncovered the true meaning of what we want, and have done a constant update of where we are in relation to our definition we can now bring in the secret weapons.

If used correctly our emotions and our passions will keep us on track. They’ll push us even when we’re tired and want to give up, they’ll get us there. Emotions are like the rocket jets in the back of a space shuttle. They’ll be able to propel us millions of miles. The key to remember is to keep our emotions in the back pushing, and our logic and reason in the front steering.

Use Your Mind To Plan Your Life. This is the fun part, I’m a big fan of planning. I sit down daily and plan my next day. I plan out my next week and month with a break down of tasks and important goals. I get this from my 5 and 20 year plan that I have for my life.

This is a crucial step to getting what we want. We can have a firm definition (steering) of what we want, a good idea of where we are (compass), and a great emotional support (jet pack), and now we need is the planning (map) to get us exactly where we want to go.

Use Your Mind To Find God. Charley and I both have a massive collection of self-help books and are the guys that run to the self-help section as soon as we enter Barnes N’ Noble. Charley mentioned that steps 1 through 4 were all within the self help books, but to reach step 5 he had to visit his collection of Torah books. These are the books that brought the world the 10 commandments and the same books the Christian bible are based on.

Using our minds to find God gives us a new sense of purpose and direction in life. It’s a new level of fulfillment and connection that cannot be found from any other aspects of our existence. I’m sure you’ve read about it in the 55 Monumental Ways to Enjoy Life’s Greatest Pleasures, it was the last point. It’s every human beings desire to discover and connect with that higher being, or source, or creator. For Charley the way to get there is the Torah, for you it might be another religion, or meditation, or whatever it is that you do. Regardless, that is the final step.

Happiness: Charley’s Definition

Happiness is taking pleasure in what you have.

This certainly is an interesting definition. I think it’s inline with what many other people think about happiness from the Happiness Project.

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http://flimjo.com Flimjo

I like the phrase “Whatever you have is enough.” People tend to lapse into saying things like “I wish I was smarter” or “I wish I could that.” Individuals seldom realize that they have unique talents and skills. We all have the ability to do something special that no one else can do. What we have to do is realize that what we have is special, and if we apply our talents, we can achieve whatever we want.
http://www.flexibleworkinglife.com Zoe@Flexible Working Life

Great article.
I love the ‘Figure out where you are’ bit, I haven’t heard that one before.
http://www.alexshalman.com Alex Shalman

Many people use an example of a boat changing course many times in order to reach the final destination. This is a bit different because it refers to people deciding that where they are is in fact the goal they were reaching for and changing their definitions.

On one side taking pleasure in what we have is important. On the other side if we always ‘settle’ then we will not reach new heights.
http://www.asksaiful.com SaiF

Hey Alex!

I just came back from watching that video.. He’s not my preferred kinda speaker but his stories really draw me in and he really had a good message!

Thank you for posting this up dude!

Oh btw, I want to know what his answer to they guy was – about how step 5 makes a difference. You think you can fill me in on that one please?

THANKS!

To CANI,

SaiF
The World’s First Teen
Personal Development Video Blogger

P.S. Dude, I knew that the answers that shouted out were coming from you from the very beginning! HAHA!
http://effortless-wealth.blogspot.com Michael Miles

I really like ‘Whatever you have is enough.’ So often we make excuses about why we can’t do this or can’t do that. Actually, we can do anything.

http://effortless-wealth.blogspot.com
http://groupwritingprojects.com/ Jacob Share

Sounds like a terrific event that you were at Alex.

One subtle point that your readers shouldn’t overlook is your Napoleon Hill quote. Any one that desires success should read that book, and often.
http://www.asksaiful.com/2008/04/08/5-steps-to-maximize-your-mind-to-achieve-your-goals/ 5 Steps To Maximize Your Mind To Achieve Your Goals | SAIF IMPROVEMENT

[...] know him as well but I could relate to him so well) as part of a 10 week program my friend Alex Shalman is doing at RAJE (Russian-American-Jewish-Experience) USA in Brooklyn, [...]
http://successsoul.com/blog/ Shilpan | successsoul.com

Great post. I think having awareness and self consciousness to know what brings eternal peace and happiness is the key to finding the purpose in our life. Life revolves around purpose. We are born as God had a purpose for us. We just need to connect to him and not to worldly possessions to find our true purpose. Once we find purpose, it will lead to goals and eventual success.

Shilpan
http://www.alexshalman.com Alex Shalman

The event is out of this world. There is only a little bit of it left and I’m sad to see it go. One more session this Sunday, and one weekend Shabbaton beginning in May. Well, the main part of the program is this summer where they send us on a free Trip to Budapest/Israel for two weeks. 7 of my old friends and all the new friends I made in the program will be with me. Drenched in anticipation hehe.

You are right, the Napoleon Hill quote should not be overlooked. I loved reading the book and I think I’ll listen to it again on audio tape soon.
http://www.alexshalman.com Alex Shalman

I think purpose (goals and meaning) are the number one thing to get your out of bed in the morning. I think much depression could be cured if people just looked at a positive future for which they could strive for.
http://www.alexshalman.com Alex Shalman

You gave me an idea for an excellent post. I’ve already started it and should have it up within several days.
http://www.alexshalman.com Alex Shalman

Saif, since you are such an ambitious guy, I am setting a personal challenge for you. Find a way to contact Charley and ask him what he meant. As a prize, I will give you a 1 month link in the sidebar for your site. =)
http://zentp.com/2008/04/08/7-simple-ways-to-burst-out-of-bed-each-morning/ 7 Simple Ways To Burst Out of Bed Each Morning : ZenTP

[...] living with purpose next week, or the week after that. Planning is one of the fundamental ways to maximize your mind to achieve your goals, and as such it plays a critical role in allowing us to have an awesome day, everyday. We need not [...]
http://as-a-thought@blogspot.com Pat Giron

Great video!
I found the Napoleon Hill books 6 years ago. I too am one of those people that can be found in the self-help section.
You are the first thing that I read every morning, Love the inspiration that you give me. See you tomorrow, I’ll bring the coffee.
Thank you,
Pat
http://www.joliver.org/?p=19 Is it possible for one to become a morning person? | John’s Blog

[...] living with purpose next week, or the week after that. Planning is one of the fundamental ways to maximize your mind to achieve your goals, and as such it plays a critical role in allowing us to have an awesome day, everyday. We need not [...]
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[...] living with purpose next week, or the week after that. Planning is one of the fundamental ways to maximize your mind to achieve your goals, and as such it plays a critical role in allowing us to have an awesome day, everyday. We need not [...]
http://www.reason4smile.com/2008/04/10/how-to-be-successful-uniquely-yours/ How to be successful, uniquely yours : Reason-4-Smile Weblog

[...] Most people think that they do not have enough. It is difficult for them to take responsibility of their life. They will usually start blaming others, their parents, friends, God, or circumstances for the mistakes they made and the things went wrong in their life. Whatever you have is enough. You don’?t need more brains, more strength, or more anything. Whatever resources you have are enough to accomplish what you want. No excuses about deficiency. No handicaps can hold you back from achieving your goals.~Alex Shalman (5 Steps to Maximize Your Mind to Achieve Your Goal) [...]
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http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/stanley_bronstein.html MrPositioning.com (Stanley Bronstein)

If we bring passion to everything we do, we enjoy everything we do much better.

Passion is the key. It transforms things that others might consider boring into things that YOU find exciting.

Stanley F. Bronstein
Mr. Positioning
Attorney, CPA, Author & Professional Motivational Speaker
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[...] An Agenda. Surprise, people get tired. If a person is going to stay up late to work, when they could have gone to sleep, they are clearly working on something of significant importance to them. Working on important things and being passionate about our work fuels us to an unbelievable extent.This purpose, or worthwhile cause, is the emotional rocket fuel that guides us in maximizing our minds to achieve our goals. [...]
http://www.strictky_ideas.org Seyi

There is nothing like taking responsibility for one’s life. Emotions gets in the way of reality and only clear utilization of sound thinking would provide one with realiable guidiance.

Thanks & Regards
http://www.teriiehina.net/blog/post/2008/05/21/know-where-you-are/ Know where you are at Teriiehina.net

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[...] distinctions as to what life means. If you remember, the first of 5 ways to maximize your mind to achieve your goals, is to define what you want. Below you will find my mission statement, with character traits that I [...]
http://www.blogbytyna.com tyna

It is good to let many people understand that nothing is holding them back.
I always believe that whatever one sets his mind to accomplish,with hard work
dedication it will come to pass.I enjoyed reading this post quite inspiring.
harry

Great advice.

I’d like to recommand a goal setting tool at http://www.GoalsOnTrack.com, a very nicely built web app designed for tracking goals and todo lists, and supports time tracking too. It’s clear, focused, easy to navigate, worth a try.