Fear No More

Does achieving “big things” seem daunting? Admit it, our “little small voice” can often be heard shouting “Who do you think you are? That’s way too big a dream for you!”

Imagine being a young adult and being told to dream big dreams. Great advice, but it often puts the cart before the horse. Surviving ACT/SAT, college applications, internships, a first job, or high school graduation can easily fall in the “fear” category, and the “huge” category to most. Huge & Fear quickly translate into a perception of “hard”.

“Missed Kicks Makes Brain See Smaller Goal Posts”

Hadley Leggett thru the Wired website writes of a fascinating study on perception vs. accomplishment:

“In a study of 23 non-football athletes who each kicked 10 field goals, researchers found that players’ performance directly affected their perception of the size of the goal: After a series of missed kicks, athletes perceived the post to be taller and more narrow than before, while successful kicks made the post appear larger-than-life."   It's Not What It Seems

Jessica Witt, the psychology researcher with Purdue University/Perception reports:

“The reason why this is so radical is that perception has always been conceived as being all about information received by the eye. In my studies we keep all the optical information constant, so the eye is seeing the exact same info — but it looks different depending on performance.”

The Answer? Set a 1-3 day goal

The bottom line to most, especially those starting their young adult journey, is simple. Set a short-burst goal that you can meet in 1-3 days. Nothing beats achieving it, crossing it off your list, and telling your “little small (negative) voice” to pipe down.

Train Your Brain

That 1-3 day goal can (and hopefully should) be a step within a larger goal. Train your brain thru successful perceptions that work for you, not against you. Giving those leaving the nest a taste of success thru small bursts of goal achievement will lead to encouragement and a sense of “yes, I can”.

As we say at JellyGeneration:

You Can Have Success in the Middle of it ALL

About us: Pam Hardison and Holly Powers of JellyGeneration know parents & students have more “need to know” than time. Join them as they break down financial and legal issues they teach through their coaching and workshops. Connect with them thru twitter: @JellyGeneration, web: www.JellyGeneration.com or e-mail: [email protected]

Parents, if you want to  Learn 8 MUST KNOWS for those leaving the nest, then this guide developed by parents previously in your shoes is for you!