reticular activating system<\/a> (RAS) is a network of neurons in the brainstem that functions as an attention filter. While our environment blasts us with one billion bits of data every second, our conscious mind can only process 10. The RAS acts as the ultimate gatekeeper, deciding which 0.00000001% of reality makes the cut.\u00a0<\/p>\nHow does it decide? Think of it like a Google search. We tell the brain what to notice and where to focus by where we put our attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Much like a search engine, the brain doesn\u2019t think in negatives, so if you search \u201cHow do I avoid foreclosure,\u201d the keyword used in that search is foreclosure. Likewise, if you think, \u201cI don\u2019t want to give up,\u201d the brain searches for evidence of giving up. It filters through all of the bits of information that support giving up and doesn\u2019t show you all of the bits of information that could lead you to be successful. The new revenue opportunity, pivot and untapped market are all in the room unnoticed.<\/p>\n
When we choose what we look for, we aren\u2019t changing what exists in the world \u2014 we are simply telling our RAS which specific bits are worth promoting to our awareness \u2014 and we create the world we want to see.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The target fixation trap<\/h2>\n
In car racing, the drivers are trained to look at the track, not the wall. Looking at the wall makes you much more likely to hit the wall. The mind\u2019s fixation on what it wishes to avoid subconsciously causes your hands to steer in that direction.<\/p>\n
Known as target fixation, the brain focuses on the real or perceived threat with increasing precision, increasing the very likelihood of what you\u2019re trying to avoid.<\/p>\n
This brain response isn\u2019t limited to race car drivers. In business, when you think, I don\u2019t want to miss payroll, lose this employee or lose this contract, you draw your attention and focus to the wall. You make it more likely to occur.<\/p>\n
The precision advantage<\/h2>\n
Many people mistakenly believe that the solution is a stronger mindset, but the answer isn\u2019t found in optimism, affirmations or positive thinking. The key is to give your RAS a different target \u2014 the target you choose. When you give your RAS a clear target of what you want, you use precision over positivity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Game theory reveals the framework. You shift from playing not to lose to playing to win. The business owner who fights to keep a dissatisfied client plays not to lose \u2014 the one who focuses on landing five new contracts with ideal clients plays to win.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The difference isn\u2019t semantic. When you play not to lose, your RAS is locked on the threat \u2014 the dissatisfied client, the missed number, the contract that\u2019s slipping. When you play to win, your RAS scans for opportunity \u2014 the ideal client that\u2019s already looking for exactly what you offer, the ideal hire, the untapped market that\u2019s been in the room the whole time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Your positioning hasn\u2019t changed, the job market hasn\u2019t changed, the economy hasn\u2019t changed \u2014 but your reality has changed dramatically.<\/p>\n
The search query rewrite<\/h2>\n
The RAS reset isn\u2019t a mindset shift; it\u2019s a search query rewrite. \u201cHow do I avoid bankruptcy?\u201d becomes \u201cWhat are potential new sources of revenue?\u201d \u201cHow do I avoid toxic hires?\u201d becomes \u201cHow do I create a healthy company culture?\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t have enough time,\u201d becomes \u201cHow can I better prioritize revenue-generating activities?\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just about asking a better question \u2014 though that always helps. The key is priming your RAS to let the things you desire pass through the filter. This is easy when you\u2019re relaxed and more difficult when you\u2019re under pressure.<\/p>\n
Start by picturing exactly what you want. The mind may try to trick you by describing what you want based on what you don\u2019t want \u2014 this is a trap. The key is to visualize it. It\u2019s impossible to visualize the absence of financial stressors, but it\u2019s easy to visualize financial freedom and ease. It\u2019s impossible to visualize not having a toxic employee, but it\u2019s easy to visualize collaborative employees in a healthy company culture.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve made the picture as clear as possible, write it down, take a picture, speak it out loud \u2014 the more tangible the better. Review this picture, your written words, or speak it out loud before bed and when you wake up \u2014 the times of day when your cortisol and cognitive load are lower, reducing the noise competing for your RAS\u2019s attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t a one-time reset. The RAS will default back to the threat the moment pressure spikes. What separates leaders isn\u2019t the rewrite \u2014 it\u2019s consistency.<\/p>\n
When you rewrite your RAS instructions, the world doesn\u2019t change, but your reality does.<\/p>\n
The wall doesn\u2019t move. The track doesn\u2019t change. What changes is where your eyes are \u2014 and your hands will always follow.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n