Discussion Forum > Dreaming, Pull and losing focus
Are you unsatisfied because you feel that you *ought* to be more focused on one thing at a time, or is it a *want*?
What I would do, would add a phrase to my future vision along the lines of "I feel assured and confident that any project I start will be completed. Projects flow a few at a time and are completed without any effort."
My vision specifically has "My commitments are few and wholehearted. They are well managed and organized. They flow at their own pace and I can be sure they will be met. I feel relaxed and confident and have plenty of time to relax, play and explore serendipity."
I found that as my future vision evolved, it reached a level of coherence around attributes I want to have in my life. For example, I have a description of being a "software Artisan", learning new things and being a leader.
My various projects tie into these attributes. So, instead of having "Finish project X at work" be part of my future vision, that is subordinate to the vision of being a software Artisan.
Hope this helps,
Ryan
What I would do, would add a phrase to my future vision along the lines of "I feel assured and confident that any project I start will be completed. Projects flow a few at a time and are completed without any effort."
My vision specifically has "My commitments are few and wholehearted. They are well managed and organized. They flow at their own pace and I can be sure they will be met. I feel relaxed and confident and have plenty of time to relax, play and explore serendipity."
I found that as my future vision evolved, it reached a level of coherence around attributes I want to have in my life. For example, I have a description of being a "software Artisan", learning new things and being a leader.
My various projects tie into these attributes. So, instead of having "Finish project X at work" be part of my future vision, that is subordinate to the vision of being a software Artisan.
Hope this helps,
Ryan
June 19, 2011 at 19:59 |
Ryan Freckleton
Ryan Freckleton
<<Are you unsatisfied because you feel that you *ought* to be more focused on one thing at a time, or is it a *want*?>>
Probably ought. But I need to give this more thought.
<<Hope this helps>>
Very much so. Thanks.
Probably ought. But I need to give this more thought.
<<Hope this helps>>
Very much so. Thanks.
June 19, 2011 at 21:17 |
avrum
avrum
I think the missing link is the Dialogues. This part of the process has helped me to understand better the importance of *choosing* commitments that are connected to my vision. It has helped me to hone my focus and to separate the "oh, look, a butterfly!" from "yes! this is a part of my core vision even though I never thought of it this way before."
It is also possible that these projects all are connected to your larger vision and you don't quite see those connections yet. Maybe you just need to trust the process and stay engaged with the Dreams process... I believe it will come clear to you, one way or the other.
Or maybe you are the kind of person who works best when you have several different projects of different kinds going... Maybe you can achieve more by doing more different things. it's a bit counterintuitive if you are using linear logic, but Dreams does not work on linear logic.
Those are my thoughts. Thanks for sharing your journey, it's useful to many of us.
It is also possible that these projects all are connected to your larger vision and you don't quite see those connections yet. Maybe you just need to trust the process and stay engaged with the Dreams process... I believe it will come clear to you, one way or the other.
Or maybe you are the kind of person who works best when you have several different projects of different kinds going... Maybe you can achieve more by doing more different things. it's a bit counterintuitive if you are using linear logic, but Dreams does not work on linear logic.
Those are my thoughts. Thanks for sharing your journey, it's useful to many of us.
June 20, 2011 at 0:18 |
silviastraka
silviastraka
I agree with Silvia about the dialogs. I finally started mine maybe 10 days ago, and *WOW*! No idea *where* my Future Self comes up with this stuff, but it is really really good stuff that never seems to stop (and all he does is ask questions!). And I had feared I would sit staring at a blank screen! Several mornings I've "not really had time for it" and so resolved to write just half a page—this morning's went on for seven pages, and that is typical.
There is a real synergy between the dialog and the other elements, as Mark says. The dialog tends to home right in on whatever bit isn't working for me or is holding me back. It also took a load off of my Present Reality, because before I started dialoging, the PR sometimes devolved in a mini-dialog about my day.
If you're not dialoging, avrum, I recommend starting. If you are doing it, I recommend more of it. And if you're already doing loads of it, then ... Oh, well, I tried. ;->
There is a real synergy between the dialog and the other elements, as Mark says. The dialog tends to home right in on whatever bit isn't working for me or is holding me back. It also took a load off of my Present Reality, because before I started dialoging, the PR sometimes devolved in a mini-dialog about my day.
If you're not dialoging, avrum, I recommend starting. If you are doing it, I recommend more of it. And if you're already doing loads of it, then ... Oh, well, I tried. ;->
June 20, 2011 at 7:29 |
Bernie
Bernie
<<If you're not dialoging, avrum,>>
I tried - for a couple of weeks. It felt forced, with little insight. I may try again though.
I tried - for a couple of weeks. It felt forced, with little insight. I may try again though.
June 20, 2011 at 12:10 |
avrum
avrum
@avrum: I had trouble relating to the Future Self "coaching" my present self until I remembered that Mark is coach, so that's why he picked a coaching metaphor. The whole thing started feeling natural for me when I made my Future Self into more of a psychotherapist asking questions (since I am a social worker -- I think you are a therapist, right?). Therapists ask questions, too, and it's a role that is very familiar to me.
Silvia
Silvia
June 20, 2011 at 13:08 |
silviastraka
silviastraka
<<I made my Future Self into more of a psychotherapist asking questions>>
Mark does the same. Therapist or coach - I find the process forced and incestuous. This is why I pay good money for a supervisor - to keep my counter-transference in check. However I have no doubt that coaching would be an excellent service to accompany the Dreams process.
Mark does the same. Therapist or coach - I find the process forced and incestuous. This is why I pay good money for a supervisor - to keep my counter-transference in check. However I have no doubt that coaching would be an excellent service to accompany the Dreams process.
June 20, 2011 at 13:56 |
avrum
avrum
Additionally - I wonder if the self-coaching process would be easier in pairs (2 people supporting each other via the Dreams process). This would be akin to Barbara Sher's Barn-raising idea i.e. isolation being a dream killer.
June 20, 2011 at 13:58 |
avrum
avrum
@avrum: OK, so my solution of just tweaking the metaphor (coach vs therapist) isn't where the problem lies for you.
The dialogues are a way for my to get in touch with my own inner knowing. So why a dialogue instead of a stream-of-consciousness journal? I think the dialogue keeps me better focused. The therapist skills I use are actually very basic ones. I listen to my own confusion and ask myself questions that are clarifying questions. It's just a sense of curiousity about what I really mean when I say something. "Can you explain that further?" "What is is about XXX that you need clarified?" "Can you give me an example so I can better understand it?" Those kinds of questions. But they are not forced, they actually come quite naturally, from a different part of myself.
It's the kind of thing that doesn't really come from the linear mind. So if you imagine yourself switching chairs in an office, I think it might not work. It's like those optical illusions that if you look at them directly, you can't see the phenomenon, but when you look at them a bit peripherally, i.e, not looking directly at it, then you see it.
I'm hoping that others will chime in, because I think it's helpful to try to explore this process of dialogues. Something that somebody says will result in avrum getting a "click" inside and having it fall into place. Avrum is not alone, but he is the one who is brave enough to articulate his struggle.
If it were me, I might try using the goal achievement process for this. Not sure it would work, but I would try it and see if it helps. "I dialogue with my intuitive self to clarify my true desires in any situation. It feels easy, effortless, and by the end, I am energized and more in touch in my deeper self." I would use this kind of wording and get away from the "coaching" wording because it's not really working for you. Write it in such a way that it reflects whatever YOUR desire to do dialogues is about. It might start out by what you don't want (I want to stop feeling frustrated like I'm not getting something important that other people are doing easily...), but use the process to craft a statement that is positive and feels greats for you, one that draws you towards it.
Silvia
The dialogues are a way for my to get in touch with my own inner knowing. So why a dialogue instead of a stream-of-consciousness journal? I think the dialogue keeps me better focused. The therapist skills I use are actually very basic ones. I listen to my own confusion and ask myself questions that are clarifying questions. It's just a sense of curiousity about what I really mean when I say something. "Can you explain that further?" "What is is about XXX that you need clarified?" "Can you give me an example so I can better understand it?" Those kinds of questions. But they are not forced, they actually come quite naturally, from a different part of myself.
It's the kind of thing that doesn't really come from the linear mind. So if you imagine yourself switching chairs in an office, I think it might not work. It's like those optical illusions that if you look at them directly, you can't see the phenomenon, but when you look at them a bit peripherally, i.e, not looking directly at it, then you see it.
I'm hoping that others will chime in, because I think it's helpful to try to explore this process of dialogues. Something that somebody says will result in avrum getting a "click" inside and having it fall into place. Avrum is not alone, but he is the one who is brave enough to articulate his struggle.
If it were me, I might try using the goal achievement process for this. Not sure it would work, but I would try it and see if it helps. "I dialogue with my intuitive self to clarify my true desires in any situation. It feels easy, effortless, and by the end, I am energized and more in touch in my deeper self." I would use this kind of wording and get away from the "coaching" wording because it's not really working for you. Write it in such a way that it reflects whatever YOUR desire to do dialogues is about. It might start out by what you don't want (I want to stop feeling frustrated like I'm not getting something important that other people are doing easily...), but use the process to craft a statement that is positive and feels greats for you, one that draws you towards it.
Silvia
June 20, 2011 at 14:37 |
silviastraka
silviastraka
<<I think it's helpful to try to explore this process of dialogues.>>
I agree. Though it doesn't have to be a self-dialogue - simply an activity that occurs between the future reality exercise (morning, re-typed & edited according to Mark's suggestions) & present reality (evening, recorded audio while I walk).
I agree. Though it doesn't have to be a self-dialogue - simply an activity that occurs between the future reality exercise (morning, re-typed & edited according to Mark's suggestions) & present reality (evening, recorded audio while I walk).
June 20, 2011 at 15:26 |
avrum
avrum
Since I often listen to music/podcasts, I thought about recording (daily) my written (daily) future vision. 2 -3 listens per day might be helpful. One thing I'm noticing (perhaps due to a lack of self-coaching) is that my future vision is barely a faint whisper a few hours after jotting it down in Evernote. While I can appreciate the unconscious aspect of Dreams, I'd like to bring the future vision into focus a little more than once a morning.
June 21, 2011 at 18:46 |
avrum
avrum
avrum,
I know this is such a personal process that it's hard to transfer one person's approach to another. The only last bit I can share that might help is to put as little conscious thought into it as possible.
My dialogs are not much different than the "little voices" that would have been running around in my head anyway, except that the dialog structure encourages them to be much more constructive, whereas without the dialog structure, these voices too easily degenerate into negative self-talk. Sometimes there is a good-cop/bad-cop effect, where my present self is free to whine about everything that isn't working, and my future self then contributes the (usually obvious) constructive replies that my present self would normally want to claim don't exist or couldn't possibly work.
I am not a therapist or anything remotely like that, so I am astonished at how well this works for me. The only real key is not to stop and think about what so-and-so would say, but just keep typing.
I really wanted to provide an example here from my dialogs, and I thought I'd compare the "little voice" version to the self-coaching version. But after scanning through, I can't find a suitably compact excerpt that would stand on its own. I'll keep looking though.
Good luck!
I know this is such a personal process that it's hard to transfer one person's approach to another. The only last bit I can share that might help is to put as little conscious thought into it as possible.
My dialogs are not much different than the "little voices" that would have been running around in my head anyway, except that the dialog structure encourages them to be much more constructive, whereas without the dialog structure, these voices too easily degenerate into negative self-talk. Sometimes there is a good-cop/bad-cop effect, where my present self is free to whine about everything that isn't working, and my future self then contributes the (usually obvious) constructive replies that my present self would normally want to claim don't exist or couldn't possibly work.
I am not a therapist or anything remotely like that, so I am astonished at how well this works for me. The only real key is not to stop and think about what so-and-so would say, but just keep typing.
I really wanted to provide an example here from my dialogs, and I thought I'd compare the "little voice" version to the self-coaching version. But after scanning through, I can't find a suitably compact excerpt that would stand on its own. I'll keep looking though.
Good luck!
June 21, 2011 at 23:14 |
Bernie
Bernie
Thanks Bernie.
June 22, 2011 at 0:13 |
avrum
avrum
I thought there would be a place for "conscious thought" in dreaming. One particular point it seems to fit is in making the progression from future vision and present reality to developing ideas of hOw to get there. Idea generation; Brain storming, if you will. Solution finding. If those were done, then I expect there would be less of arum's feeling that the midday is disconnected from the visioning process, because the ideas for action would pop up regularly , AND you would gravitate towards them because they match your vision.
But maybe this all is counter to Mark's scheme; I don't know.
But maybe this all is counter to Mark's scheme; I don't know.
June 22, 2011 at 2:12 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Sure, Alan, there's plenty of conscious thought in the overall "Dreams" process. It's just the dialog part that seems to work best without it. And I guess the experience of Pull itself. At this point, I don't always find a sense of unambiguous Pull toward a single task, but usually there are no more than two or three that intuitively come to mind to do next. Then a brief application of linear thinking selects one. This is a vast improvement over the old (pre-SuperFocus) feeling that several dozen things are all clamoring for my attention, all the time.
June 22, 2011 at 6:58 |
Bernie
Bernie
"One thing I'm noticing...is that my future vision is barely a faint whisper a few hours after jotting it down"
Avrum, this caught my eye and I hope Mark responds to it, because I can only speak to what works for me and why I think it works for me. It may not apply to you. But since you are asking for feedback...
I wonder how you FEEL when you read your vision. Does it evoke a strong inner response, a sense of "yes!" (or whatever your experience is)?
As someone with memory impairments, I do remember my vision throughout the day and I think it's because of the strong emotional connection. To maintain that, I keep my vision much lengthier than I would like, because whenever I try to condense it, I lose that strong emotional response. One of the things I do as I read it in the morning is to check and see if the response is still there for each item.
This might sound a bit woo-woo, but my vision resonates with my inner self. They are always vibrating together at the same frequency. My current reality is NOT vibrating at that frequency. But if I stop and listen, having paid attention by writing it down and reviewing it daily, I can hear the vibrations during the day and I can also hear the dissonance.
If you're already getting that feelings response to your vision, then I have another thought.
It might be in how you've written it up, the ways you structure your sentences, or something like that. I've broken mine into categories with subheadings and that really helps me to keep it in my head.
Halfway through today, without forcing an answer, ask yourself what you remember about your vision. Don't try to do it like a test. Ask it gently. And make a note. Do it again later. I'd be curious if the same aspect of your vision arises or if different aspects come to mind at different points of the day or over the course of several days. If it were me, I'd only rewrite the portions that come back to me during the day when I do this. I would dialogue about the other parts, in order to go deeper into myself and learn why they are being "forgotten".
Avrum, I'm not sure if any of that is helpful. But your engagement in this process has inspired me to also get into it, so I wanted to give something back. And I'm sure you will find your own answers, because you are persistent in your commitment.
Avrum, this caught my eye and I hope Mark responds to it, because I can only speak to what works for me and why I think it works for me. It may not apply to you. But since you are asking for feedback...
I wonder how you FEEL when you read your vision. Does it evoke a strong inner response, a sense of "yes!" (or whatever your experience is)?
As someone with memory impairments, I do remember my vision throughout the day and I think it's because of the strong emotional connection. To maintain that, I keep my vision much lengthier than I would like, because whenever I try to condense it, I lose that strong emotional response. One of the things I do as I read it in the morning is to check and see if the response is still there for each item.
This might sound a bit woo-woo, but my vision resonates with my inner self. They are always vibrating together at the same frequency. My current reality is NOT vibrating at that frequency. But if I stop and listen, having paid attention by writing it down and reviewing it daily, I can hear the vibrations during the day and I can also hear the dissonance.
If you're already getting that feelings response to your vision, then I have another thought.
It might be in how you've written it up, the ways you structure your sentences, or something like that. I've broken mine into categories with subheadings and that really helps me to keep it in my head.
Halfway through today, without forcing an answer, ask yourself what you remember about your vision. Don't try to do it like a test. Ask it gently. And make a note. Do it again later. I'd be curious if the same aspect of your vision arises or if different aspects come to mind at different points of the day or over the course of several days. If it were me, I'd only rewrite the portions that come back to me during the day when I do this. I would dialogue about the other parts, in order to go deeper into myself and learn why they are being "forgotten".
Avrum, I'm not sure if any of that is helpful. But your engagement in this process has inspired me to also get into it, so I wanted to give something back. And I'm sure you will find your own answers, because you are persistent in your commitment.
June 22, 2011 at 14:40 |
silviastraka
silviastraka
<<I wonder how you FEEL when you read your vision>>
My feeling process is the same for each new self-help endeavor... initial excitement (Day/Week 1), which slowly simmers to "ho hum". One remedy to this is the week by week exercise process a la The Artists Way. Each chapter builds upon the next one. I loved DOING that book. Similarly, Barbara Sher's barn-raising - http://www.nemexar.com/go/winbarn.html - concept is something I've experimented with. I have learned that, without this scaffolding in place, I have trouble sustaining excitement and novelty for the self-directed, static exercises.
<<I do as I read it in the morning is to check and see if the response is still there for each item.>>
I'm re-writing/copying every morning. I try to re-read it as well.
<<Avrum, I'm not sure if any of that is helpful>>
Very helpful. It would be great to hear from Mark on some of these issues as well.
My feeling process is the same for each new self-help endeavor... initial excitement (Day/Week 1), which slowly simmers to "ho hum". One remedy to this is the week by week exercise process a la The Artists Way. Each chapter builds upon the next one. I loved DOING that book. Similarly, Barbara Sher's barn-raising - http://www.nemexar.com/go/winbarn.html - concept is something I've experimented with. I have learned that, without this scaffolding in place, I have trouble sustaining excitement and novelty for the self-directed, static exercises.
<<I do as I read it in the morning is to check and see if the response is still there for each item.>>
I'm re-writing/copying every morning. I try to re-read it as well.
<<Avrum, I'm not sure if any of that is helpful>>
Very helpful. It would be great to hear from Mark on some of these issues as well.
June 22, 2011 at 16:17 |
avrum
avrum
<<I do remember my vision throughout the day and I think it's because of the strong emotional connection. To maintain that, I keep my vision much lengthier than I would like, because whenever I try to condense it, I lose that strong emotional response.>>
Very well put, Silvia. I struggled with that for a while, thinking my vision was too long and that I "ought" to be trimming it down. Retyping the whole thing daily quickly became a burden, and I personally found I was retyping it rather mechanically, not paying attention to the meaning, but just duplicating the word patterns as if copying a LEGO plan (perhaps an affliction for us software engineers? We're in the habit of scanning long blocks of mechanical text). Afterward I had to read it all through "for real" before I was ready to edit. It is the same phenomenon as reading a book while distracted—not paying any attention as the words dribble through your mind (or is it just me? :).
Anyway, during a dialog, my Future Self asked me whether I thought that I *ought* to retype it every day and whether I *ought* to reduce its length, and so I told him I would try letting go of that and see what happens. So I am now copying and pasting, then editing. It is much more alive to me and feels much more productive, like I am hitting the ground running. Every morning, I do look for ways to condense it, but it has stabilized at about 3/4 of a page. I am secretly hoping the vision will "take" after a while, and some of the detail will seem superfluous and ready to be trimmed (but don't tell Mr. "Q"!). Or, perhaps my vision is that long for the same reason that this post I am now writing is this long. ;->
So, different strokes for different folks, I guess.
Very well put, Silvia. I struggled with that for a while, thinking my vision was too long and that I "ought" to be trimming it down. Retyping the whole thing daily quickly became a burden, and I personally found I was retyping it rather mechanically, not paying attention to the meaning, but just duplicating the word patterns as if copying a LEGO plan (perhaps an affliction for us software engineers? We're in the habit of scanning long blocks of mechanical text). Afterward I had to read it all through "for real" before I was ready to edit. It is the same phenomenon as reading a book while distracted—not paying any attention as the words dribble through your mind (or is it just me? :).
Anyway, during a dialog, my Future Self asked me whether I thought that I *ought* to retype it every day and whether I *ought* to reduce its length, and so I told him I would try letting go of that and see what happens. So I am now copying and pasting, then editing. It is much more alive to me and feels much more productive, like I am hitting the ground running. Every morning, I do look for ways to condense it, but it has stabilized at about 3/4 of a page. I am secretly hoping the vision will "take" after a while, and some of the detail will seem superfluous and ready to be trimmed (but don't tell Mr. "Q"!). Or, perhaps my vision is that long for the same reason that this post I am now writing is this long. ;->
So, different strokes for different folks, I guess.
June 23, 2011 at 6:47 |
Bernie
Bernie
<<Retyping the whole thing daily quickly became a burden, and I personally found I was retyping it rather mechanically, not paying attention to the meaning>>
Same here. And I also reduced my original FV to match Mark's current iteration. I'm giving some thought to including more detail/feelings, copying/pasting and re-reading. I'm also recording the FV into my iphone and listening to it throughout the day.
I do like Mark's original suggestion to retype the vision from scratch at the end of the week. He suggested this when I was recording, not typing, my FV from scratch every morning.
Same here. And I also reduced my original FV to match Mark's current iteration. I'm giving some thought to including more detail/feelings, copying/pasting and re-reading. I'm also recording the FV into my iphone and listening to it throughout the day.
I do like Mark's original suggestion to retype the vision from scratch at the end of the week. He suggested this when I was recording, not typing, my FV from scratch every morning.
June 23, 2011 at 13:32 |
avrum
avrum
avrum:
<< Same here. >>
Could the fact that you were "re-typing it rather mechanically, not paying attention to the meaning", have anything to do with the fact that the vision was reducing to a faint whisper only hours later?
<< I do like Mark's original suggestion to retype the vision from scratch at the end of the week. He suggested this when I was recording, not typing, my FV from scratch every morning. >>
I don't remember saying that (though I'm not denying that I may have), but what I do remember saying is that it would be a good idea to type the vision out so that you could put it somewhere you could see it throughout the day.
<< Same here. >>
Could the fact that you were "re-typing it rather mechanically, not paying attention to the meaning", have anything to do with the fact that the vision was reducing to a faint whisper only hours later?
<< I do like Mark's original suggestion to retype the vision from scratch at the end of the week. He suggested this when I was recording, not typing, my FV from scratch every morning. >>
I don't remember saying that (though I'm not denying that I may have), but what I do remember saying is that it would be a good idea to type the vision out so that you could put it somewhere you could see it throughout the day.
June 23, 2011 at 14:06 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Bernie:
<< Every morning, I do look for ways to condense it, but it has stabilized at about 3/4 of a page >>
3/4 of a page? I'm not surprised that you got bored with re-typing it out each day. My idea of a "long" vision is 250 words (the vision in "How to Make Your Dreams Come True" is 239 - my current vision is 139).
Of course it may be that you have very small pages or are using very big type, but if your vision is too long it may be one of the reasons why it hasn't "taken" yet. We're talking about a vision, not a detailed plan.
<< Every morning, I do look for ways to condense it, but it has stabilized at about 3/4 of a page >>
3/4 of a page? I'm not surprised that you got bored with re-typing it out each day. My idea of a "long" vision is 250 words (the vision in "How to Make Your Dreams Come True" is 239 - my current vision is 139).
Of course it may be that you have very small pages or are using very big type, but if your vision is too long it may be one of the reasons why it hasn't "taken" yet. We're talking about a vision, not a detailed plan.
June 23, 2011 at 14:14 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Bernie:
<< Retyping the whole thing daily quickly became a burden, and I personally found I was retyping it rather mechanically, not paying attention to the meaning, but just duplicating the word patterns as if copying a LEGO plan (perhaps an affliction for us software engineers? We're in the habit of scanning long blocks of mechanical text). Afterward I had to read it all through "for real" before I was ready to edit. It is the same phenomenon as reading a book while distracted—not paying any attention as the words dribble through your mind (or is it just me? :). >>
I suggest what you do is re-type it editing it as you go, and when you've finished re-read it through once to impress it on your mind - but don't allow yourself to do any more editing. That way you will need to pay attention while you are typing.
<< Retyping the whole thing daily quickly became a burden, and I personally found I was retyping it rather mechanically, not paying attention to the meaning, but just duplicating the word patterns as if copying a LEGO plan (perhaps an affliction for us software engineers? We're in the habit of scanning long blocks of mechanical text). Afterward I had to read it all through "for real" before I was ready to edit. It is the same phenomenon as reading a book while distracted—not paying any attention as the words dribble through your mind (or is it just me? :). >>
I suggest what you do is re-type it editing it as you go, and when you've finished re-read it through once to impress it on your mind - but don't allow yourself to do any more editing. That way you will need to pay attention while you are typing.
June 23, 2011 at 14:33 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark,
<< Of course it may be that you have very small pages or are using very big type>>
Nope, standard page (for us Americans), regular font size. ;D
My vision started out quite short but very sterile, and it grew to its current size as I gave it more emotional power. I added a little bit each day, and I stopped adding when it gave me a really good feeling to read it through.
<<but if your vision is too long it may be one of the reasons why it hasn't "taken" yet.>>
To clarify, I'm really pleased with how the vision has "taken" in the sense of affecting my choices and balance throughout the day. It is on par with SuperFocus in that regard (comparing to a similar point on the learning curve). By "taken" above, I was talking about the level of detail beginning to feel familiar and thus redundant, like "dog with four legs." Whereas, if I had just seen my first dog, the "four legs" part would not seem redundant. Later on, I would become used to dogs (the idea of dogs would have "taken"), and I would just call them "dogs."
<<I suggest what you do is re-type it editing it as you go, and when you've finished re-read it through once to impress it on your mind>>
Thanks. I will try that. It sounds promising.
<<but don't allow yourself to do any more editing..>>
Wow, a tall order! But yes, I can see how this might help. Thanks for the advice! I am about to try it.
<< Of course it may be that you have very small pages or are using very big type>>
Nope, standard page (for us Americans), regular font size. ;D
My vision started out quite short but very sterile, and it grew to its current size as I gave it more emotional power. I added a little bit each day, and I stopped adding when it gave me a really good feeling to read it through.
<<but if your vision is too long it may be one of the reasons why it hasn't "taken" yet.>>
To clarify, I'm really pleased with how the vision has "taken" in the sense of affecting my choices and balance throughout the day. It is on par with SuperFocus in that regard (comparing to a similar point on the learning curve). By "taken" above, I was talking about the level of detail beginning to feel familiar and thus redundant, like "dog with four legs." Whereas, if I had just seen my first dog, the "four legs" part would not seem redundant. Later on, I would become used to dogs (the idea of dogs would have "taken"), and I would just call them "dogs."
<<I suggest what you do is re-type it editing it as you go, and when you've finished re-read it through once to impress it on your mind>>
Thanks. I will try that. It sounds promising.
<<but don't allow yourself to do any more editing..>>
Wow, a tall order! But yes, I can see how this might help. Thanks for the advice! I am about to try it.
June 23, 2011 at 16:17 |
Bernie
Bernie
Well, that was awesome!
Yesterday's vision: 2348 words (Eek! I'd never counted it before.)
Today's vision: 1369 words
That's a reduction of 42%. It's a far cry from 250 but a great improvement.
Essentially, I found three places where a sub-goal had grown inside the main vision. One of them was important enough to keep in its own separate file (a mission statement for my work, something I had sorely needed). The other two were ripe to be condensed and still feel as powerful as before. I guess they had "taken" after all.
Edit-while-retyping is my new approach! Thanks, Mark.
Yesterday's vision: 2348 words (Eek! I'd never counted it before.)
Today's vision: 1369 words
That's a reduction of 42%. It's a far cry from 250 but a great improvement.
Essentially, I found three places where a sub-goal had grown inside the main vision. One of them was important enough to keep in its own separate file (a mission statement for my work, something I had sorely needed). The other two were ripe to be condensed and still feel as powerful as before. I guess they had "taken" after all.
Edit-while-retyping is my new approach! Thanks, Mark.
June 23, 2011 at 17:08 |
Bernie
Bernie
Mark:
For me, the video of you demo'ing AF was critical in helping me appreciate your thinking/doing process. I'd love to see something similar with Dreams. A podcast, video...
For me, the video of you demo'ing AF was critical in helping me appreciate your thinking/doing process. I'd love to see something similar with Dreams. A podcast, video...
June 23, 2011 at 18:49 |
avrum
avrum
avrum:
<< A podcast, video... >>
Maybe. But I want to get some things straight about it in my own head before recording a "definitive" version.
<< A podcast, video... >>
Maybe. But I want to get some things straight about it in my own head before recording a "definitive" version.
June 24, 2011 at 10:21 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mine is 319 words.
While retyping it daily, I check my inner response to each sentence. If a given sentence leaves me unmoved for a few days in a row, then I start to wonder if it might need revision.
I want each sentence to have that "pulling power". Although I'm sure everyone has their own unique way of experiencing this, for me it feels like an inner resonance. My inner response is like a string vibrating in harmony with a tuning fork (where the written sentence is the tuning fork).
While retyping it daily, I check my inner response to each sentence. If a given sentence leaves me unmoved for a few days in a row, then I start to wonder if it might need revision.
I want each sentence to have that "pulling power". Although I'm sure everyone has their own unique way of experiencing this, for me it feels like an inner resonance. My inner response is like a string vibrating in harmony with a tuning fork (where the written sentence is the tuning fork).
June 24, 2011 at 13:54 |
silviastraka
silviastraka
<before recording a "definitive" version. > Of course there's no convention against recordings of preliminary non-definitive versions :-) Just be clear in the recording that it's not definitive yet.
June 24, 2011 at 14:55 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Amazing to see these old discussions!
I just started re-reading the book.
Doing dialogues!
Anyone else trying it?
I just started re-reading the book.
Doing dialogues!
Anyone else trying it?
September 22, 2023 at 18:38 |
Sathya
Sathya
I also just finished reading the book and was ready to give it a try
December 8, 2023 at 7:25 |
Henry Ning
Henry Ning
Whether due to being a Scanner (see B. Sher) or strong resistance, I seem to be PULLED by many interests, projects, etc. As soon as I'm settling down on one thing, another thing pops up and I'm pulled that way. According to the Dreams process, I should follow the energy trail. On Monday it's my graphic novel, on Weds my wife's suggesting we work on a book together. One concern is that I end up with a reams of differing future visions (or at least projects), and less than half-finished projects.
Any guidance would be appreciated.