Are you a FARC-er?
Are you a FARC-er? If not, you need to be!
The great futurist Alvin Toffler said that "Intelligence in the future will not be measured by the ability to read and write. It will be measured by the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn."
Which is why being a FARC-er is so important!
FARC-ing is the term I have come up with to describe what neuroscience has discovered as the path to change! And my version of what Alvin Toffler said is that for success in life in all areas -- we need to consistently FARC, UN-FARC and RE-FARC!
FARC-ing is the secret to resilience and adaptability -- both of which are critical skills in our world of constant and continuous change.
So what does it mean?
F -- stands for focus (and first, find and feelings!). If you are to change anything, you need to focus on what it is you want to change. The vast majority of the time we are living lives of habits and patterns that are ruled unconsciously by fear.
If we are not even aware of what we are doing -- how can we possibly change it?
So the first step is to find the behaviors and feelings you want to change, and then focus on them.
A -- Next we need to become aware of what triggers those behaviors or feelings. Hint: it's almost always a fear.
These unconscious fears that rule our lives have been hidden away for so long in most cases that we have no idea of their programming running in the background. Fear is usually our default program.
So start to look for and identify your fears, and what other stories are behind those behaviors. The story you tell yourself about everything becomes your reality -- whether the story is true or not!
Check to see if you feel you are worth loving; if you feel unsafe and if so, why; and if you fear separation or abandonment. These are the 'biggies'!
R -- is for repetition. Once we know what we want to change and the triggers that precede that behavior or thinking, we can catch them early and begin to replace them and repeat new more desired behaviors or thinking.
This repetition eradicates the old neural loops and reinforces new ones. Once the new behaviors or thoughts are repeated often enough they become our new automatic pathways. Dr Phillippa Lally and others did some research on this and found it takes between 66 and 254 days to establish a new habit -- not 21 days, sadly! So persevere!
C -- Once we have made any change -- any small change -- we need to celebrate! The brain loves a celebration. It doesn't have to be big or involve alcohol. The brain just wants some recognition that the change has been made so it if reinforced. This is the fun part. Create a little ritual -- even if it's a joy jig -- a happy dance that is your own personal way of giving yourself a TA DA, even if no one else does. It's your brain and your own acknowledgement of yourself.
So there you have the formula for changing your life! Un-farcing means you stop the old patterns; re-farcing means you create new more desirable patterns. Go forth, FARC , UN-FARC and RE-FARC!
Amanda Gore (www.amandagore.com) is an author, award-winning motivational speaker and joy facilitator! Her philosophy is that Joy is an Inside Job. Finding joy is the secret to more productive, creative, successful and happy humans -- at work and home. Amanda is also the director of The Joy Project. To book Amanda for your event click here or email admin@amandagore.com. Connect with Amanda on Facebook - The Joy Project page