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December 27, 2007
The Power of the Reticular Filter
As we approach the end of the year and the beginning of the next, I find myself reflecting on where I am and what I'm grateful for. One thing for which I've always been grateful is having this wonderful job as a coach at The David Allen Company.
The story of how I became a workflow coach is a great example of the power of the reticular filter in action. The reticular filter is that part of our brains that filters in and out what matters most and least to us, respectively (see here for more about the reticular filter.)
Over the course of my previous professional experience I had often wondered if I should become a coach, but I'd never really verbalized my thoughts or taken any actions to discover more. I didn't have the cajones to jump out of the the track I'd been in for years into the world of coaching. Then, one day, I was talking with my wife, AnneLise, about career musings and shared with her that I was interested in investigating a career in coaching. She agreed, saying, "Of course you should be a coach. You're already an amazing coach." Hearing her reflect back to me what I probably already knew deep down inside, gave me the courage to embrace that possibility and start taking actions toward becoming a coach. And suddenly my reticular started filtering away...
Just a few days after that, in my search to learn more about the world of coaching, I volunteered to be coached in an all-day integral coaching course at a nearby coaching school. My coach was supportive, sensitive and objective. She took me through several exercises in which I created my vision of what my experience of my life would be working as a coach - in other words, we created not just a successful outcome statement, "Coaching Career Launched," but also a much deeper, richer vision of how it would feel, how it would look, what I would be doing and saying. The works. The conversation we had that day created an incredible opening for me - and suddenly all I could do was see opportunities to make my new vision come true. My reticular filter was now programed to filter in the internal ideas and stimulus from the outside world that would all help me achieve my new goal and vision.
Literally, two days later in a conversation with a friend, I noticed him mention something about GTD and I was suddenly reminded of David Allen, and the workflow coaching I'd once received and loved. Within a week of that I was starting the interview process to become a workflow coach...
If I hadn't already set my goal and articulated my vision, that mention of GTD would have probably just floated by me like so many other bits of information I pass by every day. But this time I noticed it.
From the moment I actually set the vision and goal it took about two months before I was hired and hit the ground running with my coaching training. My own personal experience is my best evidence of the power of setting intentions, articulating goals, and letting your own reticular filter do what it does best.
I'm sure you all have similar stories about seemingly serendipitous things that happened or showed up once you set your mind to a certain goal or vision. I'd love to hear about it.
Posted by mdolan at December 27, 2007 01:54 PM
Comments
Great post, and all the best to you,
Wish you success in advance for 2008,
Tracy Ho
wisdomgettingloaded
Posted by: tracy ho at December 29, 2007 11:03 PM
