Inside VT KnowledgeWorks asked Barbara Schwarck, founder and president of Clear Intentions and author of From Intuition to Entrepreneurship: A Woman's Guide to Following Her Dream, for advice for entrepreneurs.
Barbara Schwarck replied:
I am going to share with you one golden nugget called emotional-intelligence or emotionally-aligned goal setting. It has made a huge difference for the entrepreneurs I have had the pleasure to coach over the past ten years. Here is an abbreviated version:
Our brain is divided into three parts: the neo-cortex, limbic and reptilian. The oldest and most primitive part of the brain is the reptilian. It is most concerned with survival. Our motivation and feelings are located in the limbic part of the brain. The limbic area is also the central relay center, responsible for conveying neurotransmission messages from the reptilian brain to the neo-cortex. The neo-cortex is the seat of rational thought. However, just because it is rational and conscious, does not mean that it is always in control. It is tricky business getting all three parts of our brains pulling in the same direction.
For example, suppose your neo-cortex (conscious) wants you to start a high-tech business. It is rational and identifies a logical plan to build the business. Your limbic system, however, is tentative because you saw your father fail at a similar venture. Since you have a highly charged emotional memory associated with failure, your reptilian brain is terrified and not aligned with your business venture. What if you fail? How will you feed yourself and your family?
With these competing “thoughts” and “feelings,” it is very unlikely that you are going to be successful with your new endeavor. Now what?
Research indicates that the key to improving one’s performance is getting all parts of the brain aligned. Success is not only a function of the neo-cortex, but many biochemical processes that are deeply embedded in our bodies and consciousness.
Some ways you can detect and correct your misalignment include journal writing, hiring a business coach and muscle testing. If you are not producing the desired result, but are doing all the “right” things, most likely you are not emotionally aligned with your goals. That's what we cover in our book.
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Thanks to Catherine Fong, an intern with Handshake Media, Incorporated, a VT KnowledgeWorks member company, for her contribution to this post.
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