Have you ever played ‘Crawl the car park’?
Circling the lanes, hoping the perfect spot might magically appear?
What if I told you there’s a little trick that, more often than not, might just magically make a space appear.
One of the first personal development tips I ever learned was about visualising a parking space before you arrive.
It’s amazing how often it works.
It’s not woo woo.
It’s thanks to a little psychological phenomenon called ‘selective attention.’
When you’re focused on something, you’re more likely to see things associated with your focus (and ignore the rest).
It’s not magic; it’s just a shift in perspective.
That’s why you can’t find a parking space.
Because when you enter Tesco on a Saturday morning, you’re thinking, ‘I’ll never find a parking space.’
Whereas I think. There’s a nice wide space waiting for me, right next to the door.
You get what you’ve focused on: a full car park.
I get what I’ve focused on: a space next to the door.
You might have seen the famous ‘invisible gorilla’ test by Chris Chabris and Daniel Simons, where participants were so focused on counting basketball passes, they didn’t notice someone in a gorilla suit walking through the scene.
No wonder you can’t find a parking space.
Let’s flip it.
When you change your focus to what you do want, your brain tunes in to spotting opportunities that align with your attention.
Before you think I’m heading into The Secret territory - I’m not.
Yep, that book has sold millions (not jealous 😉), but it is built on the flimsy idea that if you just think about something hard enough, the universe will rearrange itself to deliver it.
It won’t.
There’s no cosmic Amazon Prime for your thoughts.
What happens is far more grounded and far more useful.
When you set a clear intention, your brain starts filtering information differently.
You notice chances.
You take action.
You interpret events in a way that moves you forward.
That’s not a secret. It’s psychology.
Mixed with action, you literally get what you think about.
Be Brilliant!
Michael
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