Alternative to LoA -- The Law of Attainment (instead of Attraction)
I like to rib the Law of Attraction because so many of us have tried it and it hasn’t worked (even though we secretly hope that maybe it will work eventually).
I actually do believe that LoA works, but not for financial success, because there’s usually too much fantasy and wishful thinking, and nowhere near enough action. In my experience, it can work for attracting a good relationship, especially when used for inner characteristics (I want a partner with a particular kind of energy).
For business and financial success, what I propose instead is The Law of Attainment.
Here are the 4 steps:
I actually do believe that LoA works, but not for financial success, because there’s usually too much fantasy and wishful thinking, and nowhere near enough action. In my experience, it can work for attracting a good relationship, especially when used for inner characteristics (I want a partner with a particular kind of energy).
For business and financial success, what I propose instead is The Law of Attainment.
Here are the 4 steps:
Aspiration
Similar to the Law of Attraction, we start with a clear goal.
But unlike how most people do LoA, we don’t indulge in fantasies. Instead, set a stretch goal that you feel you can definitely achieve -- based on past experience -- if you took focused action. In other words, aim for something a little higher than you previously have attained, but not so high as to give yourself (and give Life) too much expectation and pressure in too short a timeframe.
“I wish to enroll 35 students in next month’s course.” (This would be a good example if you had enrolled 30 students in the previous month’s course.)
If you are trying something new, then ask an experienced person, who has done what you want to do, what you might realistically expect at your stage.
(a) Writing down your realistic stretch goal is the first part of Aspiration.
(b) The second, more important part is writing down the process of action that will likely lead you to the goal’s attainment. If you’re uncertain what actions are needed, you need to clarify that through research or by asking an expert in the field.
“I will create the course’s sales page; get feedback from a few ideal students; modify the sales page; then announce it to my mailing list and social media along with some FB ads.” (This is a short example of the process you might write, if you were launching an online course.)
Once you have clarified the goal, hold loosely to the number, but dedicate yourself fully to experiencing the process of actions.
Then go to the next step…
Alignment
How do you wish to work? In stress and struggle? Or differently, for example, with gratitude, playfulness, and joy?
Get clear by writing down how (the emotional manner in which) you wish to be taking action toward your goal.
Then, every single time before you take action for your goal -- at the start of every hour, for example -- take about a minute to align your emotional and spiritual posture to how you would ideally like to be working, e.g. with gratitude, playfulness, joy.
The way that we work tends to create a pattern of feeling in our life. If we work with stress and anxiety like many people do when trying to achieve business goals, we foster a pattern of stress and anxiety in our life. If we instead work with gratitude, playfulness, and joy (or whatever attitude you want to take on), we tend to strengthen that pattern of feeling in other parts of our life.
Being positive as we work is a more important focus than the results we’re trying to achieve. The results will often take care of themselves, when we take consistent action in an attitude of happiness.
In other words, let the means justify the ends, not the other way around.
Action
The Law of Attraction often focuses on fantasy thinking, but puts far too little on the importance of taking action. People end up sitting at home visualizing the check coming in the mail, without taking enough action to allow that to happen.
I believe that Spirit partners with our physical bodies to achieve physical results. So if you’re not getting the results that you want, it’s likely that you’re not taking enough strategic action.
Consistent strategic action produces excellence, which produces results.
You can’t expect to do anything for a short time -- especially if you’re not yet excellent with it -- and achieve significant results.
Therefore, dedicate yourself fully to taking strategic actions consistently, knowing it is action that brings true learning. And as you become more skillful, good results happen naturally.
If you aren’t taking consistent action, you might need accountability. Seek out a friend, or coach, to keep you encouraged, accountable, and persistent.
Adjustment
This is also rarely focused on in Law of Attraction teachings: continually adjusting your aspirations and actions to align better with what you are learning.
Authentic business success is a result of understanding yourself and what the market wants from you, and becoming excellent at delivering products/services that are profitable. This takes a great deal of continual adjustment.
Don’t expect to have one singular vision in the beginning that doesn’t change. That’s like a kid wishing to be a doctor - being stubborn that getting an MD is the only way there - even as they grow up and learn about the myriad ways they could contribute to the healing and wellbeing of humanity.
As I mentioned in the Aspiration section: hold loosely to your goal. Allow yourself to continually adjust your vision based on what you learn about yourself and how you can contribute the most value to the world.
These four steps -- Aspiration, Alignment, Action, Adjustment -- is a holographic method. It is useful for long-term or very short-term goals. You can use the 4 steps to attain a 10-year plan, or use these same steps in your very next hour of work.
However you use it, know that it will take practice (and eventually, excellence) to attain your dreams.
Get started. Then let me know how it works for you!
Similar to the Law of Attraction, we start with a clear goal.
But unlike how most people do LoA, we don’t indulge in fantasies. Instead, set a stretch goal that you feel you can definitely achieve -- based on past experience -- if you took focused action. In other words, aim for something a little higher than you previously have attained, but not so high as to give yourself (and give Life) too much expectation and pressure in too short a timeframe.
“I wish to enroll 35 students in next month’s course.” (This would be a good example if you had enrolled 30 students in the previous month’s course.)
If you are trying something new, then ask an experienced person, who has done what you want to do, what you might realistically expect at your stage.
(a) Writing down your realistic stretch goal is the first part of Aspiration.
(b) The second, more important part is writing down the process of action that will likely lead you to the goal’s attainment. If you’re uncertain what actions are needed, you need to clarify that through research or by asking an expert in the field.
“I will create the course’s sales page; get feedback from a few ideal students; modify the sales page; then announce it to my mailing list and social media along with some FB ads.” (This is a short example of the process you might write, if you were launching an online course.)
Once you have clarified the goal, hold loosely to the number, but dedicate yourself fully to experiencing the process of actions.
Then go to the next step…
Alignment
How do you wish to work? In stress and struggle? Or differently, for example, with gratitude, playfulness, and joy?
Get clear by writing down how (the emotional manner in which) you wish to be taking action toward your goal.
Then, every single time before you take action for your goal -- at the start of every hour, for example -- take about a minute to align your emotional and spiritual posture to how you would ideally like to be working, e.g. with gratitude, playfulness, joy.
The way that we work tends to create a pattern of feeling in our life. If we work with stress and anxiety like many people do when trying to achieve business goals, we foster a pattern of stress and anxiety in our life. If we instead work with gratitude, playfulness, and joy (or whatever attitude you want to take on), we tend to strengthen that pattern of feeling in other parts of our life.
Being positive as we work is a more important focus than the results we’re trying to achieve. The results will often take care of themselves, when we take consistent action in an attitude of happiness.
In other words, let the means justify the ends, not the other way around.
Action
The Law of Attraction often focuses on fantasy thinking, but puts far too little on the importance of taking action. People end up sitting at home visualizing the check coming in the mail, without taking enough action to allow that to happen.
I believe that Spirit partners with our physical bodies to achieve physical results. So if you’re not getting the results that you want, it’s likely that you’re not taking enough strategic action.
Consistent strategic action produces excellence, which produces results.
You can’t expect to do anything for a short time -- especially if you’re not yet excellent with it -- and achieve significant results.
Therefore, dedicate yourself fully to taking strategic actions consistently, knowing it is action that brings true learning. And as you become more skillful, good results happen naturally.
If you aren’t taking consistent action, you might need accountability. Seek out a friend, or coach, to keep you encouraged, accountable, and persistent.
Adjustment
This is also rarely focused on in Law of Attraction teachings: continually adjusting your aspirations and actions to align better with what you are learning.
Authentic business success is a result of understanding yourself and what the market wants from you, and becoming excellent at delivering products/services that are profitable. This takes a great deal of continual adjustment.
Don’t expect to have one singular vision in the beginning that doesn’t change. That’s like a kid wishing to be a doctor - being stubborn that getting an MD is the only way there - even as they grow up and learn about the myriad ways they could contribute to the healing and wellbeing of humanity.
As I mentioned in the Aspiration section: hold loosely to your goal. Allow yourself to continually adjust your vision based on what you learn about yourself and how you can contribute the most value to the world.
These four steps -- Aspiration, Alignment, Action, Adjustment -- is a holographic method. It is useful for long-term or very short-term goals. You can use the 4 steps to attain a 10-year plan, or use these same steps in your very next hour of work.
However you use it, know that it will take practice (and eventually, excellence) to attain your dreams.
Get started. Then let me know how it works for you!