What Are You Missing?

Personal Branding Blog

From the moment you wake up, opportunities are staring you in the face. So why are you missing out on them? Why are you missing out on the job promotion that’s available, the openings at the companies you admire, and the business opportunities – even the investor who is staring you in the face?

You just aren’t paying attention to the rich opportunities that are in your environment, both online and on-ground. You are too busy doing your job, looking for a job, texting, gossiping, browsing the web, or trying to “manifest” what is already all around you.

Here’s what we know from neuroscience, as noted in the Journal of Current Biology. Each night while you sleep, your brain is busy sorting, connecting and filing away everything your senses took in during the day. Often you’ve taken in volumes more from your environment than you consciously appreciated. It’s only when you sleep, that your brain processes all the information you missed, plus makes connections with the interests and skills you have.

There are so many valuable, enriching, perfect opportunities presented in the average day of the average person – you could not possibly take advantage of all of them. But among the wealth of opportunities, there are at least a dozen during the average week that connect perfectly with your interests, goals, desires and skills.

You are missing what you are looking for, because you are busy “looking.” Looking through the ads on LinkedIn, looking at lists on job boards, looking at YouTube, looking at Instagram, looking at other people at Starbucks, or looking into your smartphone.

But real opportunities you consciously missed have been taken in and stored by your brain. At night, your brain sifts through everything you saw, heard, felt and experienced – that you were not even aware of – during your day.

How can you access what your brain has stored? Your brain will present the perfect opportunities to you, if you:

Set your brain on autopilot each night.

Before you go to bed, make a list of three things you want, that will help you move forward in your career or business. I call that list your “Big 3.” That helps direct your brain to search and effectively use the material it’s storing in your mental “filing cabinets.”

One of the five big jobs your brain takes on when you sleep is decision-making. By reciting your “Big 3″ list aloud, you are giving it instructions about how to make decisions for you. Just be very specific. Such as: “Find me a great new employer, with doggy day care onsite and free lunches.”

When you deliberately set your brain on autopilot, you create an opportunity recognition system. You control your selective perception, so your brain knows exactly what you want – not just while you are asleep, but all through your waking day.

What are you missing? Actually nothing. You just need to direct your attention to the opportunities that are hiding in plain sight.

When you intentionally activate your selective perception, opportunities arrive. Even better? You see them!

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