Blog: Mental Tattoo: Set a Date for Success

I love the mystery of how the brain solves puzzles. One day a problem can be so complex that you can’t see your way through…then suddenly after a good night’s sleep, a new idea appears and a whole new view presents a solution. What was insurmountable yesterday, falls neatly into place today. Personally, I love how this gives me hope that (and an excuse for) a good night’s sleep.

So, when I heard the idea of a mental tattoo, I loved it! The concept came from a website that I stumbled on called Paid to Exist, by Jonathan Mead. To give yourself a mental tattoo, you set a date for when you will accomplish something. Just write it down on your calendar. It’s a mark, a commitment on your calendar to complete something. By making this simple action, you tell your brain to start thinking about the steps to accomplish that commitment. By setting a mark, your brain actually continues to work in the background, to solve the challenge of how to get it done. How cool is that?

So many of my “to do” list items are really looking for a date to happen. They never get written down, never find a home in a busy schedule. I wonder if this might work for me. I plan to try two types of mental tattoos. First, one of those annoying things that I keep meaning to do and never get done. Ugh. But maybe that will move it off the list. Second, I want to put a big life-size challenge on my list. Something aspirational that I want to accomplish in a year. What comfort there might be in knowing that I could look at a calendar a year from now and have accomplished something I thought was insurmountable. Could it work? Well if I don’t give it a try, it’s probably not getting done. So, what have I got to lose?

When I was in college, our basketball coach had us lay on the floor and visualize the ball going in the basket. He cited a study that proved this type of visual exercise measurably improved shooting percentages. At the time, I just chuckled... and my dismal shooting percentage did not improve.

More and more, I think life is about believing you can… and you will. So, today I’m writing something on my calendar for a year from now…with a smile on my face. A mental tattoo-- give it a try.