Crossed Off
In her article entitled Write it Down, Make it Happen, Henriette Anne Klauser outlines a technique for reaching goals and making things happen. Klauser provides information regarding the reticular activating system (RAS), a part of the brain that determines which information needs urgent attention and which to ignore. She claims that by writing a goal down, we put information regarding it into the “urgent” section of the RAS. Writing information down instead of keeping it in our head cements the fact, goal, or list into our thoughts. I often find that I forget to submit a school assignment, return library books, or order new ballet slippers unless I write it down. Taking notes in a class, no matter how easy and simple the information seems, always strengthens the facts in my mind. Writing things down makes them more real and easier to remember.
I do not often use the technique of writing down my goals, but when I do put them down on paper, they seem to become closer to the surface of my mind. I think of them multiple times through the day, and this makes it easier to work towards them. Also, great satisfaction stems from the ability to literally cross an accomplished goal off a list. Seeing these crossed-off words in a list motivates me to work harder to cross off the rest, and I begin to take joy in finishing my schoolwork, cleaning the house, or running errands. Writing things down really does help make them happen, and we can rejoice with every item crossed off the list.
Between Horizons 