At any given moment we are experiencing sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch. It's impossible for us to be consciously aware of all this sensory information. To compensate for this, the brain has a filter called the Reticular Activating System (RAS).
The RAS is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so that the important stuff gets through. Think of it as a gatekeeper of sorts, determining which sensory information is attended to and which is ignored.
It is activated when we need to wake up and be alert when the sun rises. It helps us wind down and relax when it’s time to sleep. However, its role extends beyond mere sleep regulation. It also helps us focus on specific sounds, sights or tasks amidst a sea of distractions.
Here are a couple of examples of your RAS in action:
Hearing your name in a crowd. Ever been in a bustling room full of chatter and suddenly perk up when you hear your name? That’s your RAS at work! It tunes in to sounds and information that are of interest or importance to you, even when you are not actively listening for them.
Another example is new car syndrome. Have you noticed that after you buy a new car, you start seeing the same model everywhere? This phenomenon is another example of the RAS in action. Once something is tagged as important, the RAS will alert you to its presence in your environment.
Your RAS believes and focuses on whatever you consistently tell it. And to be clear, this is not about “positive thinking”. This is a real physiological and psychological shift that will change your mental and physical well-being which will contribute to a more successful business and better life.
Advantages to harnessing the power of your RAS:
Enhanced Focus. By training your RAS to prioritize your goals, you enhance your ability to focus on tasks that are aligned with your objectives, improving productivity and efficiency.
Increased Opportunities. Once your RAS is tuned to your goals, you'll start noticing opportunities that you might have previously overlooked. This heightened awareness can lead to unexpected connections and pathways that support your ambitions.
Improved Goal Achievement. With your RAS actively filtering for goal-relevant information, you're more likely to stay on track and make choices that lead to successful outcomes.
Reduced Overwhelm. By effectively filtering out irrelevant information, the RAS helps reduce feelings of overwhelm and mental fatigue, allowing you to be more present and engaged in your activities.
Boosted Confidence. Achieving goals and recognizing the cues and opportunities that align with your intentions can boost your confidence, reinforcing the belief in your ability to accomplish what you set out to do.
Can you see the power in this? Your RAS affects every part of your being. Let’s say you get up every morning (starting tomorrow) and you are thinking business growth, thinking success, and actively looking for more money-making opportunities in your business.
Do you think that would make for a much more productive day than watching the news to see what bad things have happened in the last 24 hours? Could this improve your business and your life?
Charles Stanley said, “You are young and useful at any age as long as you are planning for tomorrow.” Notice he didn’t say worrying about tomorrow or fretting over what may or may not happen. He said planning for tomorrow. More importantly, planning for a successful and happy tomorrow hence activating you RAS in a positive way.
Chet Holmes, in his book The Ultimate Sales Machine, states, “When you keep your thoughts focused on all the positive things in your life and the positive things you want to happen in your life, you awaken and purposefully focus your subconscious to create outstanding improvements on every front.”
How Do You Activate the Reticular Activation System?
Activating your RAS involves training it to focus on your goals and interests. Here are seven strategies to do just that:
1. Set Clear Intentions. When you clearly define what is important to you, whether it's a goal, a value, or an interest, your RAS will begin to tune into information that aligns with this intention. Write down your goals and visualize them regularly to program your RAS.
2. Positive Affirmations. Affirmations can help train your RAS to focus on positive outcomes. By frequently repeating affirmations that align with your goals, you reinforce the importance of these goals, helping your RAS filter for them in your environment.
3. Visualization. Visualization is a powerful tool to activate the RAS. By vividly imagining your goals as already achieved, you prime your brain to focus on cues and opportunities that will lead to the realization of those goals.
4. Mindfulness and Meditation. Practices like mindfulness and meditation enhance your ability to focus by calming the mind and reducing noise, allowing your RAS to better tune into what's important.
5. Change your environment. Rearrange your office space. Move your desk to another part of the room.
6. Play background music that motivates you and energizes you. Music that relaxes you can be just as effective. I enjoy bluegrass, heavy metal, classic rock, R&B, classical and jazz depending on my mood for the day or how I want to be motivated.
7. Stay curious and keep learning. Make a list of questions related to a topic you want to learn and start researching the topic. Read a book or listen to a book while you take a walk. Watch a video. YouTube is loaded with videos where you can learn anything you want to learn free of charge.
Maybe you could set a goal of implementing one of the seven RAS activation strategies every day. After one week you will start to notice a difference in your focus and how you think. You will start to see opportunities you may have missed in the past.
The Reticular Activation System (RAS) is an essential component of how we process information and how we focus on what's important. By understanding and activating your RAS, you can harness its power to improve focus, seize opportunities, and achieve your goals.
Whether through setting clear intentions, positive affirmations, visualization, mindfulness or curiosity, the strategies to engage your RAS are accessible and impactful.
Start today and watch as your attention and focus begin to transform your reality. Your reality will always be in alignment with your thoughts.