Greetings!

Experiments conducted since the 1950s have shown that the average person has the ability to hold seven (plus or minus two) items in their short-term memory. This is in contrast with long term memory which has the ability to hold almost unlimited amounts of information for an entire lifetime. (experiment-resources.com)

So... If I can readily hold only 5 items in my short term memory, shouldn't I make every effort to ensure that they are the most important ones? How do I go about doing this?

Top Of Mind Awareness

This is a practice and principal which if exercised daily will allow an individual to stay focused on what matters most
"Right Now". In our school, I as well as the Instructors and Office Staff accomplish this through a series of daily reminders, and a constant effort to rid ourselves of the daily barrage of negative outside influences.

Between the radio, television, billboards, co-workers, family, etc. Everyone is fighting for a spot in your top five. It is up to me to make the decision as to what gets top billing. If I allow those top five to go to the negative happenings in my life, then I am going to be focused on the negative. However if I get really stingy with my top five and reserve them for only those things that will improve my life and the lives of those that I am responsible for, then it stands to reason that I will be focused on the positive, growth motivating items in my life.

Our "T.O.M.A." will decide the day that we are going to have. It will decide what I am thinking about while I sit at the red light, or wait in the doctors office. I for one would much rather spend my time pondering how I can increase my success in life. How can I become more influential in my community? How can I become more successful at work? How can I be a better Teacher, Father and Husband? How can I build my personal wealth and business in hard times?

These are the things that I think about...

What's in your T.O.M.A.?