For some direction is more important than goals

The Right Brain vs Left Brain test … do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise? If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa. Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

Right Brain – The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain.

Random – Intuitive – Holistic – Synthesizing – Subjective – Looks at wholes

Right Brain Functions – uses feeling -”big picture” oriented – imagination rules – symbols and images – present and future – philosophy & religion – can “get it” (i.e. meaning) believes – appreciates – spatial perception – knows object function – fantasy based – presents possibilities – impetuous – risk taking

The right brain is the “artists” brain. It handles thing in more random and subjective manor. It is generally responsible for “hunches” and other intuitive processes. It looks more at wholes, and is best at pattern-recognition, making it the “map reading” part of the brain.

Right brain dominant individuals are more visual and intuitive. They are better at summarizing multiple points, picking up on what’s not said, visualizing things, and making things up. They can lack attention to detail, directness, organization, and the ability to explain their ideas verbally, leaving them unable to communicate effectively.

Left Brain – The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain.

Logical – Sequential – Rational – Analytical – Objective

Left Brain Functions – uses logic – detail oriented – facts rule- words and language – present and past – math and science – can comprehend – knowing – acknowledges – order/pattern perception – knows object name – reality based – forms strategies – practical – safe

The left brain processes thing more sequentially and systematically than the right. It is more rational, or at least more logical, analytical and objective. It tends to look at the parts more than the whole. Finally, it was learned early on in studies of the hemisphere that the left side handles speech for most of us.

Left brain dominant individuals are more orderly, literal, articulate, and to the point. They are good at understanding directions and anything that is explicit and logical. They can have trouble comprehending emotions and abstract concepts, they can feel lost when things are not clear, doubting anything that is not stated and proven.If you are interested in taking a longer test (30 multiple choice questions) then you will find the link to one I took below my test results.

Overall you appear to be Right Brain Dominant

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

The terms “left brain” and “right brain” refer to the left and right hemispheres of your brain. They each tend to process things differently. And these generalities are true for over 90% of right-handed people, and only 70% of left-handed people. In the cases where they aren’t true, the division of labor and processing styles is usually still there, but reversed, with the right side handling the things that most people’s left side handles, and vice-versa.

Darwinian Theory
According to Darwinian theory, optimal evolution takes place with random variation and selective retention. The evolution savvy individual will try many different approaches when faced with a problem and select the best of those approaches. Many historical intellectuals have confessed their advantage was simply considering/exploring/trying more approaches than others.

The left brain dominant type suffers from limited approaches, narrow-mindedness. The right brain dominant type suffers from too many approaches, scatterbrained. To maintain balanced hemispheres, you need to exercise both variability and selection.

Dr Humbert is a Success Strategist, author and popular speaker. This is what he has to say:

“Motivational speakers emphasize goals for good reason. Many things in life are linear and we need a great “map” or strategy to achieve them, step by step, over time. But when either the project or your personality prefers to set a direction and use your creativity, intuition and spontaneity to get the job done, trust that. The world needs us “artists” as much as it needs engineers.

At our World Class Life Conference this year, I tested the idea and the response was fantastic, so here goes: For some of us, direction is more important than goals.

For some of us, goals feel “heavy.” They’re too concrete and they seem limiting. They are too focused, too narrow, too linear.

My theory is that for people who tend to be more “left brain” (to use that clumsy analogy), goals are wonderful. People who tend to be engineers, who prefer logic and clear instructions and who enjoy following a good recipe, goals work well. As one client said, “It’s just logical!”

However, for those who are more “right brain,” goals are too logical. For those who prefer intuition and spontaneity, for people who find the music more important than the words, goals don’t always work. Sometimes we want to “wander around and enjoy the process.” That can drive goal-seekers (and our spouses!) bonkers, but it can be great fun!

So, here are two key points:

1. In any given situation, use the right tool for the job. When it’s important to arrive at a specific destination, set goals. But when the “goal” is to enjoy the journey, set a direction, stay the course, and see what happens. Sometimes it is important to actually hit a target (“increase sales by 10% or we’ll have to let you go”) and in those cases you need a clear goal, a specific plan, and daily action steps. But in other cases (“Let’s drive to the mountains and relax for the weekend.”) you just want a direction and some creativity.
2. In life, honor your personal style. Some people love setting goals, others don’t. If you’re a goal-setter, good for you! But if, like me, goal-setting is not your natural preference, consider this your official permission to stop using a tool that doesn’t suit you. Relax! Focus on your values, your desires and dreams, and trust your instincts. If you’re smart (and you are), if you work hard and keep moving, most of the time you’ll “get there” just fine.”

Related blog posts:
23 September 2007: Brain Center For ‘Sound Space’ Identified
23 September 2007: Your Brain’s Pattern
3 September 2007: Do You Know Your Mind?
21 July 2007: Is The Brain on Your Mind?