Why is it that some of the goals you have in life are effortlessly achieved, if almost by "magic," and no matter what you do others never materialize?

I believe the answer lies in what I'll call "possibility thinking."

For example, very often clients tell me they want "financial independence," but after a little exploration I find out they don't really believe it's possible. They might "want" it, but their beliefs tell them it's not going to happen.

In my experience one of the keys to manifesting what you want is simply a belief in the "possibility" that you can actually get it.

In the example I just gave, the "possibility" of financial independence is often too much of a leap for most people from their current reality.

In other words, if you're broke, the goal of being wealthy seems to be pretty unattainable.

The first step you need to take when beginning to apply "possibility thinking" is to simply "back up" to something related to that goal that you CAN believe in.

In this example it could be something like "saving 10% of your salary," "finding a better paying job," or "starting a retirement plan."

It doesn't matter what it is, but it does matter that you have a belief that it is possible.

Here's another example. A few year's ago one of my clients and I were discussing a goal he had of making $5,000 a week. This is something he had wanted for a while, but wasn't making any progress with.

When I asked him if he thought it was possible to make that much money he said, "No, of course not, that's more money than I've ever made."

So I simply asked him, "How much money do you think IS possible for you to make in a week?" and I encouraged him to come up with a number that was just past his current comfort level of belief.

In the end he came up with $2,500 a week. This was still more than he had ever made before, but at least he believed it might be "possible."

When we decided on this new "possibility," we didn't even take the time to map out any actions or strategies for its attainment. We just left it as an "intention" with the understanding that we would revisit it on a future coaching call.

Here's where the "magic" happened. Within a month of implementing this new approach, an opportunity "found my client" that allowed him to not only achieve the $2,500 a week intention, but actually had him closer to making his original desired amount of $5,000 a week.

Coincidence? Maybe. But then again, maybe not. ;-)

I've looked back on my own achievements and found this concept in action more than once (it's pretty much the story of how my wife and I got our first house). I'm sure that with a little bit of reflection on your part you will see that "possibility" has been at play in your personal history as well.

Here's how to begin experimenting with this approach in your own life:

• Think about a goal you've been struggling to achieve and ask yourself, "Do I really believe this is possible for me to attain?"

• If the answer to this question is "yes," and you have not yet accomplished the goal, you may want to redesign the "strategies" and "action items" you originally came up with to achieve this goal.

• If the answer is "no," then simply spend some time clarifying what it is that you CAN believe is "possible."

So, I encourage you to look for the possibilities in your own life, and then look out...the universe is listening!