If you are going to spend any energy on outcomes, spend it thinking about, and hoping for, positive outcomes.
Sure, you can acknowledge that things may not go perfectly well and there may be a few bumps in the road, but certainly don’t dwell on it. A swift acknowledgment that it could happen is enough.
Then put all of your energy and time into thinking about the different ways the amazing outcome is going to improve your life and the lives of others.
Focus on that!
Find them. Watch them. Enjoy them.
When you say you are going to do something and you do it, especially when it is long, tiresome and hard work, your spirit can soar, if you let it.
Allow yourself the great feeling of having accomplished the tasks on your to do list that day. Remind yourself of the challenges you overcame, both mental and physical. Then be proud, stand up straight, be confident and be pleased with yourself. It’s easy to give up when the going gets tough. But the emotional and mental reward for pushing through and achieving your goals is such a better feeling.
So keep your powerful why in your mind all day while you push and overcome the challenges. Remind yourself you can do this and you will. Stay the course. Keep your commitments to yourself. If you do, you’ll build a better, happier and more prosperous you.
What if politicians outlined their common goals, and their differences on key issues, and then worked toward those common goals while being mindful of their differences?
Imagine how much progress could be made! Especially if people didn’t mind whose name was on the statute, or statue.
If people just tried to improve the most lives in the best ways, we could leapfrog a lot of wasted time.
Who might be up for that?
Do this one thing and see how it goes.
You’ve worked hard, made some progress and, in general, things are pretty good.
At that point, have your rest, without further thought.
I’ll say mine down below. What about you? Do you distinguish between a regular day, good day and great day? What would make your day great? What warrants noting, appreciating and celebrating in your life?
Are you targeting these things, attracting them or completely oblivious and hopeful? A surprise here and there is always great.
But you can also attract great things into your life by thinking and doing great and appreciated things. For example, you help an older woman up some stairs in a building, and later find out she told her daughter about you. The daughter happens to be the Board Director you are interviewing with for your next job. Be kind. Do good.
You can also target things to happen. For example, I could apply for a book award competition and see how that goes.
Why am I having a great day? Friends started receiving their book orders yesterday and today and sent pictures and videos to me. Very cool. More of that please ?.
I also had Rory Sutherland of Ogilvy Group follow me on Twitter today. He’s brilliant and I’m delighted.
Also, more people keep contacting me about my new book from around the world. That’s pretty cool.
Finally, Roxane finished updating the new website for the book (Achieve Anything) and it looks great. Find out more about this life-changing book so you can achieve amazing results in your life in 2022 and beyond. Get your unique signed copy or find links to major booksellers at scottsbook.com
So I’ve been having a great day. Fantastic really.
If you want a great day too, reflect on why yours is great in the comments below.
Yes it takes longer to do things very well. But it is worth doing things to a high standard. Take the extra time. You’ll find it worthwhile.
Do a great job!
When was the last time you said you were grateful for something? Who did you say it to? Gratitude is great if you actually do it. Writing it down and speaking it out loud are two great ways to express it well.
My daughter’s bedtime routine includes reflecting on the day and discussing what we are grateful for. Usually this part is done between my wife and daughter. This time was one for me though.
She asked me what three things I was grateful for today. Being asked the question by someone else creates a different level of importance on the question. You don’t really have to think about the question if you are doing it on your own. Just thinking about the idea of gratitude is enough to get you going. But it is not the same.
It was better to have the discussion. And I couldn’t be lazy or cop out with just one or two. It made me really think about what aspects of the day made me most grateful. It was such a good experience, I might try to do that more often with her.
I do write in a gratitude journal most mornings, though it is a little different. With my daughter it is out loud rather than written. Also, reviewing the day in the evening before sleeping can certainly help with recall.
Gratitude is great.
If you haven’t watched everything on Netflix, or every movie ever made by now, I highly recommend this one. Sully is a great movie.
On paper it looks good. It stars Tom Hanks, is directed and produced by Clint Eastwood and is based on actual events from January 2009. It is also 96 minutes long and made several shortlists as one of the top 10 movies of 2016.
We’ve watched this movie with our children who were 8, 10 and 12 at the time. We’ve now just watched it again at the suggestion of the now 11 and 13 year olds.
It’s very well done and a real joy to watch. I don’t watch many movies twice. But I know I will watch this one for a third some time in the future.
The movie has you thinking and cheering and feeling as if you were right there in so many scenes.
It is full of great lines and good lessons. It is thoughtful and funny too. The filming and sound are both great quality.
Even when you know how things turn out, from coverage or having seen the movie before, it is still gripping and enjoyable.
Sully is great movie. Go watch it now.
