There is no end to the things we have yet to do. There is no final goal. Any accomplishment usually is followed by another door opening another challenge. It’s inevitable.
You think you might have achieved your final goal — like getting engaged or married, or getting a coveted new job or losing 25 pounds — but there always is going to be another challenge. There is no end point where you can coast through the rest of your life.
It is the process of taking life one moment at a time that really counts. It is that ability to be in the present moment that determines how happy you’re going to feel. So often, we self-sabotage by only feeling we’ll be happy when we get to the finish line. Instead, you have to enjoy the journey, every step of the way.
Discover what you should stop putting up with
Visualize your morning until your commute. Next, visualize your workday experience or however else you spend your weekdays. Last, see your commute home and your typical weekday evening. While you’re visualizing, see what part of this could be more inspiring.
We become so habituated that we typically put up with a toothbrush that needs replacing, breakfast foods that don’t inspire, an often-used gadget that needs fixing, the empty wall that needs a picture or, perhaps the absence of a really good book.
What element of life completely within your control are you putting up with? What things can you easily eliminate or replace?
This exercise serves by getting rid of what holds you back or doesn’t foster an optimistic state of mind. It also builds the muscle that you have dominion over your environment. You have the power to make a change, even if you have been stuck in the old way for years.
Connect with deservers
As adults who have busy lives and set routines, it is not so easy to find a group of peers who will inspire you.
The people in your life who have their deserving flip switched on likely do not know they do. It’s unconscious and innate. Just by talking to them, you’ll be stimulated by their energy. You’ll be influenced by their personality, the ideas and topics they discuss, how they speak about their spouse and family and by their decision-making process. Connecting yourself with like-minded people will keep you connected with your self-worth and value.
Be aware of your environment
Everything you see, hear, touch, taste and smell stimulates your preconditioned thoughts. Because you are in the same fixed environments, the sensations you experience rarely change.
Address the personal spaces where you spend the most time — your home, office and property. I love Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” In it, she teaches a simple approach to change your living space by ridding it of anything not bringing you joy. The process she outlines contributes to freeing you from past regret and fear of the future. Both of these emotions hinder your mind from optimism and joy.
By taking inventory of the physical objects in your environment and consciously removing ones that no longer serve you, you wipe the slate clean. You re-energize your physical environment, creating new space and room for more joy. Doing so starts the snowball effect, not just in your physical surroundings but in more important decisions and life issues, too.
Wagner is a mindset coach, international speaker and consultant.
