Give Yourself Something to Look Forward To and Discover the Power of Anticipation

Have you ever had a horrible day, week, or month, but you had something great to look forward to? If you’ve ever been in that situation, you know how much it can help to have something exciting looming on the horizon.

No matter how tough life can be, the power of anticipation can put a smile on your face.

Fortunately, it’s easy to use the power of anticipation. It’s always available to you, and it doesn’t have to cost a dime. It’s a great way to enhance your mood and your success.

Master the use of anticipation with these strategies:

1. Use anticipation as motivation to achieve your goals.

It’s easier to achieve your goals if you use anticipation in a positive way.

For example, if your goal is to lose 25 pounds, you might anticipate how great you’re going to look or all the compliments you’ll receive.

◦ On the other hand, if you’re anticipating how hungry you’re going to feel, it will be more challenging to be successful.

◦ Anticipation will also help you overcome obstacles and persevere until you reach your goal.

2. Just thinking about doing something you like lightens your mood.

Studies have shown that having something to look forward to puts you in a better mood. But you already knew this.

◦ Whether you’re looking forward to receiving a desirable package in the mail, a date on Saturday night, a bonus at work, or a trip to Cancun, it certainly has a positive impact on your mood!

3. Give yourself something to look forward to each day, week, month, and year.

Give yourself plenty of things to look forward to in both the short and long term. Here are a few examples.

◦ Daily: A walk with your dog. A cup of your favorite coffee. Getting home and shutting out the world. Lunch at your favorite restaurant.

◦ Weekly: Dinner with friends. Sleeping late on Saturday. Going to a ballgame. Buying a new book.

◦ Monthly: A weekend out of town. Buying yourself a treat.

◦ Annually: You might plan to buy a new car at the end of the year, take a big trip, or buy a house.

4. Consider the alternative.

What if you didn’t have anything to look forward to?

Imagine having a life so lacking in hope that you felt you had nothing to look forward to. It would be a challenging existence for sure.

◦ No matter how bleak your life might look, ensure that you have something to look forward to in the future that gives you a reason to smile.

5. Keep several things in your pantry that you love.

Having a hard day? You can look forward to your favorite chocolate bar, bottle of beer, or frozen treat.

◦ Always having your favorite foods or beverages handy is an easy way to make a bad day better.

Remember Christmas as a kid? With a few weeks left in the semester, you were ready to be out of school.

One of the things that kept you going was knowing that Christmas was just around the corner. Summer vacation was similar.

Thinking about everything you were going to do over the summer was a great boost to your mood.

As an adult, we don’t have as many exciting things built into our schedule. We have to take responsibility for giving ourselves things to look forward to.

Start today and give yourself something to look forward to tomorrow. It can be as simple as relaxing on the couch with your dog and your favorite movie after work.

A little anticipation can change your life for the better.

How to Handle Life's Most Common Frustrations

Life can feel like one frustration after another. Most of the frustrations you deal with are dealt with by everyone.

Being human is largely a universal experience, so there are plenty of ideas floating around about how to deal with the frustrations that frequently appear in life.

While all frustrations can’t be completely eliminated, they can be greatly minimized.

Consider these common frustrations:

1. The inability to control yourself.

This is perhaps the most common frustration of all.

Whether you want to follow a diet, get to the gym each day, clean out the garage, pay your bills, save money, or stop staying up late watching TV, it can be extremely frustrating when you can’t control yourself.

◦ Be clear on why you want to take or avoid a specific action. Why do you want to go to the gym? What do you gain? What is the consequence of not going?

◦ Visualize being successful. If you can clearly imagine it, you’ll be more likely to do it. Imagine yourself doing, or not doing, the action.

◦ Relax. When we have the urge to do something we shouldn’t, or have resistance to doing something we should do, it creates tension. Relax your neck and shoulders and take a deep breath.

2. The lack of financial resources.

This is one of life’s most common complaints. Whether you need money to buy food or your dream car, a lack of financial resources is frustrating. There are only two ways to deal with this issue:

◦ Increase your supply of money. This can be accomplished by earning more money, spending less, or saving more. Find a way to increase the amount of value you’re delivering to the world, and the money will follow.

◦ Decrease your list of wants. We all want more than we need. If you can cut back on the things you think you need, you’ll have more money available for other things.

3. The behavior of others.

While there are thousands of books on how to influence others, it’s only influence, not control.

There are many things you can do to get others to do what you want, but it’s never a sure thing. Avoid trying to control them, and you’ll be less frustrated.

4. Indecisiveness.

Indecisiveness is the result of either a lack of information, a lack of goals, or a lack of clarity regarding your values.

If you take care of those three areas, your indecisiveness will lessen dramatically.

5. Others sabotaging your efforts.

This is another common frustration. Most of the people in your life would like to see you do well, but not too well.

It’s hard on their egos for a variety of reasons. Just accept it as a part of human nature and move on.

Life will always have its frustrations, but you can minimize many of them.

You’re not alone regarding most of the frustrations you face. Most frustrations are universal.

Deal with the frustrations that are within your control and try to relax regarding the rest.

Inner Strength is Within Your Grasp

Not many people are as emotionally strong as they’d like to be. Our inner strength is frequently the limiting factor in our lives.

If we were just a little tougher mentally, we’d be willing to try more, and we’d accomplish more.

Inner strength makes molehills out of mountains. Every obstacle is less likely to be insurmountable if you possess a high degree of inner strength.

It’s not necessary to be born mentally tough. You can develop this quality in yourself.

Grow your inner strength and overcome any obstacle with these techniques:

1. Develop yourself physically.

Inner strength is easier to attain if you’re strong in other ways, too.

◦ Develop your body and mind. Suffering through a challenging workout is a great way to build your mind and body at the same time. With a strong mind and body, you become unstoppable.

2. Develop your ability to focus.

To a large extent, inner strength is the ability to focus on what needs to be done regardless of the circumstances.

You can’t just decide to focus and suddenly be good at it. You’ve spent a lifetime distracting yourself.

It takes time to learn to focus well for extended periods of time.

3. Make yourself uncomfortable.

You can take a cold shower. Stay up all night. Do yard work. Walk up to strangers and start a conversation.

Sing in front of your friends. Dye your hair blue and walk around your neighborhood.

Dealing with discomfort is an important part of inner strength.

4. Do hard things.

Climb a mountain. Run a marathon. Write an entire book. Go an entire day without speaking.

Wake up an hour earlier for the next month. Learn a new language. Memorize 100 digits of Pi.

5. Decide quickly.

Make decisions quickly. It’s weak to postpone making decisions just because you don’t want to take responsibility for your life.

Be responsible but make up your mind and own your decisions. Take responsibility for your life.

6. Take action regularly.

It’s not enough to make a decision. You have to do something, too.

Avoid falling into the trap of procrastinating or spending too much time learning and planning. Those with inner strength take action.

7. Remember your past accomplishments.

Remind yourself that you’ve accomplished some impressive things.

You’ve overcome obstacles. You might remember that you’re tougher than you thought. Relive those past successes and the obstacles you overcame.

8. Develop an effective attitude.

Tough, positive, action-oriented, diligent, committed, aggressive, disciplined. Are these words you would use to describe yourself?

What qualities do you think someone with inner strength possesses? Build these qualities in yourself.

9. Surround yourself with the supportive people.

You’re stronger when you surround yourself with strong, supportive people. Negative people will sap your inner strength.

Weak people will do the same thing. Surround yourself with the right people, and you’ll be more capable.

How tough are you? Are you the toughest person you know? If not, you have some work to do.

You can become mentally stronger if you’re willing to take the appropriate steps. Your life is waiting for you, so do it now!

Related Reading: Comprehensive Self development online guide

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