Stay focused on what you want,
not on what you fear, for a happy life.

This time of year, road construction starts up in a big way where I live near Denver, Colorado. When navigating a particularly tricky cone zone recently, I had to remind myself to stay focused on the road and not the cones. Just a few hours later, I had to remind myself again when I didn't get a work assignment I had applied for.

Instead of focusing on my goal of taking on interesting, well paying projects, I started to worry that I had lost my touch. What if I ran out of projects to do? The more I worried, the worse I did with my current work. My worry increased the probability that I would run out of work.

To turn myself around, I started taking a moment to think about what I really liked about my current project. I savored a moment of gratitude and appreciation for what I had. When worry woke me up in the night, I started to dream about what a successful career would look like. I tried to imagine what would happen. I focused on how happy I would feel, what I would wear, who would talk to me and what they would say. The more detail I imagined the more relaxed I became. When I woke up, I was happy and energized. Now, my future looks bright and my project list is long and profitable. I do not wake up with worry any more.

These techniques renewed my enthusiasm and helped me expand my comfort zone. You can use them to do the same in new situations or times when you need to stay focused on the goal. Remember…

Stay focused on what you want, not on what you fear, for a happy life.