Tuesday, June 4, 1996

Something to look forward to

Have you ever noticed what happens right before you’re going on a long-awaited vacation? If you’re like most people, you are bulletproof. Nothing gets you down. You cheerfully work harder than usual to get things ready for your trip, and to arrange for everything to continue smoothly while you are gone. In fact, for many people, the day before leaving on vacation is often the most productive day they have all year.

Why is that? Well, for one thing, you HAVE to get the work done. You have a sense of urgency. It won’t wait until tomorrow. So you’re extremely motivated in that regard. You also have a “light at the end of the tunnel.” You know that tomorrow you’ll be relaxing on the beach, or hiking through the mountains, and that is enough to keep you going at a high level of energy and enthusiasm.

Wouldn’t it be great if every day could be like that? Just think how much you would accomplish.

When you think about it, the day before vacation is no different than any other day. The only thing that makes it different is your attitude. Guess what? You’re in complete control of your attitude. So... if you really want, you can feel that way every day.

The trick is to find something exciting and inspiring to look forward to. Yes, a vacation is great, but you can’t do that every day. That’s where your goals come into play.

What is your life’s dream? What excites you, and motivates you, and inspires you more than anything else? Whatever it is, you need to constantly remind yourself of it. Keep it at the front of your mind. Know that everything you are doing is leading to that goal.

Goals aren’t really important for what they are, so much as for what they help you to become. In fact, reaching your goal is not nearly as important as what you do, and what you become, in the process. We are goal seeking creatures. We need something to strive for, to look forward to. Provide that for yourself, and every day can be joyous and productive.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©1996 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.