A major key to success and a healthy life is to enjoy yourself during the process of whatever you are trying to accomplish. Unfortunately, enjoyment is something that many people leave by the wayside—especially when change is taking place at a tremendous rate and the pressure is on to reinvent yourself and achieve new goals.
More now than ever, people are having difficulty balancing their lives, and there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to get everything done. Stress levels can get too intense, and negative emotions like self-doubt, overwhelm, anger and fear can become dangerous mindsets. Without ever realizing it, people allow their ability to have fun become secondary at a time when it’s most necessary.
Studies have shown that those who make conscious choices (and it is a choice) to enjoy themselves and laugh throughout the day are more creative, productive and resilient to challenging situations. They are also more likely to easily find solutions to complex problems. In other words, focusing on your happiness not only makes you smarter but shifts motivation in to high gear. How smart and how motivated are you?
Related: If You’re Not Happy, You’re Not Successful—So Enjoy the Journey!
Doesn’t it just makes sense that if you are enjoying the process of whatever you are trying to achieve, that the odds will be in your favor to stay motivated and reach the outcome you desire? It just seems obvious to consciously choose happiness, to feel good during the process.
But I would wager any amount of money that when writing out their short or long-term goals and plans, most people don’t count enjoying themselves during the process as part of the equation. Instead, they fall prey to dangerous mindsets that decrease their potential for happiness.
They put their happiness on hold when they repeat and internalize negative statements like: “I’ll enjoy myself when I get the job done,” “I’ll be happy when I’m appreciated,” or “I’ll be happy when I make more money.” And of course the Big Kahuna: “I’ll enjoy myself when I reach a certain status in life.” Wow! The pressure we put on ourselves…
I understand how easy it is for us to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of trying to make a living that we forget what it’s like to live. I know that sometimes life consumes us to the point where we allow ourselves to become imprisoned by our own personal dramas and become blind to all the good that is in our lives. But who says we can’t at least try to acquire a healthier attitude and look for the joy in and around our challenges and setbacks. Why not focus on what’s working, rather fixating on what isn’t?
The good news is there are always fresh opportunities to feel good and to be happy. Imagine life is like Grand Central Station where happy times arrive around the clock. Chances are, the opportunity to feel good and to be happy has already arrived. Sometimes it’s right in front of you. For whatever reason, you are unable to shift your focus to notice and appreciate it.
Regardless of what is going on around you, you can feel happier, you can be productive, attract success, and enjoy yourself during the process. When you shift your focus and the way you think, your perspective changes. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t plan for the future, set goals, undergo your daily routine, deal with the unexpected, and still make conscious choices to feel good and enjoy yourself while doing so.
If you do, you will not only be producing the fuel that drives motivation, but you will be shifting that motivation into high gear. Why? Because enjoyment is the spark that ignites passion and enthusiasm. Always remember that. Write it down! Get it laminated and slap it on your refrigerator!
These two forces are key to creating the things you desire. Because the energy they radiate will not only increase your overall degree of attention, but also generate a powerful connection to a higher part of yourself. In fact, the word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word “entheos”—meaning the God within.
When you are truly passionate and enthusiastic about your vision, you activate this powerful energy to assist in co-creating your dreams. When times are tough, it’s passion and enthusiasm that compels you to hold on to your vision and pushes you to go that extra mile. It’s passion and enthusiasm that propel you into a zone where you feel confident, courageous and victorious.
Always nurture your passion and enthusiasm. Allow yourself to get excited about it. Feel it, sense it, embrace it. Visualize your goals and dreams with it. Because when you fervently hold on to your vision with passion and enthusiasm, you will experience new circumstances, opportunities and serendipitous events.
