Why You Need Something To Look Forward To
“I can’t wait for the weekend.”
“Ugh…I can’t wait to go home.”
“I can’t wait until this is over!”
I think we’ve all experienced a time when we looked forward to things ending, more than beginning. The dread of school or work, a long meeting, doing an obligatory chore or sitting in traffic are a few familiar scenarios.
But what I’ve found is that instead of looking forward to things ending, we should schedule weekly or even daily things to look forward to starting or doing. It sounds like an obvious concept, but it’s very easy to fall into the sea of dread, complaining or defeat when you feel like a backseat driver in your own life. Discouragement takes that front seat when you don’t feel you have control over your life’s circumstances.
The more that you can look forward to, the more positive your outlook will be. Sometimes our minds can get flooded with tasks, to-do lists, projects, obligations, and responsibilities that make us feel stressed and weighed down. Creating small (or big ) scenarios to look forward to can greatly increase your enthusiasm for the week or the day. Why? Because your focus shifts to those anticipated events rather than the monotony of what may currently be going on. You’ll have greater endurance to bear the “have-to’s” because you know a “want-to” is coming soon. Better yet, you could even find your perspective positively shifting as you focus your mind on all the exciting things you’ve planned that will get your endorphins heightened and your thoughts on the right track.
No matter the magnitude, you can look forward to anything that makes you feel growth, progress, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm or purpose:
- eating at your favorite spot for lunch
- getting married
- getting a massage
- posting an article
- starting (or quitting) a job
- taking a nap
- working out
- attending a social or business event
- meditating
- closing out a project
- having a child
- moving into a new place
- announcing a new product
- meeting up with friends
- spending time with yourself
- starting a new book
- adding $200 to your investment account
- going on a weeklong (or 1 day) vacation
- attending a concert
- starting school
- learning a new skill
- sending thank you notes
- getting a new pair of shoes
It’s important to schedule at least one thing you’ll look forward to — daily — and challenge yourself to go beyond default events like going to bed or getting off work. You can keep your spirits and energy high when you have a vision of something you are looking forward to; that vision can be your guiding light throughout the day. You can accelerate those “in between” phases of life with progress, small wins and moments of gratitude that can all be wrapped in something that you were able to look forward to and relish in.
Create your own joy rather than waiting for something (or someone) else to. Emotions are fickle; happiness is subjective. But we control our own attitude and outlook.
What are you looking forward to?
