It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. ~ Ernest Hemingway
You know it’s time to jumpstart your life:
When you’ve watched others getting ahead, making choices easily and doing what you want to do, while you’re finding it hard to move forward.
When you see others in relationships that are just what you want, but never seem to get.
When it’s a struggle to find the balance between wanting to grow in all areas of life and constantly feeling as though you’re some make-over project.
When frustration sets in; when you begin to feel bad, or mad or sad it’s time to remember you get what you focus on, so stop replaying painful memories over and over and start to focus on what it is that you want.
Here’s some hard-won lessons I’ve learned over the years that I want to share with you to help jumpstart life when nothing is going right…without the aid of more goal setting or strategic planning!
1. Use your nights to jumpstart great mornings
Life flows more easily and days start much better when you fall asleep in thoughts of happiness and success. Tonight take a step towards a better tomorrow by turning away from any thought that doesn’t feel good, or that reminds you of all that’s gone wrong or that’s missing in your life.
You are 100% responsible for starting your day well. And you’ll create a more positive tomorrow if you use your nights wisely by falling asleep in thoughts that feel great.
2. Stop pushing and start receiving
Trying to force things to happen, trying to force the timing or trying to force the outcome is exhausting. It’s no different than trying to push water uphill. Don’t get in your own way by trying to control the uncontrollable. Pushing against what is merely invites it to stay longer.
More importantly be open to receive, expect to receive, focus on receiving and seek where you’ve received in the past, but you missed the signs. If you look for it, you’ll find it, and when you do, celebrate that before you lose your drive because you haven’t stopped to appreciate how far you’ve come.
3. Make time to be
Odd as this might sound, there comes a time when you just have to stop doing, take a deep breath and move into simply being.
Consider that it’s in the quiet times that you have your greatest ideas. This is when your creative juices flow. Just take the time to imagine feeling joy and fun and prepare to be amazed at how this simple act will take you further than any planning or action steps ever could. Your actions from this state of mind will turn out to be inspired.
4. Stop being limited by goals
I’m not kidding. Let go of relationship goals, of goals about money, or success or personal and spiritual development. Not being tied to goals doesn’t mean you don’t accomplish anything. Just the opposite. It means you’re not holding yourself back from exploring new territory.
Remember whilst it’s good to have an end in mind, who you become on the way matters most. Focus on the ‘who’ and the ‘how’ will take care of itself, plus as a bonus, you’ll end up in some amazingly unexpected places.
5. Change your awareness of yourself
Shift the belief system that says I am limited, I don’t have the talent, I don’t have the background or the luck that I need in order to experience what I want in my life. Break free from the idea that things don’t work out for you and wake up every morning with the thought that new opportunities are possible for you today.
Don’t think yourself into depression and defeat. Stop being your own worst enemy and decide to see yourself as the most fortunate person in all areas of your life. It’s this new attitude towards yourself that provides renewed faith that you can climb every mountain.
6. Mind-set matters
It’s no good putting all your energy and effort into inspired action steps that are sabotaged by a negative mind-set.
If you have thoughts of difficulties and obstacles and all the reasons why not, you can’t expect your actions to culminate in anything positive. Life doesn’t work that way. So watch yourself.
Catch yourself having thoughts that don’t lead to the places you want to go. The moment you represent things in your life differently you’ll instantly change the way you feel. And the way you feel is the secret to being happy and successful. Or not.
7. Create and produce
Let your enthusiasm be your guide as you learn to live without goals and laid out action steps. Assume something wonderful is always happening for you. Do what you’re excited about. Create and produce, using guidance from your heart.
Begin to recognize yourself as a person of unlimited talents and the capacity to live an inspired, meaningful, successful life.
Whatever talent is necessary, whatever financing is necessary, whatever people need to show up in your life know that you have the ability to be able to connect yourself to that. It’s a powerful knowing.
8. Be more easily pleased
Nothing is more motivating than progress. So you have stop wasting your energy comparing your life with others. It steals your happiness and worse it robs you of the very thing that you need to experience your greatest life…your self-esteem.
Forget what others are doing and become easily pleased with the little things in your life. It’s an investment in your future happiness.
9. Set up happiness moments
If you don’t control your environment, it will definitely control you. According to Daniel Sgroi of Warwick University, happiness raises productivity. And our good friend Shawn Anchor reminds us that happiness fuels success, not the other way around.
Take advantage of this. Stop what you’re doing every hour, every half an hour, or as often as you can, and choose a happy thought, a happy memory…anything that evokes a happy feeling.
10. Spiritually Speaking
It doesn’t matter if you need to jumpstart your career, your relationship or your personal development, don’t transfer your power to external things. You yourself have been gifted with a great and powerful tool. Imagination.
But it doesn’t become great until you use it deliberately and purposefully to create the outcomes you desire.
To live wisely, pay attention to your imagination and where your thoughts are taking you. You’ve got the ability to mentally move from the way things are to the way you’d like them to be, and remake your reality.
Don’t discount this gift. Use it. Allow your imagination to help you discover the excitement of new and greater possibilities.
Over to you. In the comments below do share whether there are any of these points that you might put into action or any strategies that you already use successfully. Specifically those that aren’t about setting goals!
As always I truly appreciate you being here to read and share your feedback. Your brilliance and compassion for others rock!
Encourage one another
Love Elle
13 Comments
Another excellent article, Elle !
“Stop pushing and Start receiving” – what bounced off the page to me was that “pushing” is fear-based and “receiving” is Love-based. And from that perspective – I would much rather receive than push . . . and it’s just so much easier.
“Mind-set Matters” – I would suggest that we must be relentless, even ruthless, in protecting our thought and time investment from the willy-nilly naysayers, nitpickers and time bandits that can so subtly erode our gains and victories.
Thank you !
Write on, Elle !
Hello Joseph…you are always so full of wonderful lines. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and I have to tell you I love the nitpickers and time bandits you referred to. What a great turn of phrase you have. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, as always. 🙂
Elle! Great post and tips! I always love TED videos. I’ll watch this one right now.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Hello Betsy, it’s lovely to see you again. Those TED videos are wonderful and Shawn is a real treat…he’s so funny. Enjoy. 🙂
I love the idea of stopping every half hour or so to think about something that makes you happy. What a beautiful thought. It is important to be more conscious about restarting your life when you are detoured, but always fun to see where life can take you. Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!!
Thank you Cathy…taking that time to focus on something happy is a great way to keep us on track. I started doing this when I knew I needed to get up from my desk and move every half an hour – it’s good for the dna, not to mention moving is important – and it struck me it was a good time to switch my thinking and thus the happy thought every half an hour. It works really well in my life and if you try it, I’d love to know if it makes any difference in yours. 🙂
love the video thanks Shawn is so funny. Great tips no 1 stood out for me love Suzie xxoo
Hello Suzie, glad you enjoyed the video. Shawn is a definitely a hoot with a great message. 🙂
Hi Elle
love the idea of happiness moments and to stop pushing. Pushing is so tiring!
Hello Mark, I find those happiness moments essential…it’s pretty amazing the impact it has on not only your spirit, but your body too. Having been through a number of challenges this year, the consistent us of turning to something to feel happy about every half an hour has made a huge difference for me. Thank you for stopping by to share your thoughts. 🙂
Elle, I am going through this lean phase of badly looking for a job and pushing without much success. This writing comes at the right time for me and can feel a dash of hope and optimism.
Hello Vishal…I’m so happy that you’re feeling a dash of hope and optimism – it’s amazing the impact just a little of these can have in your world. Keep going my friend and I’ll imagine you being where you want to be. 🙂
I love the setting up happy moments