With eyes locked on the future

you’re likely to trip over the present

Caution: Tripping Hazard

By Lorraine Esposito, Peacemaker Coach

Future goals are awesome! Without them activity is sorta pointless.

Yogi Barra said it best,

“We're lost, but we're making good time.”

So yes, set great goals but watch out for the tripping hazards.

Tunnel Vision

With focus locked on the future you may

become blind to the present. It’s like

walking through a cluttered room looking

up—you’re gonna trip over all the stuff

you’ve neglected in your daily life.

All those trips and falls cost you time,

energy, and ultimately your success.

10 experiments to help you step through life wisely

1. Dump Sexy Pipe Dreams

Stop trying to change the world or become somebody - Pipe dreams are sexy and can make the future look better than the present.

2. Make Today Rock

Stop striving for a better future; try perfecting the present first. Channel your energy into making today awesome and tomorrow’s awesomeness will take care of itself.

3. Off The Marketing Messages

Advertising seduces you into working harder to get more stuff. Okay to a point, but when your lifestyle costs you a LIFE, not so much.

10 experiments to help you step through life wisely

4. Nix The Mantra

Reminding yourself over and over about your

awesomeness means you don't really believe it. Try

pointing to real things in your life saying, "This is

awesome." Now you have proof of awesomeness which

is much better.

5. Stop Trying to be Perfect (or even

just better)

To err is human. Having an ego is human. Trying hard

NOT to be human (or to be less human) distracts you

from knowing and liking who you really are. Maybe

you're just fine as-is. Every consider that?

6. No More What Ifs

Over-planning for all the contingencies slows you to a

snail's pace. Speed up by adopting a curious mindset

and become a fast learner.

7. Kick The Hope-Dope Habit

Great bumper sticker: "Since I gave up hope, I feel so

much better." Hope turns bad when it's a crutch or a

pipe dream.

10 experiments to help you step through life wisely

8. Go For Opportunity vs. Possibility

Chasing possibility is an endless losing

race. ANYTHING is possible but not

EVERYTHING is possible. Opportunities have

a shelf-life because they are only available to you

in the present.

9. Dump The Wanna-Bes

People striving to succeed are expensive needing

lots of encouragement and energy from

you. Find people who are happy doing what

they do today and dump those that trade today’s

happiness in hopes of being successful and happy

tomorrow.

10. Someday is Today

Optimism is great unless it becomes eternal

optimism. If it’s worth doing “someday” then it's

worth doing today. Click to watch

Related Articles: Delay Gratification? NO WAY!, Play to Win, Always!

Related Tip of the Week: Problem Crumb Trail, Frustration,

This list of ten ways to become happier today is based on the work of Thomas Leonard and his book, 28 Laws of Attraction

Imagine how surprised you’ll be when you realize that

you’ve arrived at your goal and had a blast along the way.