Train your Brain to Focus on the Future
Train Your Brain to Focus on the Future
It is very important to focus on the future.
The past is gone and can never come back.
Whether that past was good or bad, it can never come back.
If the past was bad for you, then it's good to forget.
If the past was bad for you, there is no benefit in going over it, again and again.
If the past was good, then still there is no real benefit in reliving the good old days.
If you keep on reminiscing about how great it used to be, then you run the risk of becoming dissatisfied with today, and pining for a return to yesteryear.
Instead of thinking about the past, it is crucial to focus on the future
But there are two ways of thinking about the future.
- You may think about the future as being positive.
- You may think about the future as being negative.
In order to be at your best, you need to get into the mental habit of thinking about the future, and you need to think about the future in a positive sense.
It is important that you don't get into the habit of thinking about the future in a negative sense.
What happens if you think of the future in a negative sense?
If you develop a habit of thinking of the future in the negative sense, then you will experience constant feelings of: worry; anxiety; dread; fear; lack of confidence; mental stress; and hopelessness.
This is a recipe for a mental meltdown and a more miserable existence.
What happens if you think of the future in a positive sense?
If you develop a habit of thinking of the future in a positive sense, then you will experience constant feelings of: desire, optimism, motivation, enthusiasm, confidence, energy, faith and happiness.
This is a recipe for mental magic and a more marvellous existence.
You are responsible for your own happiness
You are responsible for your own happiness because happiness is the result of a thought process.
Happiness is nothing more, and nothing less, than a thought process.
Happiness is not a bank account.
Happiness is not the product of possessions.
Happiness is not possessing a Porche or getting a Gouchi dress.
No!
Happiness is having a happy brain. A happy brain is one which believes the future will be better than the past.
And the neat thing is that only you get to decide the content of your brain.
That is an awesome responsibility; because it implies that you are responsible for your own levels of happiness.
The fact is; your degree of optimism, desire, motivation, enthusiasm, confidence, and energy is totally in your own hands.
Ownership of such a happy brain is worth more than a million, because the only possession that is really worth anything is a happy brain.
And you can train your brain to be happy by continually asking it to think about how you can make your future better than today.
How can you train your brain to do that?
You can train your brain to think in this way by memorising the following six questions, and then asking and answering the same six questions every day. If you did it in writing you would multiply the effectiveness of this method.
Here are the six questions to ask of yourself so that your brain will be forced to think of the future in positive terms.
- What long range, valuable and worthwhile goals do I want to achieve in the next twelve months?
- What are the skills and knowledge I would need to achieve my goals and where can I learn them?
- Who can help me to achieve my goals and how can I make contact with them?
- What are the things I can do today that will start to move me closer to my goals?
- What is the most practical order for these things? What is today's to-do list that will start me moving towards my goals?
- What is the very first thing on the list, because I want to get cracking on my goals?
If you spent all day, every day on the answers to these questions you will be filled with motivation and optimism. And every moment you are in this state you are crowding out all your fears, worries, self doubts, resentments and stresses.
So please, focus on the future and focus on a positive future.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Brain.
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Definition: Positive future focus
Positive future focus is a mental habit in personal development that holds your mind on tomorrow and sees it as better than today. It makes you picture goals with hope, write them down, and act on them in order. It also swaps worry for energy because the mind is busy planning progress. If you stop looking forward, lose hope, skip written goals, or fail to act, the habit ends.
Show CG4D Definition
- Keeps thoughts on future plans, not past events
- Views the future in a positive and hopeful way
- Uses clear written goals to steer daily action
- Swaps worry for energy by turning plans into steps
Article Summary
When you train your brain to focus on the future in a positive way, you swap worry for hope, turn goals into daily action, and build a lasting sense of happiness that no setback can steal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
Why should I stop living in the past and focus on the future?
How does positive thinking about the future lift mood?
What feelings arise when I picture the future negatively?
What six goal-setting questions train your brain each day?
Why does writing down goals boost self motivation?
Who controls my future happiness according to the article?
How can I start building a positive future habit right now?
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Did You Know: Key Statistics
The 2023 Gallup Global Emotions Report shows 62% of adults who feel hopeful about the next five years rate their life satisfaction at seven or above, compared with 22% of adults who feel no hope. A 2022 University of Cambridge study of 1,500 UK workers found that writing down daily goals boosted productivity by 25% and reduced reported stress by 15% after eight weeks.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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