Author: Garth Beyer

It blows my mind how so many zero in on a trip on February or March to have something to look forward to after the new year and winter blues sets in.

The premise is tried and true. It takes no convincing for me to write that we’re generally happier and more connective with others when we have something to look forward to.

Which begs the question: what are you looking forward to later today? This weekend? Next month?

You don’t need to post a lovely mantra in front of your computer every day to stay positive. Sometimes reading the same thing gets old, anyway. But having something to look forward to front and center?

Magic is in the possibilities. Happiness is in the magic.

Stay Positive & Make Something To Look Forward To

The first thing about lists is that they’re never as long as we think they’re going to be. That way of thinking is merely a cop out from the work of having to take action once the list is complete.

But those who make lists are better off for it.

Lists of pros and cons. Lists of tasks. Lists of wish-fors. Lists of gratitude. Lists of to-dos. Lists of what you’re quitting.

There’s really no such thing as a bad list if the goal is to get to accountable action as quickly as possible.

And the added benefit of a list? The feeling of fulfillment that comes with crossing items off or the mere motion of acknowledgement of each line item.

Stay Positive & How Many Lists Can You Make Today?

The time for gratitude isn’t when everything is going right.

It’s when everything is going wrong.

The same can be said about tenacity and effort, too.

Stay Positive & No Waiting Necessary

Knowledge is power. Inference is, too, but not as powerful as actually knowing.

Thinking you know and knowing are two different things.

There’s a time and a place for both.

One moves you forward faster, though.

Stay Positive & What Did You Discover Today?

It’s easier to gain adoption of a new idea when it’s framed to someone in a way that makes it seem familiar.

Uber but for food is a simple explanation that feels familiar.

Leaning into familiarity helps in a lot of ways, but there’s also one way that hurts reputation.

Thinking you can convince someone of an idea because it’s familiar to you, is a recipe for disaster.

“I’ve run agile pods like these before so we should do it” is completely convincing to the person who is stating it, but all but loses its energy when it’s told to people who are not familiar with running agile pods.

All to say that the reminder here is that there is power in familiarity, but the important piece is that it’s familiar to the target, not to you.

Stay Positive & Start With The Target

The thing about jokes is that when they hit, it’s such a powerful connector between people.

The thing about jokes that I love most, though, is that when they don’t hit, no one remembers.

There’s so many other happenings in daily life that the brain will want to latch onto then a poorly told joke.

There’s not many risks one can take in life that has such a great reward and such a small consequence to failure than making a joke.

To the bartender who, when I asked him if he minded getting me a water, said “I do mind. In fact, can you go outside and hold your mouth open instead? It’s raining. Thanks.”

To me? It gave me a chuckle.

To someone who wouldn’t find it humorous? They won’t even remember the experience by the time they’re done with their sandwich.

Stay Positive & Shoot Your Shot

Artists have freedom… to a degree.

Mainly when it comes to creative freedom or the ability to select the clients/customers or the freedom to decide when they wake up.

But they exchange this freedom for something incredibly difficult: the accountability of showing up.

Artists have to ship. An artist that doesn’t deliver isn’t much of an artist at all.

Will you be an artist today?

Stay Positive & The Freedom Is Yours For The Trading