One more thought about what I did on my summer vacation. Can't promise it will be the last thought, but in the book Write it Down and Make it Happen, she talks about having daily intention statements.

In her chapter "Scripting Your Daily Life" she tells of a friend who starts each day writing out his intention statements in the present tense. Each day they are the same and rather than read them aloud or look at them, he rewrites them. He tries to rewrite them from memory. An example would be:

"I talk less and listen more now, allowing my actions to speak louder than words."

"I treat every person I meet as the most important person in the world."

With intention statements you are writing as if your desired behavior already exists; like eating healthy, putting the past behind you, approaching difficult tasks with a positive attitude.

I have written down six intention statements in the front of my goal book. So now I am starting the day by rewriting (I'm tracing over my original writing) my intention statements and then reviewing my goals.

By writing the intention statements in the present tense, first person, it gives me the chance to feel successful - as if I have already created new habits and already achieved my goal.

Do you have a desired attitude toward how you'll approach each day? Consider writing it down each morning.

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer