Strategies for Building a Daily Ritual of Looking Forward

Having something to look forward to in each moment of your day is a helpful habit that will enable you to get through challenges, to endure hardships, and to engage in hard work when it is needed. Without the promise of rewards, these trials and tests become challenging to endure, but knowing there is a payout later will sustain you for the long haul. 

Make Plans

One of the first things you can do to have something every day that you can anticipate is to make plans. Start scheduling things for the future. Place them on your calendar, where they will remind you of their arrival. For momentous events, you can even start a countdown on your calendar and mark out each day as you get closer to your reward.

Schedule smaller things, such as time for yourself, coffee with a friend, a trip to your favorite craft store, or lunch at your favorite deli. If you want to commit to a new habit, placing this on your daily schedule is also helpful, as it reminds you of a goal you are committed to achieving down the road. The act of putting these on your calendar gives them importance in your mind and provides you with a visual reminder that something good is coming, as well.

Focus on the Small Things

Instead of only looking forward to our next vacation or big event, why not focus on what you can anticipate from your daily life? Take some time to consider the best parts of your day. What is something you enjoy doing each day and make that the focus of your anticipation?

 Maybe you are really excited each day to sit down to family dinner and share your day with your loved ones. Or perhaps your daily workout is something you cherish. Looking forward to these small moments is a wonderful daily habit that helps you develop mindfulness and gratitude, as well.

Adopt a New Hobby

When you have a hobby you enjoy, there is always something toward which to look forward. Hobbies allow you to learn, express yourself, meet new people, and relax, and all these are wonderful things to anticipate. Just like other major events, you should place your hobby on your calendar, so you can eagerly await the time you get to do it. You may not have time for your hobby every day, but perhaps you have time for it once a week or twice a month?

 Pick a hobby that caters to your interests and appeals to your passions. If you are not sure, try several new things to see what is really interesting to you. Learning a new hobby can be hard, so taking a class, joining a group, or reading a new book can also be fun things that will help you learn the ropes. All of these are great rewards that you can anticipate throughout your day and week.

Don’t Allow Anticipation to Overshadow Your Actual Enjoyment

Sometimes, we can get so caught up in building up an event and waiting for its arrival that we forget to live in the moment when it is happening. Stop and savor the moments when they arrive. Allow yourself to be present and fully aware of your much-anticipated outcomes, and in this savoring, you will appreciate all the time that you wanted this to be realized.

Learning to be present in your life and pay attention to others and to what is happening right now often reveals so much more than you can look forward to in your everyday existence.

Celebrate Something

Celebrations are always fun things to which you can look forward. And these days, it seems that there is always something to celebrate. Is today National Best Friends Day? Or National Hot Fudge Sundae Day? You can also make up your own celebrations, too!

 Or, why not focus on celebrating the people in your life! Make today your Appreciate Your Boss day or celebrate the recent accomplishment of a loved one or friend.

 Celebrations do not have to be lavish and expensive, but they need a small amount of time and attention to something that matters to you. Having something to celebrate is a fantastic way to create anticipation in your life.

Set Goals and Celebrate Their Accomplishment

Goals are an essential part of anticipation, and they are good for your mental well-being, too. When a goal helps you become healthier or more connected to yourself, it is a double whammy. And goals do not have to be hard to give you something to enjoy.

 Instead of setting a goal of losing 20 pounds, why not focus instead on eating more fruits and vegetables for one week? Set a goal of eating a certain number of servings or having salad for a certain number of days, and when you reach your goal, honor your accomplishment.

 Every little bit helps. Healthy habits are not adopted overnight, and anything you can do that improves your wellness should be recognized. Setting daily and weekly goals are just as crucial as setting longer-term ones, and these give you something to anticipate each week.

 And the more you reach these goals, the more confidence you will have in yourself or achieving your loftier ambitions.

Use Checkpoints

Crossing things off your to-do list and accomplishing a task for each day can feel very satisfying. Once you have reached your checkpoint, you can reward yourself with time off-task or a much-earned bit of frivolity. Checkpoints throughout your day help you stay focused, give you a goal toward which to work, and once you mark them as completed, give you another milestone toward which to look.

 When you create your to-do list, be sure to list your reward, the thing you anticipate today or later in the week that makes your daily work worthwhile. Are you looking forward to a bonus in your pay, a night out with friends, or watching your favorite show on tv?

 Reminding yourself of your rewards is an important part of setting up goals. And be sure to incorporate checkpoints throughout your day that combine stress relief and fun. If you complete these three tasks, what can you do for 15 minutes to give yourself a mental break? Include these on your list, as well.

Develop Mindfulness

By learning to be more aware of and appreciative of your present, mindfulness can also help you learn to look forward to the everyday events and accomplishments of your life. Learning to appreciate the day-to-day activities means that you will never be at a loss for something to anticipate.

 And the more mindful you are of yourself and your happiness, the more in touch you will be with what you need to bolster yourself and improve your wellness.

 Mindfulness practices vary but are all used to help you remain focused on the present, push away distracting thoughts and worries, and to pay attention to how your actions and thoughts are affecting your behavior and emotions and vice versa.

 Paying attention to the ordinary moments in your life can help you develop an appreciation for simple pleasures and to learn to anticipate everyday occurrences, like the smell of the air after it rains and the way the sunlight passes through your window at a specific time each day. When you learn to be mindful of these small but crucial details, you learn to anticipate them as a part of your daily routine.

Plan a Vacation

One of the most essential reasons that vacations make you feel more positive is because it gives you something to anticipate before they actually happen. When you plan a vacation, you not only get to enjoy the experience but all the thinking and anticipation that occurs before your actual time away.

 No matter how much time away you have or how much money you spend, just planning something fun and taking time off is enough to help improve your mental outlook.

 If you do not have funds to travel somewhere, plan a fun week or long weekend at home, including doing all the local things you have been “meaning to do” but never have. Planning your events, activities, and meals is the best part of the vacation experience, so it does not really matter where you are going.

Make a Happiness List

If you are looking for things in your daily life that you can look forward to, start by listing all the things that make you happy. Make a list that includes everything you genuinely enjoy each day.

 Consider not only the people and events but the sights, smells, emotions, and other sensations that add vibrancy and depth to your day. Happiness is not just about external stimuli, either. Think of all the things you do for yourself each day that bring you joy and create happiness in your world. Include those on your list.

 The next time you are looking for something to anticipate, turn to your list. Which of these things can you look forward to about your day today? What is something that makes you happy that can help you stay focused and motivated to get through the next hour or afternoon?

 These small moments and sensations are meaningful and important, and they should form the basis of your looking forward ritual.

Explore Solitary Moments

Creating space for yourself and your thoughts each day is an important goal to have, as well. Our lives are busier and more complex than ever, and it can be hard to find time for yourself. Maybe it is time you planned a date with yourself or scheduled some quiet time on your busy agenda.

 Just having one hour of quiet time or 30 minutes to relax in a hot bath is a wonderful thing to include in your anticipation routine. Honoring your own needs and providing time for those in your day is critical, and it gives you something to look forward to at the end of a long day or week.