Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. Jim Rohn

When it comes to planning, it’s easy to put all of our focus on the future and lose our presence to the present! In times of rapidly changing economies, environments and political landscapes, it’s a sobering reminder that we need to be aware of the life that we’re living today, and not lose sight of it when planning and preparing for tomorrow.

If we’re diligent with our planning and preparation it should reduce stress and help us relax so that we can design our happiness for today, and not simply postpone it for tomorrow.

Designing your happiness is a process that develops over time and can be as flexible as you need it to be, but it helps to start with exploring your passions.

For many, this is not an easy task as most of our time is occupied with work and not everyone works in what they’re passionate about. If you’re able to marry the two – great! If not, it’s important to nurture your passions.

The easiest way to define your passion is to reflect on what motivates, drives or energizes you when you’re able to focus on what excites you.

When you learn to do this, you are learning to find yourself and it’s in this space that you can begin to truly thrive, today… and feel confident enough to escape your comfort zones.

It’s when we step out of these boundaries that we can push past our fears and explore activities outside our personality, improve our confidence and be inspired to achieve more of what we believed were beyond our reach. It’s from here that a sense of adventure grows and we’re able to live in our wealth space.

This doesn’t have to pertain to expensive, big events, it can be experienced in the ‘humdrum’ too. You may be in traffic and a thought about extending your home springs into your mind. Don’t push it away to think about later when you can make all the proper measurements at home. Start thinking through the ideas in your mind then and there. You may subsequently feel more relaxed in traffic because your mind is busy with something positive.

Relaxing more allows you to comfortably focus on today. Your positive outlook will help you make better decisions around your finances, your health and your family. Relax… and thrive!