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Go on a News Fast

Negative news sells. In our society, more people will choose to watch the criminal trial of a celebrity rather than the biography of a truly great human being. A newspaper with a headline revealing the latest tragedy will sell more copies than one announcing the latest scientific breakthrough. The real problem is that it is easy to get addicted to reading and watching negative news. I know so many people who begin their days by reading less than uplifting newspaper stories and who end them by catching up on the latest crimes, accidents and scandals on the late – night news.
I am not against newspapers or television by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact, I find excellent information in many newspapers and have learned much from the intelligent TV programs I have watched over the years. My point is simply this: become more selective in the news you expose your mind to. Be more deliberate in the way you read your newspaper and in the way you watch your television. Before you start reading the morning paper, have a purpose in mind. Use it as an information tool to serve you and to make you wiser rather than as an excuse to help you pass time.
One of the best ways to wean yourself from the “news addiction” that so many of us suffer from is to go on a seven – days news fast. Vow not to read even one negative story in the newspaper or watch even one negative news report on television for the next week. You will notice two things. First, you will not really miss out on much information. You will still hear about the most important stories of the day from the conversations that circulate around your office and through your encounters at home. Second, you will feel much more peaceful and serene. As well, you will find that the seven – day news fast offers yet another benefit: more time to do the things that will truly improve the quality of your life.

Get Serious About Setting Goals

Many speakers and authors encourage you to set goals but most have never explained why this is such a powerful discipline beyond saying something like “Something magical happens when you write down your goals on paper.” In my opinion, setting clearly defined goals for all the areas of your life works for three reasons. First, it restores a sense of focus in your world, a world that has become complicated by too many options. In this age we live in, there are simply far too many things to do at any given time. There are too many distractions that compete for our attention. Goals clarify our desires and, in doing so, help us to focus on only those activities that will lead us to what we want.
Setting clearly defined goals provides you with a frame – work for smarter choices. If you know precisely where you are going, it becomes far easier to select those activities that will get you there. Writing down your goals clarifies your intentions (and the first step to realizing your vision is defining it). As novelist Saul Bellow once observed, “A clear plan relieves you of the torment of choice.” Or as author Glenn Bland wrote, “Goals and plans take the worry out of living.” If you set goals, the actions you take will be based on your life’s mission rather than on you days – to – day moods.
The second reason that goal – setting works is that it keep you alert to opportunities. The discipline almost magnetizes your mind to seek out new opportunities, opportunities that you need to seize in order to create the personal, professional and spiritual life you desire. And the third reason goal – setting works is that clearly defined goals commit you to a course of action. They give you the inspiration to act on your priorities and make things happen in your life rather than waiting for opportunities to land in your lap (which rarely happens). Selecting goals that engage and motivate you is one of the best ways to boost the level of your personal commitment to life and increase the energy you bring to your days. So set big goals. You are only as rich, whether materially or spiritually, as your dreams. Or as advertising genius David Ogilvy put it, “Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ballpark. Aim for the company of immortals.”