The secret to living an exceptional life tomorrow is purely a matter of thinking strong, joyful thoughts today.

In light of your thinking today, what progress should you expect tomorrow?

Stop trying to be flawless, and instead, focus on daily improvement.

In what ways could you praise others today for the improvement you see in their life?

What you persistently think eventually but inevitably crystallizes into the words you speak and then the things you do.

What do your words and actions of today reveal that you had been thinking about yesterday?

If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it. Only you must then really wish these things, and wish them exclusively, and not wish at the same time a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly. —William James

What desires might you have that are not in harmony with your greatest intentions and ambitions?

With weak mental muscles, the existence of joy in your life is random and unpredictable. Mental laziness slowly dissolves your potential for joy—first privately, in your thoughts, and then publicly, coming out in your actions and circumstances.

How could you push yourself out of your mental comfort zone in the next week?

The one thing in life over which you have complete control is your thinking. This profoundly influences every other aspect of your life. In my practice as a life coach, I’ve observed that all lasting change is preceded by changed thinking. Any other type of change will be only temporary.

What area of your life do you most want to change? What change in your thinking must happen first?

Almost everything that happens to you, good or bad, originates with a single thought. Neuroscientists can now demonstrate that every thought sends electrical and chemical signals throughout your brain, ultimately affecting each cell in your body. The secret conversations you hold in the privacy of your own mind are shaping your destiny, little by little.

How would you feel if your private conversations of today became public tomorrow?

My two oldest boys have figured out that I am not the most complex guy in the world. When we’re playing capture the flag with their friends, I often hide the flag out in the open, almost in plain view. You guessed it—for a long time it’s the last place any of the kids look. When playing hide-and-seek, I’ll often hide in the same spot two or three times in a row, consistently escaping detection (at least for a little while). Our human nature, with an assist from modern culture, promotes the idea that solutions must be deep and complicated to be valuable. In most cases, nothing could be further from the truth. Lasting solutions are surprisingly simple.

In what ways might you be searching for a sophisticated answer when a simple solution is already available?

Being joy filled does not mean that your life is perfect. Who could claim such a distinction? It doesn’t even mean that your life is great. What it does mean is that you emphatically trust God and believe that he has great plans for your life, regardless of what is happening right now. Joy is the infectious and uncontainable fruit of divinely inspired growth. It’s a deeply entrenched, unshakable belief, the result of sustained right thinking and dwelling on the nature and character of God.

What are 10 blessings in your life today that would justify a joy-filled smile on your face right now?

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (NKJV)

Just for today, do you believe you can keep your thoughts, words and actions in alignment with what is lovely, virtuous and worthy of praise?