Something that I work on with my coaching clients about reframing their thoughts during times when things aren’t going exactly as planned is asking yourself “What if I decided this was fun?”.

Imagine being stuck in traffic after a long day and instead of lamenting the fact that you’re going to be arriving at home a half an hour later than you’d like to be, you say “What if I decided this was fun?”, turn on your favorite CD, and use the time as a much needed solitary concert session to clear your head and eradicate the daily pressures dumped upon you by your responsibilities before jumping into making dinner for the family.

What if instead of freaking out because you realize that you’re short of ingredients for the special dinner you’ve been planning right before a dinner party, you ask yourself “What if I decided this was fun?” and then just roll with the punches, maybe even pretend that you’re on your favorite Food Network Show “Chopped” when the contestants are given a very select set of ingredients and have to make do with their recipes.

This can be applied to any circumstance where you need to change your mind about the current situation and choose a better and more enjoyable thought process, lest you fall into a downward negative spiral which could ruin the rest of your day.

Next time you find yourself at a crossroads of complaining or choosing again, ask yourself “What if I decided this was fun?”