Many years ago I was at work and a senior employee said to me, “you need to switch on”. I was new to the job and did not know what to do, yet there must have been an overriding attitude of disinterest. I was there physically, yet in reality I was a thousand miles away. He did not just say this to me once.

I acknowledge that as an absent minded child I was often not present when being spoken to. I was often distant and aloof, and would zone out regularly. It was not that my brain was inactive, rather I was thinking, wondering, or pondering. This would sometimes annoy my teachers who were trying to get me to take action. When I started an action I would become easily distracted and a simple task would take me a long time to complete.

I have sat down to read something and I found that I could not concentrate. I just couldn’t seem to get my mind to read in a way that I could absorb the material. It did not help that the content of the material my have been very boring, and I found my mind wondering. Therefore the reading assignment takes such a long time as I need to read and then reread the material over and over and over again. This for me is frustrating, time consuming and in the past I have ended up being frustrated and giving up. On another day or at another time I find it easier to “switch on”. At these times I am able to concentrate with my mind.

How then do we get ourselves to concentrate and take immediate action? How do we get our mind to concentrate at the very moment we need it? Is it possible to take charge f our mind to the extent that we can “switch on”, every time we choose?

The answer is a resounding “yes”.

I have understood this concept in the past, however the best way to Experiment with this is thought the use of anchoring. I created an excitement anchor 18 months ago. Since that time I have jumped and yelled with excitement at least 2 times every single day for 18 months. That means that I have created this excitement anchor through about 1000 actual literal repetitions. My path to excitement is becoming as natural as walking or breathing. The positive application of this can be explained through a story.

I needed to complete a reading assignment at work to be eligible to perform a role or function. Doing this work would provide a space for career development. My motivator was increased earnings, further career development and a change of scenery and pace. This was an exciting thing and yet the actual workbooks were still uninspiring.

The first thing that I did was to weigh up the pain of not doing the workbook, compared with the pleasure of actually just getting it done.

I ‘fired off’ my excitement anchor and got to work. Each time I drifted, I ‘fired off’ my anchor. Every time I felt tired I ‘fired off’ my anchor. I was able to remain on task and complete the assignment. I made a decision to perform an action, and then used my excitement anchor to carry it through. The amazing thing was that I enjoyed it. Imagine that. Here I was doing something that I loathed, and yet I was enjoying myself.

I then began to think of all the applications to this one practice. I can ‘fire off’ my anchor and increase my level of enjoyment every time I choose. Now that is powerful. This one thing has been worth all the preparation, the money and the work that I have done on personal development. It has literally changed my life.

Furthermore my excitement anchor is so strong that I only have to think about ‘firing off’ the anchor and I feel great. Some days I ‘fire off’ excitement 10, 20 or even 50 times. Others wonder how and why I am so damn happy. What is wrong with me. I just choose to live in a fantastic state. So can you.