“It's easy to figure out what you don't want: they're the things you're always complaining about, to yourself and everyone else. But do you know what you want? Have you written it down? If you get the dreaded job interview question, "Where do you see yourself in twenty years?" will you have a thoughtful answer, or will you draw a blank?

In a fascinating study by psychologist Laura King®, college students were asked to write for 20 minutes a day about their "best possible future self." She challenged them to stretch their imaginations to envision the biggest, best-case scenario for their lives. After just a few days, the test subjects who spent the time imagining a positive future were significantly happier and more positive than a control group. Another longer-term study by King showed that writing positively made them healthier as well, with fewer visits to doctors.”