Serenity is not the absence of problems. It’s not like you finally have enough money or find a partner or get promoted and all your problems are gone – our brains don’t work like that. For your ancestors to survive they had to constantly scan their environment for predators, prey, and shelter. I’m sorry, but your brain is a problem finding machine. 

You don’t have to run from tigers anymore, but your brain doesn’t know that. You can’t turn off the threat radar that evolution gave you. Getting criticized in a meeting, a rude person at a store, or even an exam for school all feel like life or death situations because that’s what your brain is tuned for. Don’t hope for a life without problems – it doesn’t exist. Mindfulness can help you regulate your reactions and soothe yourself, it’s managing a condition, not a cure.

So what can we hope for? What decision can we make that includes realistic expectations and makes our lives better? In my opinion, it’s spending as much time as possible in the Growth Zone. The Growth Zone is where you are making decisions which move you towards your goals. You’re not allowed to say that’s obvious and unhelpful if you’ve ever drunk dialed/texted an ex, I’m sorry. 

Your best life comes from the Growth Zone. It’s the relief after fixing problems we’ve been putting off for so long. It’s the peaceful rest after a long day of hard work on goals you care about. The self-respect of holding ourselves to high standards we choose for ourselves. You have tasted this before, you know how good it feels.

You don’t have to work 24 hours a day to feel this meaning and satisfaction. You just have to consistently make decisions that will make you feel proud tomorrow. Your brain will always sound the alarm over uncertainty and setbacks, but that is less scary when you see yourself as someone who is always moving forward and does their best. 

It doesn’t matter what your goal is. I don’t care if you want to be a master violinist or write a book or lose 200 pounds. Make a decision right now that you’ll be proud of when you go to bed. Make a habit of taking one step forward on your goal every day. Steer as many days as possible into the Growth Zone to maximize the serenity and feelings of fulfillment you can control. Don’t you see how powerful that is? The only resource you have is time, and your time is finite. You can either spend it creating more regret or creating more progress. 

When you read the last word of this post you’ll make a decision on what feelings you want to create later. You’ll either decide to make progress or you’ll decide to put off your goals and create more regret. Start creating the self-respect, satisfaction, and serenity that comes with progress. You can choose to make your life better. What are you waiting for?

Further Reading: If this post resonated with you then you’d benefit a lot from Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. It’s a book on how to create healthy habits that start every day in the Growth Zone. He gives great structure and examples so it’s easy to get started and my productivity and quality of life went through the roof after reading the book. I can’t recommend it enough for anyone wanting to create more healthy habits in their life.