I f you find yourself plagued by negative feelings, or unable to improve your performance when it comes to a skill or activity—no matter how hard you try, perhaps it’s time to tap into the power of your mind through positive visualization.

Before you dismiss this as New Age “mumbo jumbo,” consider how your thoughts can affect your wellbeing. When your mind is occupied by happy thoughts, isn’t there usually a smile on your face, or a spring in your step? When your thoughts are troubled by sadness or anger, doesn’t your body react by manifesting them?

W hen was the last time you stopped to smell the roses—either in the literal or figurative sense? Does it seem like you’re so caught up with your busy life that you forget to appreciate each precious moment that passes by?

If you’re keen to enjoy a richer, fuller life, the trick is to live in the moment or the here.

Take Notice

Do you notice your surroundings or the people around you? Take the time to really appreciate the beauty of a flower, or the cheerful sounds of birds chirping. Pause to watch the sunrise, or sunset, and let the warmth of the sun wash over you. Each moment can be special, if you choose to make it so.

I t is safe to say that everyone living and breathing today is in the pursuit of happiness. Yet happiness can be elusive, or at least it seems to remain just out of our reach. How do we explain the people who are always happy, no matter their circumstance?

What’s their secret?

Well, these individuals know that happiness is a skill that can be learned by adopting positive habits that others often ignore. Here are six habits that will help you make your life better and happier, right now:

T hinking of setting a goal for yourself? Well, good for you! Goals are wonderful things to have, as they add meaning and purpose to your life. Once you have a goal in mind, it’ll probably be the first thing that you think of when you wake up, and the last thing that you think of before bed.

Focusing your mind on your goals is one thing, but how do you set them properly? Here are seven goal-setting tips to help you get there:

I n the classic children’s tale The Little Engine That Could, the signature phrase, “I think I can! I think I can!” showed that the Little Engine possessed great mental habits: optimism and perseverance. The lesson of the story is, if you think you will succeed, then there’s a good chance you actually will. The same goes if you think you will fail—your attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Our mental habits, also called intelligent behaviors, habits of the mind, and mental dispositions, affects just about everything that we do. While there are countless mental habits that we should possess, here are a few crucial ones that you should start adopting right away: