I really enjoy sports and the ways athletes keep their heads in the game to overcome discouragement, maintain perseverance and break through malaise. At a certain level of competition, talent is less a factor and the mental game takes over.

You are no different. It’s so easy to get caught in the daily routine of your to-do list, scheduled meetings and normal problems that you lose your bearings. If you aren’t careful, you’ll be caught in your own Groundhog Day loop of day-in, day-out, same ol’ same ol’ experience. Your attitude of “what bad stuff will I have to deal with today?” grinds on you.

Here’s something you can do that athletes have been practicing for decades to keep the grind in check.

Instead of bracing yourself for what bad is about to happen, take a moment to enjoy and be proud of the work you do and what you have achieved. This is polar opposite of the grind, which makes it an excellent balancing habit. This mental exercise is more than patting yourself on the back or massaging your ego. Here are three benefits to this discipline.

As I’ve written before, your brain processes recollections as if they are occurring again in real time. So if you only recollect your screw ups, you not only experience them again, you are actually rehearsing failure in the future, making it all the more difficult to succeed.

Second, you keep yourself in good spirits when you recall your wins. Your brain produces chemicals that reward the memory of your good work. But you have to activate those chemicals by recalling what went well.

Finally, it gives you the long view of your career. Getting your head out of the daily grind can be challenging enough. This discipline will give you a big boost.

This one habit will keep you focused and in good spirits, especially when you encounter difficulties, challenges and stressful situations. This is a habit that will sustain you both short and long term. So let’s go—what’s the last thing that went well for you? Enjoy.