“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” – Lucille Ball
I’m sure you’ve heard of the term “Mindset”. It’s pretty similar to “outlook” and it acts as your foundation in life. Mindset consists of your beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and those combined impacts your actions.
How many times have you got out of bed and thought “well, today’s gonna sucks”… and then, the whole day is awful. And not necessarily because anything specific happened, it’s just the mindset of the day. You woke up, rolled out of bed, and told yourself that the day was going to be awful and so it was.
That’s a negative mindset and we know that negativity is a vicious circle. When you have a negative thought, it creates negative emotions and produces negative actions. But what if I told you that positivity could have the same results?
Here are a few things you can do each day to shift your mindset and your life:
Start your day with a positive affirmation:
As I mentioned above, the way you start your morning sets the tone for your whole day. Starting your day with a negative emotion and pessimistic outlook will carry over into the events throughout your day. When you open your eyes, tell yourself “today is going to be a good day.” “I’m excited for what the day will bring.” You will be amazed at how your day changes.
Turn “failures” into lessons:
There will be times in your life where you make mistakes and fail. Instead of focusing on that, think about what you could do differently or better for the next time.
Change your self-talk:
Have you ever paid much attention to the way you speak to yourself? We can be hard on ourselves and we might not even notice it. Take note of your self-talk and if you find it to be negative, work on changing it to be more supportive and positive.
Practice gratitude:
I love this one! Spending time each day writing down what you’re grateful for can vastly improve your outlook. I challenge you to write down three things each day you are grateful for. Take note of how it changes your mood and outlook.
The next time you find yourself in a negative mindset, refer back to these suggestions and see how you can change your thinking. I know it will be hard, but I promise you’ll have positive results. Start by creating a positive morning routine with an affirmation to start your day.
Remember, your mindset is an important aspect in achieving your goals. A negative mindset won’t come in handy in supporting your goals. You won’t be able to undo years of pessimism and negative thoughts overnight, but with some practice, you can learn how to approach things with a more positive outlook. Once you have learned how to shift your mindset, you will be pleasantly surprised at how your life shifts.
