Good Friday all,
As you know I enjoy reading and sharing articles, presentations and podcasts of other leaders and writers but today I’m going to share one of my own. It’s a simple but certainly a powerful message, but only if you can make it work for you, by making it your mindset..
Let me elaborate…
It all starts with the beginning, the beginning of each day. The phrases ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life’, and carpe diem (seize the day), are certainly overused, but they do speak the core truth. And if you believe you can make positive change, make a difference, accomplish your goals, change the world, or achieve anything thing in between (small or large), you must start at the beginning. At the very beginning of every journey, there is that defining moment of hesitation. Do I really want to get started? Do I really want to get started today? Now since every day is a journey, let’s apply that thought to each day.
You wake up each morning, here comes the defining moment; do you get started with conviction, with a positive perspective on what you want to accomplish today? Or do you start by wishing you didn’t have to face the day, deal with the ‘stuff’ going on in your life? Yes, we all have days where the challenges we face seem insurmountable, you can’t expect to be 100% positive every single day, but you should do your best to wake up with a positive purpose every morning. So, when you awaken what is your ‘positive start’ ratio of “I don’t want to face the day” negative thoughts versus positive ‘I’m going to make this a fantastic day, I will be successful” thoughts?
I repeat, and please answer yourself truthfully, what is your positive start thinking versus negative thinking ratio? My guess is that if you are like most people, your answer is somewhere near the 50-50 mark. The hard part is addressing that defining moment, the moment of truth. The truth being what you decide your journey to success today will look like, or at least how it will begin, and how it begins is critical to how it will turn out.
So how can you develop a mindset, a frame of mind that faces that defining moment head-on and shortens or erases that hesitation? Let’s start with how you talk to yourself, what you tell yourself. The truth is, the conversation you have with yourself is where you must start; if you cannot convince yourself, if you don’t believe that you accomplish your objectives, that you can overcome your fears or the roadblocks in your way, be better, do better… your defining moment is a forgone conclusion stuck in a spiral of procrastination. So, you need to motivate yourself. As a wise mentor once told me, “when it comes to motivation, it’s all about spontaneous combustion, no one else can motivate you, you have to set yourself on fire”. Think about it.
Your conversation with yourself, developing your mindset, must start with a simple and direct approach. First you tell yourself… I can do this! Start each day by looking at yourself in the mirror and saying…I CAN DO THIS, I WILL DO THIS! Telling yourself EVERY day will make a difference. Your brain will start to manifest your desire, your commitment and your confidence and you will act more, hesitate less.
The second thing you must tell yourself is… I AM WORTH IT! Fear of being worthy, not good enough to deserve success is to some extent is a natural thought process. Going for it, or stretching outside your comfort zone is about change, and change brings anxiety. Anxiety can be managed and minimized. Even very capable competent people can lack self-esteem and confidence and so one’s self-worth comes into question. To mitigate this anxiety, you must start EVERY day by telling yourself, that you are indeed worth it, you do deserve success. Once again, your brain will start to manifest your desire, your commitment and your confidence and you will act more, hesitate less.
The third thing you must tell yourself is DON’T GIVE UP! Stretching yourself, moving out of one’s comfort zone is not easy; therefore, success is seldom easy. If your success is worthwhile you will most likely at one point or another, fail. You may fail many times, but if you believe in yourself, believe in your success, you must not give up. You may not succeed right away, maybe not in the first year or even the second or third, but if you remain steadfast in your belief in yourself, you will succeed. You’ve heard the Wayne Gretzky quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. What do you have to lose versus what do you have to gain? How much is your success worth to you?
Remember… Starting is hard, finishing is so much harder. Thomas Edison said, “our greatest weakness lies in giving up, the way to succeed is to try one more time.” To keep from giving up you must tell yourself every day, I can do this, I will do this, I am worth it and deserve it, and I will not give up!
Is there anything else you can to do help ensure your success? Yes, absolutely! Practicing positive habits have been proven to activate the brain to produce chemicals which respond to positive emotions. And the more you sustain positive habits, the more positive and happier you are. Thus, it makes sense that starting the day with a positive attitude will make it easier to start the day feeling good. These habits include activities like working out, meditation, journaling, gratitude (being grateful and expressing gratefulness), showing affection, laughter and many others.
Currently not starting the day with a positive habit? Whether you start the day or finish your day, or take time during the day, taking that time to do something positive that makes you feel good, will help you be successful, happier and healthier. The big added plus is that happier, positive individuals are healthier and live longer.
Lastly, especially during these crazy times having someone supporting and encouraging your efforts can make all the difference in improving and sharpening your positivity/mental fitness. Utilizing a coach can provide tremendous support and valuable insight into how you can maximize your opportunities and potential. If you are not in coaching but would like to find out if maybe coaching is right for you, reach out of an informational (discovery) call so we can talk, and feel free to forward this to anyone you think might enjoy it.
Have a fantastic weekend!
With Gratitude,
John Sanders, ACC 'the coach' Leadership & Clinician Coach "do what you love in the service of those who love what you do" To schedule a coaching appt. click here