2019 is flying by and spring will be here before we know it! I’m a positive person by nature but I also know how frustrating it can be when you’ve fallen into a rut. Distractions are everywhere around us and you are not alone if you feel (or have felt) like you aren’t moving forward in life. I have certainly been there many times in the past! This year, I made a big effort to focus on things I can control and cultivate a positive mindset. It’s been a big year for us as my husband and I plan to launch our business soon and having a positive mindset has been important. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to with the right mindset. Below are a few tips I practice that help me cultivate a positive mindset and focus on what is important.
1. Invest Your Time in Relationships With People Who Support & Inspire You
This is something I have fully embraced the past year and it will make a huge difference in your mindset, I promise! You know that saying ‘you are what you eat’? It’s the same with who you hang out with. If you invest your time in relationships that are unhealthy, discouraging, and draining, it’s time to change. Invest your time with people who support you through thick and thin and inspire you to be the best version of yourself. Keep a distance from people who make you feel bad, induce anxiety and those who are so self absorbed they don’t reciprocate the generosity you give. This is a big change and will leave your environment and mindset a happier, healthier place.
2. Find The Silver Lining
So many of us, myself included, can get caught up in the negative thinking. You can avoid this. Taking step one and spend your time with people who not only support you but inspire you is a good place to start. Second, move away from negativity and straight for happiness by finding the silver lining. In a difficult situation, it can be easy to fall into the trap of assuming the worst & focusing on the negative. Approach a trying situation in the most productive way possible. Finding a silver lining will not only train your mindset to become more positive but also make you a more resilient and compassionate person.
3. Stay in the Present
“It is possible to wait hopefully for the future while housing to live mindfully in the present”. I recently saw that quote by Morgan Harper Nichols, it encapsulates a mindset of living in the present and focusing on the now, but be expectant (not anxious) for the future. Don’t waste your time worrying about what may or may not happen int he future. Focus on yourself and what you can do to be the best version of yourself in this season and time. Everything else will fall into place!
4. Gratitude Notes
Think about the things that make you feel happy or grateful to be alive. At the end of each week, write five of them down. Your family, your health, your significant other, furry friend, a recent success at work, new friendship, great workout, upcoming trip, access to healthcare, clean water – whatever it is, jot down five of them in a journal or notepad. This simple activity can help put things in perspective and improve your mood.
5. Be the Change
Cultivate wonder. What do you see and live that’s become mundane? Stop taking shortcuts and question the how, what, and why. To be the change, do something different or switch up your routine. Have fun, be the example you want to see and go for it! If you have wanted to volunteer, pick an organization and get involved. If you want to workout three times a week, carve out time in your calendar to make it happen. If you want to start a blog but are nervous, just go for it. If you always go to the same bar in your neighborhood, head to a rooftop bar in the city. To bee & see the change would be to focus on something you never paid attention to before.