Mindset has several definitions, but this is the easiest one according to the dictionary on my computer: “the established set of attitudes held by someone”. The way we look at things can have a big effect on how we feel about them. Is getting out of bed hard in the morning? Maybe you’re not a morning person or maybe your job sucks, and you would rather not. Largely, it’s your mindset creating this negativity. Changing your mindset won’t fix your sucky job, but it will help change your perspective toward it and everything else. Changing the mindset is such a small task but it is really hard to do. However, this small change will create the biggest impact on the outlook of our lives. It’s so worth doing. Changing your perspective on gratefulness, changes, and negativity is a good start to begin making those changes.
Mindset of Gratefulness
Try this in the morning instead: Try not to grumble, grumble, grumble and hit the snooze… again. Open your eyes slowly, take in the light, and give thanks for another day you GET to be alive. Give your partner, pet, or yourself a morning embrace and give thanks for life. Give thanks for all of the good things you can think of. Is your family OK? Give thanks. Did you have a nice meal the night before? Give thanks. And even if you can’t think of anything to be grateful for, give thanks for coffee. Some people have benefited from writing in a gratitude journal. Then decide that all of the things to be done are things you GET to do. You GET to help your loved ones, you GET to go to work and make a living. Having a positive mindset can springboard you onto something better, you never know who’s watching. Universe, looking at you.
Mindset for Change
Mindset is important when you want to implement changes because no change will take place unless your mind is right. Want to try clean eating? Want to incorporate a workout plan? Want to find a new job? The first thing that has to happen is you have to get your mind on board. You also have to create the mindset to get the plan into action and actually execute it. This is CRUCIAL. The way we talk to ourselves or for ourselves also makes a huge difference. Stop calling yourself names and start being kind to yourself. You can change your frame of context for things you can have some control over. For example, you want to stop eating something. Instead of saying: “I can’t eat that”, say “I don’t eat that”. By making that simple change you have empowered yourself because you technically can eat it, but you choose not too.
Mindset Challenges Negativity
Mindset matters when you deal with negative situations. When problems arise that are beyond our control, we choose how we will react to that situation. People with a positive mindset observe the situation, acknowledge the emotions, allow themselves to feel them, and then handle it. They understand the situation is occurring for reasons not known yet, for bad or for good, but remain neutral at the time. We can choose to look at these situations as opportunities for growth or opportunities for stagnation. We grow when we learn from it. We stagnate when we fester over it. A positive mindset takes the situation for what it is, takes what it needs, and moves on. You can decide to change your mindset from one day to another and keep practicing so it becomes your default state.
It is hard to do this, but I ask that you start with one perspective at a time. We are human and will encounter situations that may try us so don’t expect perfection. Just remember to come back to this and see if you can adjust your mindset at any point. Like Drake says, “better late than never, but never late is better”. You’ll get there.
