Psychology has identified three mindsets shared by people who actually follow through on their goals
Your mindset will determine whether you’re successful or not. It determines whether you’ll keep going when the going gets tough and whether you believe in yourself and what you’re doing. And one piece of good news is that you can change your attitude. It’s not set in stone. This article shares 3 tips on how to shift your attitude so that it supports your goals.
7 Scientific Benefits of Reading Printed Books
I much prefer reading a print book because I like the look and feel of it. Recently, people have been going back to reading printed books, and there are scientific reasons why that’s a good thing. They’re better for your brain and your health. Find out the reasons why printed books are better for you than ebooks.
17 Ways to Be Kind to Yourself
The best person to be your friend is yourself. When you treat yourself as you would treat a good friend, your self-worth increases. In order to do that, you have to treat yourself with kindness. The only person you’re going to consistently have in your life is you. Wouldn’t you like to have a good relationship with that person?
How to Make Others Feel Significant
You want to appreciate others for their efforts and contributions. But there’s a big difference between appreciating people and making them feel significant. Because sometimes you don’t actually show them how much their support has meant to you. When you actually do things to show them how much they matter to you, then they feel significant.
How to Make Your Priority a Priority
Many times, you think you have a priority, but you don’t treat it that way. It gets shunted aside for something more immediate or convenient. It’s all too easy to get distracted and sidetracked. This article has 5 timely tips on how to actually make your priority a priority so you make sure you act on it.
12 Powerful Tips to Overcome Negative Thoughts (and Embrace Positive Thinking)
It can sometimes be difficult to maintain a positive attitude when there are other people around you who are negative. Or when you’re having a series of setbacks or obstacles. If you take just one of these tips and practice it, it will make it easier for you to be positive. They help reframe situations and thought processes to make a real change in your life.
A lot of people have a strong inner critic that tears them down, no matter what they do. Instead of helping you, this can undermine your confidence and motivation. To combat this critical inner voice, build yourself up by appreciating yourself and what you do. Linda-Ann will share some specific tips that will cause you to feel better about yourself and accomplish more.
Transcript:
Thank you for joining me. I’m LAS. A lot of people have a strong inner critic. Do you? It’s a part of you who is always criticizing you and everything you do… or don’t do. It tells you that you’re not good enough, not doing enough, not accomplishing enough… just not enough.
Many of my clients have said that they just didn’t feel like they were enough. That was the way they put it, “I don’t feel like I’m enough.” Have you ever felt that way? You may think that always criticizing yourself can push you to do more, but the opposite is, in fact, true. It can actually sabotage you because it undermines your confidence and motivation. I mean, why try when it’s never enough, right?
Today, I want to give you some specific ways you can respond to the constant criticism you hear from yourself. These tips help to shift your attention to something more positive and build you up rather than tear you down. It’s something I do with my clients, both in my coaching and hypnotherapy practice.
Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting, vision strategist. Using my 30 years of experience as a hypnotherapist, I help women business owners and entrepreneurs align their heart with their vision, chart their course and focus on the strategies that will bring them greater success and prosperity on their terms.
When we talk, I urge them to pay attention to what has changed or improved since our last session. To what they have accomplished. Many of them first tell me nothing is different. But as they talk, they realize just how much has changed and what they have accomplished.
We focus on their progress, and by doing so, are able to build on it. It’s a simple technique of acknowledging what they’ve done, instead of focusing on what they haven’t done. When you focus on what you HAVE done, then you’re motivated to do more. You build up momentum, because you’re feeling successful. And success breeds success.
For instance, I once had a friend, Laura, who used this technique of acknowledging what she’d done. She had a strong inner critic that paralyzed her. Do you ever feel that way? She discovered a way to combat that inner critic. She’d acknowledge her small wins each day. In her journal, she’d list that she’d eaten breakfast, fed the dog, washed her dishes, etc.
These are all daily tasks that had to be done each day, right? And you might wonder why she’d write down these daily tasks shortly after she got up. But it made her feel like she’d accomplished something. It triggered the reward circuit in her brain and released pleasure chemicals into her body. It energized her to keep going and do more. It got her out of the paralysis. Sounds good, right?
I’m sure you’ve heard of a gratitude journal, where you write down things that you’re grateful for each day. Some research is now showing that doing the same thing with your accomplishments, no matter how small, can turn your mood around and make you feel more motivated. It can make you feel like you’re good enough, just like when my clients would start to acknowledge their changes. Acknowledging 3 small wins each day for 7 days can lift your self-esteem for 3 months. Wouldn’t that be great? And it’s simple to do.
Just make a commitment to recognize what you’ve done during the day. It can be in a journal form, or on your phone or calendar. You can acknowledge small achievements, like my friend Laura did, or bigger ones. But don’t just limit this to your accomplishments. Also recognize when you’ve made a small step forward. Not just that you’ve finished a project, but that you’ve worked on a small part of it. Give yourself credit for your effort, not just the results. What can you acknowledge yourself for today?
For instance, acknowledge when you declined that donut, or only had one bite of it, or had a salad for lunch. When you balanced your checkbook or paid down your credit card. Or when you made that one follow up call you’d been dreading. All of these are valid actions to celebrate.
Other items you can appreciate about yourself are your strengths, your values, and your talents. For instance, you are consistent in sending out an ezine every month. That’s something to acknowledge. Or when you fulfill a promise, to yourself or someone else, like being on time for a lunch date. Or if you’ve been wanting to draw, and finally put a pencil to paper, that’s something to be proud of.
When you begin to focus on what’s good about you and what you do, instead of what’s negative, you’ll feel better about yourself. You’re praising yourself for being who you are in your life. You’ll feel like you’re making progress, which is important. Because progress means you’re moving forward. It’s encouraging and inspiring. And isn’t that a better way to motivate yourself?
If you’d like some help in achieving your goals, apply for a complimentary Clarify Your Vision coaching consultation.
Thank you for watching. I hope to hear from you that acknowledging yourself has made you feel more motivated and enough. Take care.
As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. If you'd like some help to reach your goals, apply for her complimentary "Clarify Your Vision" consultation at http://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/coaching.shtml
Never Mistake Activity for Achievement
Just because you’re taking action doesn’t mean you’re accomplishing much. Take multi-tasking. You’re always in motion, but don’t actually get much done. Learn 4 tips on how to accomplish more from a famous basketball coach’s model.
The Psychology Behind Messy Rooms: Why The Most Creative People Flourish In Clutter
I have to admit, I’m not the neatest person. I like to have my projects out in the open so they stay top of mind. Now research seems to be bearing out the idea that too much tidiness and organization can stifle creativity. This is a very entertaining article exploring the idea that messiness may help innovation.
8 Keys to Handling Adult Bullies
I don’t know about you, but I’ve encountered bullies in my adult life. I’m sure you have, too. And sometimes, it can be confusing as to how to deal with them. However, it is possible to get them to respect you. This article gives you some great direction on how to handle these challenging people and stay safe.
Recently, I was interviewed on a video podcast by Coach Kelly Chisholm. Kelly is a great interviewer and we had a wonderful time talking. She and I met at a retreat some years ago, and have kept in touch. This summer, we met for coffee/tea while she was visiting Sedona.
She coaches women who are going through or who are healing from divorce. The podcast was specifically for members of her group program, From Splitsville to Sanity. It covers the mental, emotional, legal, financial topics around divorce and more.
Women who are divorcing face a complete transformation in their lives. Not only does their marital status change, but their self-image does, as well. She seeks to make the painful process more manageable, so they’re able to heal more quickly and easily.
On the podcast, we talked about various issues about mindset and how they relate to women going through this painful transition. In our conversation, we wandered through why a positive mindset is so important to these women, tips on how to change their mindset and steps they could take on a daily basis to achieve a more positive one.
I was delighted and honored when she asked to interview me. Although I’ve been interviewed in person or by phone before, it was the first time I’ve been interviewed on a video podcast. The time flew by, and we were both sad when it was time to sign off. I hope we’re able to collaborate on other projects in the future.
Ask The ExpertComments Off on How do I affirm for several things in my life?
Aug012018
Question: How do I go about affirming for several things to occur in my life, and create a breakthrough?
Answer: When a person is affirming about several different areas of their life, the subconscious may get overwhelmed. They’ll have slight improvement in most areas, and more improvement in areas that aren’t so charged with emotion. It’ll take much longer to get the desired results in any one area if you work on so many. I’d recommend that you focus on one area at a time.
7 Practical Tips to Achieve a Positive Mindset
Studies have proven there are multiple physical and mental benefits to positive thinking. But it’s sometimes easier said than done to get into a positive frame of mind. These tips show you how to prioritize your mental well-being
How to See (Clearly) What You Want to Accomplish
As you begin your workday, it’s all too easy to get dragged into dealing with the immediate, instead of what your priorities are. Focus is key to get done what’s important to you. Visualization is a helpful tool to allow you to keep your focus, rehearse for challenges, and practice the steps you need to take to get to your goal. This article gives you specific steps for your morning focusing routine so your day goes more smoothly.
Discover the 7 Key Traits of an ‘Abundance Mindset’
In life, you can choose between viewing the world as abundant or limited in terms of love, relationships, wealth and resources. Your mindset determines your choices. When you choose to view the world as abundant, you have a greater experience of life. And you always have a choice.
Most of us have heard that our thinking affects not only our lives, but also our health. Unfortunately, many times that concept is dealt with in a simplistic, cookbook type of way. The belief is that a certain ailment always is due to a particular thought pattern. Although the basic idea has merit, the reality is much more complicated than that.
Dr. Friedman, professor of psychology at the University of California at Riverside, has done extensive research into why one person is able to recover from a serious illness, and another isn’t. Bringing together ancient medical philosophy and modern studies, he explores the differences between people with the same disease. He has found that there is a connection between emotions, personality and how resilient a person is, and disease.
Though a person might have an illness-prone personality, this book gives hope that they can turn themselves into one that self-heals. Making practical, healthy changes in habits, as well as finding social support are a couple of ways the author has found to be useful. By learning new ways to respond to the challenges of life, a person can actually impact the way their body heals.
Why Attitude Is More Important Than Intelligence
Most people think that intelligence will lead to success. But research has disputed that concept. Apparently, success is more dependent on whether you think you can grow and improve. They outperform people with high intelligence, but who believe that they cannot change. Fortunately, you can change that fixed attitude and be more able to solve problems and overcome challenges. This article gives 7 tips on how to develop the type of attitude that will bring you success.
Who Do You Think You Are? Why You Could Be Wrong
We tend to label ourselves, and act within the framework of that identity. These roles were developed when we were children, when we adapted to the clues from our parents and other adults around us. When we grow up, we rarely reassess them to determine if those ideas are true. Many times, they aren’t.
4 Actionable Steps to Build a Positive Money Mindset
Many entrepreneurs are realizing that they have limiting beliefs and attitudes about money. Those ideas keep them from taking positive action that yield success. Believe it or not, you have a relationship with money, either positive or negative. To be a successful business person, you need to heal that relationship and release the negative associations you have with it. Follow these tips to begin appreciating this resource.
When Stella started her business, she sought out the low hanging fruit, just to get some traction and income. She accepted the easiest to find and most convenient customers. But she got stuck in a rut with those customers, who didn’t respect her time. Even after her business was established, they called at all hours of the day and night for minor issues. They insisted on her going out of her way to serve them and wanted special treatment. As she got more successful, they continued to demand an unreasonable amount of time, attention and resources.
To take her business to the next level, Stella knew she needed to expand and seek customers elsewhere. She decided to work with people who weren’t as demanding and would respect what her service provided. But first, she had to let go of her attitude that her business was still just starting up. She had to recognize her original customers wouldn’t be her only ones.
When she did, her confidence improved and she attracted the customers she wanted. She also set some boundaries with her earlier customers to free up some time for the new ones. Her business flourished and her stress diminished.
Are you ready to take the next step of your life? Do you want to change a habit, take your business up a notch or improve your relationships? If so, you’ll have to change the mindset and behaviors that have put you where you are today. Your old behaviors won’t take you up the ladder of success. It’s not to say they’re bad. They’re not. They got you to where you are now. But they won’t take you any further towards your dreams.
Those old beliefs and actions served you in the past. They helped you survive, if not thrive. But they’ve outlived their usefulness. To take the next step and to improve your circumstances, you have to upgrade your self-image, decisions and habits. Otherwise, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” You can’t just increase what you’re doing. Most of the time, to progress, you’ll need a combination of both mindset and and behavior shifts.
Your old ideas have attracted your current conditions. They have limited what the Law of Attraction could create for you. When you let go of the outdated beliefs and establish new ones, the Law of Attraction can draw new circumstances to you that fill and reflect your new attitudes.
For instance, if you have had a series of unsatisfactory relationships, it’s time to consider what you need to change. Do you need to be more sensitive of others and treat others better? If so, it’s time to change your attitude towards people and be more courteous and respectful. However, if you’ve been the one who hasn’t been treated well, then insist on better treatment. Realize that you deserve to be respected and appreciated.
If friends consistently take advantage of you, set some boundaries and say, “No.” The same is true in business for those customers who demand an inordinate amount of attention. This is especially true after your business has stabilized. If they object, then let them go and let others serve them. They’ll create a space for new customers. As you implement new policies, tactics and behaviors, the world responds in new ways.
If you want to positively impact your lifestyle, you have to change what you’ve been doing. To improve your fitness, you can’t just do more of what you’ve been doing. You need to switch things up and include other types of exercise.
Suppose you want to reduce weight permanently, you have to alter your relationship with food. If you lose the weight, but go back to your original behaviors, you’ll gain it back again. When you want to change your life, it means you have to leave your familiar ways behind.
Shifting your attitudes to move to a new level opens your mind to more Universal Good. All the Good has been waiting for you to access it, but your beliefs have prevented you from doing so. Now, you’re creating the space for more of It to flow into your life.
Each step along the way, it’s important to assess if what you’re thinking and doing is effective for you in the present. Is it opening the door to the next step or keeping you where you are? What new beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, tactics or skills do you need to develop? To achieve your goals, you may need to shift your priorities or focus.
Life isn’t static. It’s always changing. There are always new circumstances and opportunities that emerge. If you want your life to improve, you have to be willing to change. Because the beliefs and tactics that got you here, won’t help you to fulfill your vision. You’ll have to upgrade your beliefs and tactics to reach that next level.
Affirmation:
I now release any old beliefs that have held me from reaching my goals and dreams. The Universe is always available to me to help me and deliver more Good to me. I’m willing to make all the necessary changes to take my next step, to reach the next level. As I do, the Universe makes my path easy and smooth.
As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. If you'd like some help to reach your goals, apply for her complimentary "Clarify Your Vision" consultation at http://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/coaching.shtml
