self-help – Page 27 – Empowering Your Mind

3 Exercises to Improve Your Self-Image

June 19, 2019 Linda-Ann Stewart

Your self-image is about how you view yourself, and changes every day. You can affect it by the things about yourself that you focus on. When you pay attention to what’s right about you, you start making different decisions that increases your positive view of yourself. Here are 3 short, easy exercises to do that will help to improve your self-image.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting. I’d like to talk a little bit about your self-image and give you 3 easy exercises to improve it.

Your self-image is about how you view yourself, the image you have of yourself. It’s like a reflection in a mirror, but it’s not just about your physical appearance. It’s about who you are and how you interact with your environment.

Unfortunately, when your perception of yourself leans towards the negative, it can hold you back and sabotage your goals. But you already know that, right? The good news is that your self-image is malleable. It changes every day with your thoughts, choices and actions.

My tip to improve it has to do with focusing on what it is you like and appreciate about yourself. When you pay attention to what’s right about you, you start making different decisions that then increases your positive view of yourself.

So here are the three easy exercises to do to get you started.

1. Find one thing you like about yourself. It could be your appearance or one aspect of your appearance, like your hair. It could be that you’re organized, prompt, creative or responsible. What is it for you?

2. Identify one skill or ability you possess. This could be that you’re a good listener, a great cook, or an artist. And then describe how it’s affected you and others. What’s your skill or ability?

3. Remember one achievement you’ve had or time when you were successful. Something that you’re proud of. It could be winning an award or just participating in a competition. It could a time when you were promoted or did a great job on a project. It doesn’t matter how big or small it might be in the scheme of things. What matters is how you feel about it. What have you accomplished that you’re proud of?

Write all of these in your phone, on an index card, or someplace where you see them often. Now, you can add items to each one, making a list to further boost your self-image, but I wanted to make it really easy to get you started.

When you begin to slip into a negative frame of mind about yourself, remember these three items. Your self-image will begin to improve because you’re paying more attention to what you appreciate about yourself than to what you don’t. And that can change your world.

If you’d like more tips on how to make your day flow more smoothly, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.

Thank you for watching. And remember to focus on what you appreciate about yourself. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, 5 Steps to Create a Greater Self-Image.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

June 11, 2019 Linda-Ann Stewart

I remember seeing a television show where a working wife and mother spent all weekend trying to keep her house as clean and perfect as her mother did. She was killing herself and alienating her family by her unrealistic expectations. There was no time for fun in her life. She was counseled to lower her standards so that she and her family could enjoy themselves. So what if her refrigerator wasn’t clean enough for an inspection? Her family needed some together time in a way that created happy memories. Where might you be holding yourself to unreasonable expectations, and how can you lower them so that you can have a life? Chores will always be there, but today won’t be.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

3 Tips to Handle Obstacles

April 18, 2019 Linda-Ann Stewart

Most people spin off course when an obstacle arises. They don’t seek for the core of the problem and just react. This can make it worse. But you can take charge and discover a lasting solution. Learn what to ask yourself to get yourself back on course.

Transcript:

Thank you for watching. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. Today, I’d like to give you 3 tips on how to take charge and handle obstacles. If you don’t know what to do when trouble arises, it can send you spinning off course, can’t it?

Unfortunately, when most people hit an obstacle, they aren’t even sure what the problem is. They just look at what’s obvious and don’t investigate any further, right? This generally won’t solve the problem and may just get you in deeper.

So your first step is to discover what the obstacle actually is. Don’t just react or you could make it worse. Ask yourself if the problem is what’s showing up, like miscommunication, or if it’s a deeper, systemic issue? Keep digging until you identify the core of the obstacle. Once you do, you’ll be able to find creative solutions that will last.

Second, take responsibility for your part in contributing to the obstacle. Sometimes you have had a part in creating it, and sometimes you haven’t. But you still have responsibility to contribute to the solution. Ask yourself these questions, “What could I have done differently to prevent it?” and “What can I do differently from this point on to improve the result?” The answers you come up with will help prevent similar issues from arising.

Third, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Because there’s always something for you to learn to use in the future. This is how we grow, develop and gain experience. If you don’t learn from it, you’ll continue to repeat the pattern, and I don’t think you want that, do you? When you’ve determined what you’ve learned, you can put it into practice.

These 3 tips will get you back on course. About 85% of your success is due to your mindset, which affects how you respond to life and to challenges. By taking charge when an obstacle arises, you empower yourself to work through it and become more successful.

If you’d like more tips on how to increase your productivity and accelerate your success, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.

Thank you for watching. Can you commit to putting these tips into action in your life?

Read the accompanying article How Accountability Can Increase Your Success.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

How Accountability Can Increase Your Success

April 4, 2019 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

You want to start exercising to improve your health and fitness. But you can’t ever find the time to get to the gym or outdoors for a run. Life tends to push you, solving problems, dealing with issues, and handling crises. And your goal to exercise becomes a casualty.

Or you wanted to put together a new offer or product for your business by a certain date. But because other situations came up, you missed that self-imposed deadline. Life kept you distracted, and you didn’t focus on your offer or make it a priority.

With your life being so full and driven nowadays, it’s hard to set and reach goals. Goals take you off the beaten path, and set you on a new one. That takes energy, attention and persistence, qualities that are hard to maintain in today’s world. But if you are accountable, you can have a 76% greater likelihood of achieving your goal.

What Is Accountability?

Accountability isn’t handing over your responsibility or authority to someone else. Nor is it about blame, shame, guilt, judgment or punishment if you don’t meet your goal. It’s simply a way to keep yourself on track to your vision by committing to a goal, writing it down or telling someone about your plans.

For a goal of your choosing, you aren’t required to justify your decisions, actions or inactions if you fail. However, excuses aren’t acceptable. By being accountable, you’re taking responsibility for fulfilling whatever intention you’ve deemed to be important. You’re communicating to yourself and the Universe that your goal is a priority for you.

Ways You Can Be Accountable and Increase Your Success

Whether you want to change a habit, improve your life or build a business, accountability will accelerate your progress. There are a lot of ways you can become more accountable and some are more successful than others. Here are 5 ways you can be accountable. Choose the one that gives you the best chance for success.

1. Be self-directed. Think about your goal, how important it is to you, and what level of commitment and motivation you’re willing to have. This has the least likelihood of being successful, because it’s subjective and based on your level of self-discipline. However, I’ve used this tactic to maintain an exercise practice for almost five years because I was highly motivated.

2. Write down your goals and action steps. You’ve heard about how writing your goals down give you a greater chance of success. A Dominican University study found that if you do this, you have a 60% likelihood of achieving your goal. Keep referring to your goals to see if you’re taking the steps you’ve established.

3. Find an accountability partner. Tell or email a trusted friend about your goal, commitment and action plan. Someone now knows about what you want to do and will support and celebrate your efforts. I don’t generally recommend a close loved one for this role. Unfortunately, the loved one often gets too attached to the result and makes misguided efforts to motivate the goal achiever. These efforts often backfire.

4. Join or create a mastermind or accountability group. This takes the accountability partner approach to the next level. Not only do you tell a person or persons about your goal and plan, you also check in with them periodically (weekly), reporting your progress. With a mastermind, you’re also exchanging ideas to help you overcome challenges. This regular progress reports tactic gives you a 76% chance of achieving your goal.

5. Find a coach. Hiring a coach means you’ve invested in your success. People tend to be more productive when they’ve committed to a goal with their hard earned currency. A coach can not only help you gain clarity and work through obstacles, they can also keep you focused, motivated and on track. They’re objective, and can give you a different perspective and make sure you’re sticking to your priorities.

When you are honest and accountable about your progress, or lack of it, you hold yourself to a higher standard. You are being accountable to and for yourself, and to the Universe. This increases your sense of empowerment, self-worth, responsibility and effectiveness. Choose the best accountability method for you and reach for the stars.

Affirmation:
The Universe responds according to my thoughts and desires. It wants the best for me and will support me in my efforts. When I commit to a course of action, the Universe recognizes my intention and provides everything I need for success. I keep my attention on my goal, knowing that it is possible. And I hold myself accountable for taking the steps that I know to take. The Universe does the rest.

Watch the accompanying video, 3 Tips to Handle Obstacles.

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4 Reasons Why You Don’t Pursue Your Dream (and What to Do About Them)

March 7, 2019 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Rhoda had always wanted to go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, the art in the Louvre and the palaces. It was one of the major things on her bucket list. However, she never took any steps to make it come true and it was a longing that she never satisfied. She was content for it to remain a dream and it unfortunately remained an unrealized goal.

Do you have an important dream that you want to achieve? It could be to quit smoking, lose weight, learn to play the guitar, run a 10K, or build a business. Daydreaming about it and not taking any action won’t bring it into reality. Fantasizing may be fulfilling in the moment, but it will leave you feeling empty when it isn’t achieved. Unless you take action, you won’t trigger the Law of Attraction to work on your behalf.

There are many reasons why you may procrastinate and not pursue your dreams. Here are some of the main ones, and what you can do about them.

1. Your dream takes you out of your comfort zone. Your goal means that so much in your life would change that you’re afraid to get started. If you make these massive shifts too quickly, it would upset your world and you’d probably sabotage your own efforts. For instance, almost 70% of lottery winners go broke within a few years of winning. The windfall takes them too far out of what they’re used to.

To overcome this obstacle, establish a long range plan. Create steps that are comfortable for you to take. For instance, if you want to start eating better, don’t overhaul your diet in a week. Start by including more salads. When that gets familiar, eliminate sugar. Work on one piece at a time until you feel comfortable with it, and then add the next step. By taking action, you instruct the Law of Attraction to draw information and opportunities to you.

2. You’re stuck in planning mode. Planning feels like you’re making progress, but it simply delays taking action. I knew an artist who bought brushes, canvas, and paints, but never used them. Gathering the tools triggered the pleasure circuits in her brain. By not painting, she avoided the anxiety of facing a blank canvas. So she got her reward by simply thinking about what she’d do one day.

Preparation is an important part of any goal. But beware of staying in this place too long or you’ll never realize your dream. Pull together a list of things you need, such as tools, knowledge, skills and tasks to complete. Then begin to follow through on them. As you mark the elements off your to-do list, you’ll get a sense of satisfaction. And the Universe will support you by creating synchronicities that help you.

3. Your dream is not immediate enough. The fulfillment of your dream is too far in the future or too overwhelming. For instance, if you want to lose 50 pounds, you could feel like it’s too difficult. You know it’s going to take a significant shift in your behaviors and you won’t see the final result quickly. So you procrastinate on taking action.

You have to fight through inertia to get started. To combat this, instead of focusing on the 50 pounds, take it in 5 pound increments. You can handle losing 5 pounds. When you set that as your goal, you’ll get that sense of fulfillment, and a job well done, when you see the outcome. With any long range goal, create mini-goals that you can accomplish each week. The brain likes to complete things, and bestows a sense of gratification when you do. And the Universe creates new channels for the Law of Attraction to bring benefits into your life.

4. You don’t have enough motivation. The benefits of your dream aren’t strong or clear enough for you to pursue. For instance, you may want to be healthier and fitter, but your desire isn’t powerful enough for you to change your habits or your routine. So you just keep putting it off.

You can build your enthusiasm for your dream by surrounding yourself with things concerning it. If you want to create, spend time in an art store, a museum, gallery or take a class. To start an exercise program, read articles and books about the benefits you’ll achieve. Immerse yourself in the reasons why you want your goal. The energy will grow until you get started.

When you take action, it tells the Universe that you’re serious and ready to move forward. And the Law of Attraction then begins to draw to you what you need for success.

The solution to each one of these reasons is to start working towards your dream. It doesn’t matter how small the step, as long as you’re moving toward your dream. The brain likes to accomplish things. And achieving small goals is every bit as satisfying to the brain as big goals. Don’t procrastinate any longer. The sooner you begin to work toward your dream, the sooner you’ll reap the joy of the results.

AFFIRMATION

I know I can have what I desire through the Power of my Higher Mind. The Universe wants the best for me, and will support my endeavors to create an improvement in my life. As I take the actions necessary to fulfill my dream, I create the channels through which more good flows to me. The Universe rewards my actions with positive and beneficial results.

Watch the accompanying video How to Build Your Momentum to Achieve Your Goal.