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Break the Habit of Complaining

Break the Habit of Complaining

Did you know that the average person, in general, complains 15-30 times, or about 8 minutes, a day? Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to fall into a habit of complaining without even realizing it. And it can be a difficult habit to break. Discover a mindfulness tip that can help you, and shift your mindset to be more positive. Watch Break the Habit of Complaining.

Transcript:

Welcome to mindset tips.

Did you know that the average person, in general, complains 15-30 times, or about 8 minutes, a day? From what I hear around me, I’d bet it’s a lot more than that. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to fall into a habit of complaining without even realizing it. Have you ever noticed that? And it can be a difficult habit to break. I’d like to share a mindfulness tip that can help you break the habit, and shift your mindset to be more positive.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor, writer and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower you to focus and align your heart with your vision so you can achieve your goals.

This is a tip that has been used for decades, in one way or another, and it’s very simple. Mainly, it’s to make you aware of when you complain, which means you can then decide whether you want to continue or not. When a habit is brought out of the shadows and into the light, it can be changed. This empowers you and shifts your attention from being negative, to giving you the choice of being more positive.

The technique is to get a rubber band or bracelet and wear it every day. Any kind of bracelet, [Bands, elastic, sparkly, fabric, stones]…. Then, every time you complain, you switch the band or bracelet to the other wrist. No, you don’t snap it. … Just switch it from one wrist to the other. This allows you to turn the page….With practice, it can automatically create a mind shift to a more positive thought process.

You’re bringing the habit out of an unconscious behavior into being aware of it. You may discover that many of the things you grumble about are trivial, and you’re letting them pull you down. Some things may be out of your control, and complaining doesn’t help. Either way, the point is to notice when you’re complaining, and what about, and choose what to do from that point.

Since complaining compounds stress and stifles creativity, you may decide to simply refrain from contributing to the negativity. Shift your attention to what you can control and what you can do about the situation. This is more productive and will bring you greater rewards mentally, physically and in your personal and professional life.

If you’d like to break the habit, find a band or bracelet and start practicing.

Thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused.

Read the accompanying article,  Complaining Trains You to Be Negative, Part 2.

Use Your Won’t Power to Strengthen Your Willpower

Use Your Won’t Power to Strengthen Your Willpower

by Linda_Ann Stewart

Transcript:

Welcome. In this video, I want to share a way that will help strengthen your ability to use your willpower to stay on course to your goals. My mother used to say that a major component of willpower was won’t power. Won’t power is choosing to avoid one thing, and instead do something else. When I facilitated tobacco cessation classes, as well as in my hypnotherapy practice, I found this to be very true.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor, writer and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower you to focus and align your heart with your vision so you can achieve your goals.

In my tobacco cessation classes, the group would discuss various tips, tactics and techniques to quit smoking and abstain from cigarettes. There was no one idea that worked for everyone, so the individuals would find one, or more, that would work for them.

Many of them discovered that telling themselves that “smoking is not an option,” when they were tempted, worked well to stop them from lighting one up. And then they could transition to one of the other tactics to keep them on track. But their won’t power of “not an option” was first. It cemented their commitment and motivation to quit smoking.

Won’t power can reinforce your willpower. Once you have decided what you “won’t” do, the decision is made. There is no second guessing of it. It helps to eliminate the temptation before you shift to what it is you do choose to do. It can make it easier to stay on course to your goal.

How could you use it in your personal and professional lives? Wherever you know you’ll encounter temptations, you can decide they aren’t “an option,” at least for a certain amount of time.

For instance, in your work, we know that distractions and multitasking are time sinks, right? So you could decide that you check your email only three specific times a day, or never before 10am. Checking at any other time, “isn’t an option.”

Or, during your focused work periods, you won’t answer the phone or check into social media. It just isn’t an option when you have set aside time to work on a project or make follow up contacts.

In your personal life, let’s say you want to reduce weight, the donuts in the break room are off your menu. They just “aren’t an option.” To be more present with your family at dinner, answering your phone then is “off the table.”

Think about your goals, and what might trigger you to detour from them. Where or when might you be tempted. Then decide what “isn’t an option” for you, so that you remain on track. And then choose what you do want, and how you want to proceed to your goal. What positive actions do you want to take to support your goal? Use your won’t power to reinforce your willpower and you’ll find it a lot easier to achieve your dreams.

Thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused.

Read the accompanying article, 3 Powerful Ingredients for Success.

Manage Your Priorities to Achieve Your Goals

Manage Your Priorities to Achieve Your Goals

How many times do you get sidetracked in a day? This often happens when you put other people’s priorities ahead of your own. When you prioritize your priorities, then you get so much more done with less stress. In this video, I talk about my struggles with this issue and what I’ve done to deal with it. Learn the 3 questions I ask myself and that you can use to find clarity about where to put your attention. Watch Manage Your Priorities to Achieve Your Goals.

Transcript:

Welcome. In this video, I’d like to give you a tip on how to improve your productivity, progress and effectiveness. I’ve struggled with managing my priorities over the years, and want to share a tip about how I’ve learned to handle this area so that you may get more done, and have less stress.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor, writer and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower you to focus and align your heart with your vision so you can achieve your goals.

There are times when I’ve gotten sidetracked in a day. Before working on my priority for the day, I’ve checked my email and found a client’s message asking a question, and decided to answer it right then. Or my work flow was interrupted by a follow up call from someone I’d met networking. Or my phone would notify me of a message on LinkedIn, and I’d immediately answer it.

And of course, each of these led to other demands on my attention from other people. Has this ever happened to you? You fall into the trap of satisfying other people’s immediate demands, and not your urgent concerns?

Each time, I mistakenly thought that if I took care of all of these other details right then, I’d be free to focus on my priority task for the day. But what generally happened was that I found myself scrabbling with distractions from others all day long, paying attention to other people’s priorities. Not my priorities.

I learned that if I started out my day scattered, the rest of the day would often continue that way. I would be running all day to catch up with myself and what was important for me and my business.

Unless you pay attention to your intention first, and prioritize your priorities, you’ll fall victim to someone else’s agenda. This is true in your personal and professional lives. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t deal with those folk and what they request of you. Just that you do it in your time frame, when it’s convenient to you, after you’ve worked on what’s important to you and your business.

So here’s the tip. There are 3 simple questions you can ask yourself so you know if you’re working on your priorities or someone else’s.

  1. Will the distraction interfere with your priority for the day, such as your task or project? Yeah, I know, this sounds really simplistic. This is the basic question to ask for you to realize you’re being distracted. If the answer is yes, the next couple of questions will help you decide if the interruption can be dealt with now or later.
  2. Can the distraction be delayed a few hours? Whether it’s a message, a phone call or something else. If it can be delayed, set it aside, focus on your priority and respond later.
  3. Is it imperative for you to deal with right now, such as, will it bring you money or customers immediately? Now, that would be a good reason to interrupt your flow and respond, right? But if not, set it aside and focus on your priority and respond later.

See the theme? If you can respond later, set it aside and focus on your priority first. These questions can help you gain clarity about where you need to put your attention and what to do in each one.

When I started using these questions, I was much more productive, and less frustrated. When you manage your priorities, by prioritizing them, you’ll get a lot more done, with a lot less stress. 

Thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused.

Read the accompanying article, Develop Self-Mastery by Managing Your Attention.

Develop Self-Mastery by Managing Your Attention

Develop Self-Mastery by Managing Your Attention

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Energy flows where attention goes.

“Energy flows where attention goes” means that wherever you put your attention, you channel your energy to that place. It also means your attention directs the Law of Attraction’s energy. If your focus is on working on a task, then you make progress. Or if you’re focusing on a desire, the Law of Attraction knows what to draw to you. But if your attention is scattered, then your energy is, as well, and not much gets accomplished. And the Law of Attraction can’t function. Multitasking is a notorious offender that fragments your energy and efficiency.

When your attention is scattered, then you’re dispersing your energy and giving the Universe conflicting feedback. The Law of Attraction won’t know what you want. Your focus lets the Law of Attraction know your desire and gives the Universe a mold to fulfill.

Too many people think that being mindlessly busy means they’re achieving something. They jump into action before they know what they want to accomplish. Instead of remembering they’re a human BEing, they’re a human DOing in thoughtless motion, and their efforts are mostly wasted. To be more successful, stop, breathe and decide where you want to spend your energy, so you’re a conduit for Universal good.

Concentrate Your Energy

Peter Drucker said, “If there is any one ‘secret’ of effectiveness, it is concentration.” When you focus your efforts, doing one thing at a time, you’re able to reach your goals. Your success, personally and professionally, depends on where you put your attention and your energy.

Have you ever wanted to clear off your desk, picked up a book to take it into the other room, and started organizing the bookshelf there? Then, you carried a dirty cup from the bookshelf to the kitchen and decided to do the dishes? But, in the middle of washing dishes, the phone rang and you talked on it for an hour? Because you jumped from one activity to the next, nothing was finished. You didn’t attend to your original intention, which was to put your desk in order, and you’ve wasted a lot of time and energy.

The same is true when you skip from one desire to another. This confuses the Universe, and the Law of Attraction will then manifest whatever is your strongest, most familiar idea. When you regulate your thoughts and actions, you support your energy and are more in the flow of the Universe.

Direct Your Attention

When you’re able to direct your attention where you want, not only does it increase your effectiveness, but it also builds confidence and self-mastery. It’s a skill that you can develop and will pay rich dividends in your life. It allows you to have a clearer channel to the Universe and the Law of Attraction. Here are a few areas that will empower your ability to guide your energy.

Manage Your Mind. Train yourself to think more positively by considering the best outcome. When you do, you grow brain cells for greater well being and it also instructs your mind to be open to more options. You make it easier for the Universe to create more good for you. Meditation and mindfulness also help in this area by building grey matter in your brain, which improves memory, mood, compassion and focus. Using these techniques teaches your mind to stay on track, and frees you to be clearer.

Manage Your Impulses. One way to practice this is to delay gratification or resist urges. For instance, don’t check your cell phone every 5 minutes, eat that entire piece of cake, or scroll through social media. Become aware of your triggers, and plan your response. When you’re able to regulate your compulsions, you build self-control, self-discipline, strengthen your will power and make better decisions. Self-control gives your thoughts more power.

Manage Your Environment. Most distractions can be removed with some planning. Make your space more conducive to focusing on your task. For example, close the door and put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on it. Put your cell phone on “silent.” Say, “No,” to disrespect and being taken advantage of. By taking charge of the things that disrupt your flow and peace of mind, you define your boundaries and increase your self-worth.

Manage Your Attention. Decide on your priorities ahead of time. Take the most important one, and focus on that task for a set amount of time. This starts to build your ability to focus. Also, take some time to read a book, not your computer, tablet or phone. People tend to skim on technical devices and reading a physical book improves memory, concentration and comprehension.

Taking these small steps contributes to bigger ones. Each small step you take to build your ability to focus expands that capacity. Not only your attention, but your energy, becomes more effective and you achieve more flow and success in your life.

Affirmation:

I set an intention to begin each day with focus. The ability to focus is natural, and one that I can exercise and develop. As I do, I’m better able to direct my energy and give the Universe the channel through which Its energy will flow. I master my attention and guide it where it can accomplish my Highest Good.

Watch the accompanying video, Manage Your Priorities to Achieve Your Goals.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day.