And today, I pushed myself way outside of my comfort zone and introduced myself to 3 new people. Here’s a picture for proof!
So one thing that I know from the first time that I did this Challenge, is that every day won’t be easy. It will most certainly get difficult to stay motivated to keep going.
Keeping the right mindset and thinking positive thoughts is crucial to getting through this Challenge. And when things aren’t going exactly as you would want them to go, that’s when you need to be positive the most.
As I always say, positivity is a choice — which means, so is negativity. You have to actively choose to think positive thoughts, which takes a ton of effort.
To help you choose positive thoughts, I thought we could revisit these 10 ways to stay positive as you continue your journey to accomplish your goals.
1. Remind yourself often of the most beautiful parts of you.
Usually, we are our own worst critics. We beat ourselves up and we’re reluctant to glorify the things that we love the most about ourselves because we don’t want to appear cocky or conceited. We rarely ever take the time to appreciate the most beautiful parts of our personalities and the things that make us the most unique.
Remind yourself of those things that you love the most about yourself. Make a list, if you need to, and refer to it often.
2. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, you have to stop that thought in its tracks and replace it with something positive. Find something that makes you feel good — your kids, a joke, your significant other, an exciting opportunity, something from your past, or anything else that makes you feel good — and think about that.
3. Remember your wins.
If you’re doubting yourself or your ability to get the job done, remember all your wins in life. Think of all the times, in the past, that you’ve conquered the impossible and made a way out of no way.
What were some of the things you did to get those wins? How did you feel once you accomplished those goals or got through those trying times? Use those memories as a reminder that you’re much tougher than you give yourself credit for. You’re a winner and you’ll win again!
4. Give yourself credit.
As you work hard to accomplish your goal, celebrate each milestone you reach. Reward yourself for a job well done, and get into the habit of looking forward to those rewards.
Be confident in your ability to get things done, because — remember — you’ve done great things before.
5. Find things to look forward to.
Besides looking forward to rewarding yourself as you reach milestones, you should find other things within your process to look forward to. If regularly scheduled breaks gives you something to look forward to, then be sure to have them planned and actually take them. Of course, you should also look forward to actually accomplishing your goal too, and staying positive is vital to that happening.
6. Do the things that make you happy.
Oftentimes, we get so focused on accomplishing a goal, that we forget to take time to ourselves and do the things that make us happy. Most of us have hobbies and activities that make us feel good. Do those things and do them often. When you find yourself getting stressed and allowing the negativity to creep in, spend some time in your happy place.
7. Eliminate negative people and situations from your life.
You must protect your positive energy from people and situations that drain you of it. Remove yourself from situations that aren’t productive and conducive to your own personal growth. Reconsider relationships with people who contribute to negativity and/or drama and seem to keep you in a bad space.
8. Surround yourself with supportive people who love you.
Just as it’s important to remove negative people from your life, it’s equally as important to surround yourself with supportive people. You need people who will encourage you and uplift you now more than ever. People who support your dream and are willing to do what they can to help are your best allies in staying positive on your journey.
9. If you can change it, change it. If you can’t, let it go.
You’ve heard it before — don’t sweat the small stuff. When things are out of your control, don’t dwell on what could have been or should have been. Let them go and move on to the next.
If there’s something you want to change that is within your control, change it. Don’t harp on how bad it is or how badly you want it to change. Instead, just take action and change it. You’ll completely avoid the negative space that complaining about it will put you in.
10. Have fun.
Most importantly, have fun. When you are having fun, you’re not having negative thoughts — you’re having fun thoughts.