I am going to tell you a quick story about this hill I had been trying to get to the top of while running for the last three months.  This article is not necessarily to get you to start running or literally climb up hills, but I believe this story will help you understand how important a positive mindset is in achieving your goals. This will also show how a minor shift can make all the difference.

So there is this gradual hill that is on my way back from a 2 1/2 mile run out.  It’s not very steep at all, but it is on the longer side and goes for about a mile.  Am I in good enough shape to run up that hill? Yes. Do I normally run more than 2 1/2 miles? Yes; I can typically run 5 or 6 miles without stopping. But for some reason, for 3 months I had not been able to get up this particular hill. What I had been doing is what I thought was best; just putting one step in front of the other and look ahead. Could never quite do it.  It’s frustrating when you put your mind to something and no matter how many times you try, it doesn’t work for you.

One morning I decided to try something different. I decided to go against looking ahead while running and instead pull my baseball cap down and stay focused in on my feet, putting one step in front of the other and force myself not to look up.  Guess what? It worked! I made it all the way up that 1 mile hill (and it wasn’t that difficult). The most difficult part was forcing myself not to look up as I was running to see how far I had left.

Wow! Three months of doing things the way I thought I should be doing it (and continued to not get the results I wanted). But then making one minor shift in my running,  changed my mindset and made all the difference!

So how do you keep your mindset in check to keep positive and help you achieve your goals? Are there some things that you perhaps need to do to switch things up?

[bctt tweet=”Intentionally check your mindset throughout the day! – Cynthia Bazin” username=”thesmartchic”]

Here are some tips to get you into a positive mindset and keep your mindset in check!

6 Tips To Get And Stay In The Right Mindset

  1. Create An Environment of Positivity
    In order to create a positive mindset and keep it in check, I totally believe you must have an environment around you that supports this. One of the things that is especially important is having a positive inner circle of people that love you and support you for who you are. The people in your inner circle should also be people that are action takers and hold you accountable when you need it.  Another thing that I believe creates an environment of positivity, is having a clean, uncluttered and bright space. A clean space in my mind is a focused space. 
  2. Keep The End Goal In Mind
    By keeping the end goal in mind, what you are doing is sort of ‘kicking yourself in the duff’ that you don’t have any time for the ridiculous to creep into your life. For example, if you need to get in better shape, by keeping that end result in mind, you’ll hopefully be focused on keeping your mind on healthy options for eating or opportunities to exercise. If you are needing to write and finish a book, by having the end result in mind, it will help you eliminate those distractions when they try to knock you off your productivity.
  3. Pay Attention To Your Thoughts
    As you go through the day, be very mindful of what you are thinking. Actually stop yourself when you can, identify and write down what you are actually thinking of a situation. Evaluate if it’s positive or negative thoughts that are coming out and if they are not good thoughts, actually question whether your thoughts are rational. If they are not, that can be a catalyst to do one of these other tips. 
  4. Shift Emotionally and Physically When Necessary
    I had to shift what I was doing physically in my running which actually changed how I felt emotionally running up that hill.  Sometimes if you are in a place where your mindset is negative or sad (or just not working for you), sometimes just getting into a new environment helps lift your mood some. How about listening to some positive music to get your mindset in check? The key is to think of things in your life that bring you joy and when you need to be lifted up, turn to those things. 
  5. Don’t Think Too Long – Take Action
    Action is really key. How many times do we get out of a positive mindset when we just keep swirling ideas in our head? It’s natural that when we keep things inside of our head, we start doubting ourselves. Take some sort of action and adjust along the way.
  6. Talk It Out
    It’s very important to have someone to talk with when things are bad. We all have times when we feel stuck, sad or negative. Sometimes friends can be the people you talk with, but sometimes it’s more appropriate to talk with a professional mentor, pastor, counselor or therapist on the situation. The key is, if you can’t work it out yourself, be sure to find the right person to talk it out with. You deserve the greatest happiness. Now is your time!

Let’s look at this week’s contributors for their thoughts on this topic!

Jacques Grooms (Pastor P.) who does ministry on Periscope,  Facebook and other social media platforms says: “I keep my mindset in check and realize my assignment is bigger than me. Also I make sure there’s a system of accountability in place of people who’s input I respect even when it hurts.”

Lindsey Roberts who is passionate about music and singing says: “I turn on the radio, I sing a song, or I play a tune. In each chord, lyric, melody, and rhythm I find life’s positivity. I find my smile. I find my reason. I find ME. Berthold Auerbach puts it simply “Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Terri Klass of Terri Klass Consulting, LLC says: “I initially step back from the challenge and just breathe. I try to reframe my perspective in a familiar way so that I can relate to it. Then I think of positive steps to face my concerns. Taking action is key. Never sit on a challenge too long because it only gets worse, especially in our minds.”

[bctt tweet=”One of the keys to achieving your goals is having a great mindset. -Cynthia Bazin” username=”thesmartchic”]

Mindset is such a powerful thing! There are so many things you can do to get into a positive mindset (and get back to it if needed) but I hope the 6 tips above and the tips from our contributors resonated with you! What tips most resonated with you in getting into a positive mindset? Post your comments! I would love to hear from you! And I will reply back to you! 

Cynthia Bazin is a Mentor for both men and women in the areas of Personal Development, Business Branding and Strategy.  She is also a Keynote Speaker and ongoing contributor at Good Day Sacramento. Reach out to her today at www.smartchic.me.