Positive thinking can make it so
Your thoughts are very powerful and can shape your life in a positive or negative way. The choice is yours. Positive thoughts motivate healthy behavior, such as eating right and being active. It all comes down to what you believe you can do. If you believe you will pass the exam or get the job then you are more likely to have a different outlook and succeed. It is doubt that sabotages our best of intentions.
If you think the other candidate for the job is better already you present that when you go in for the interview. If you feel you haven’t studied enough for that test then already you are giving yourself reasons to fail. Same goes for your weight. If you think you are already overweight so it won’t matter if you have that doughnut. Or maybe you only have 10 minutes to exercise. It’s not enough time…do it tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes. In this way we set up our negative head talk and all our good intentions go out the window.
Years ago in 1930 there was a famous children’s book “The Little Engine that Could”? The theme was “I think I can, I think I can” and by saying this, the little engine made it up the hill. The message is if you set your mind to something, you can do it.
Right attitude is half the battle to meeting any of your goals. Positive thinking can help you achieve and maintain healthy behaviors, such as becoming more physically active, limiting your sugar intake, giving up smoking, studying better and many other things.
Studies show that people who think they can achieve a goal usually do because they have faith in themselves. The confidence you have in performing a certain behavior is called self-efficacy; and self-efficacy is a key in successful behavior change.
A positive attitude may give you the start to a healthier lifestyle and it is something that you can control. You have the choice to have a positive outlook. Chances are when you choose to think positively, you’ll feel better about yourself and be able to perform better in whatever you do.
Losing 15 kilo to fit into that dress or running a marathon this year may be unrealistic but a bunch of small goals are achievable without too drastic a life change. For example, your weight loss goal may be to cut out sugar – just for today. Just for one day is easy…isn’t it? Or maybe just for today you can walk to the shops instead of taking the car. Just for today. Or just for today study for half an hour.
Tomorrow is another day and we start again. Slowly doing that day’s goal…just for today. In that way you can do the same goal each day but tell yourself it’s just for today. It’s a little trick that works well for some. There are some days it will be harder than others. Small setbacks are normal. Learn from past success and failures and try to detect what sparks them. Do you eat more when you are upset? Do you need more sleep so you can study better? Take a minute to work out how you could handle the situation better but don’t dwell on the past. Move on and learn and next time it will be easier.
Positive thinkers admit when they feel frustrated or depressed so don’t ignore it. Try to understand the negative thoughts and feelings and counter them with more positive ones.
Below are a few tips to help you along the way:
Look for a good role model – Is there someone around who is where you would like to be. Instead of feeling inferior to them learn from them. It could be someone who exercises every morning as you drive off to work and you say hello. If they can do it, then you can. Why not get up earlier and join them? Or does the new girl at work drink herbal teas and she has terrific skin. Why not ask if you can try one of her blends before you buy it for yourself. In this way you make new friends and change those habits you don’t really want. That’s a bonus. Learn from successful people and ask them how they got there. They will probably be delighted to help. Learning is a lifetime process so don’t be afraid to ask.
Have a plan – Make a plan and write it down. If you’ve planned for something you are more likely stick to it. Remember to take it one day or one week at a time. Writing down your plan is a good way to monitor your progress.
Try some positive head talk and avoid negative- Take a minute to give yourself an ego boost. Repeat some motivational words out loud or to yourself – I can do it! I deserve the best in life! I will step up and take charge!
Negative talk like “I can’t do it,” “I’m fat,” is dangerous for your well-being. After a while you start to believe it and your confidence gets lower and lower. Try to avoid the negative talk before it harms you. Remind yourself that you deserve happiness and can make positive changes.
Get support – Tell people who will encourage you about your dreams and goals and don’t bother with the people that will put you down – if they do they are not your friends anyway.
Reward yourself – Give yourself a pat on the back for your efforts. Take a nice bath, get a massage or enjoy that new music CD.
How does your thinking need to change? What can you do to change your life? If you don’t like where you are it’s because you have taken the steps in your past to end up here. Take different steps and your life will change…little steps soon add up to having walked the whole pathway.
