Mindset Shift: A 21 Day Challenge

Keeping a positive mindset is not always easy. In fact, it’s damn hard. Some days it just seems like the world is against you, but I promise, that is not the case. Suffering from a personality disorder means that I am naturally a very negative person. I have to fight hard to stay positive, and I’ve devised this challenge to help you do the same.

Mindset Shift: A 21 Day Challenge

There is much debate as to how long it takes to develop a habit. Many say it takes just 21 days, whereas others say it takes 66 days on average. Personally, I think it depends on the habit and the way that you approach it. But, for the sake of this challenge, I’m going with 21 days. (Not because I can categorically say that your mindset will have changed in this time, but because it is a reasonable amount of time for you to get used to implementing the daily tasks and begin to build a habit.)
 

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”
– Aristotle

 

Challenge Preparation

Before you get started with this challenge, you need to do a little preparation. Your preparation day will be day 1. I want you to think about what you really want in life, and what your vision is for your business. Visualise this clearly and consider the feelings it invokes. From this visualisation, you will create your positive affirmations.

There are hundreds of thousands of affirmations readily available, with a quick internet search, and you can definitely use these to your advantage. However, if you really want to make a big difference with your mindset shift, you should alter them to suit you personally. Here are a couple of examples of affirmations you could use:

  • I believe in myself and my abilities
  • I feel joy and contentment in this moment
  • Success comes easily to me
  • Whatever I dream up for my business, I achieve
  • I easily find solutions to problems and overcome them quickly
  • My confidence and self-esteem are increasing every day

Notice that all of these statements are in the present tense. To attract anything into your life, you must feel and believe that you already have it.

The next thing you need to do to prepare for the challenge is download your workbook.
 

Daily Task #1

Your first task of the day is to recite your positive affirmations. Simply reading them isn’t enough to really make you believe in them. You should say them out loud and, if you want to take it a step further, do it while looking into a mirror. Tell yourself the affirmations.

You should do this every morning when you wake up. At first, you’ll probably feel pretty silly, talking to yourself. But after a few days, you will get used to the routine of reciting these affirmations. You will begin to really feel and believe what you are saying.

Bonus for this task: either write down or print out your affirmations and stick them somewhere you will see them often. Mirrors, desks and fridge doors work well.
 

Daily Task #2

Your second daily task is to complete your gratitude log. Each day, you should write down two things that you are grateful for. This could be your family, something material, random acts of kindness… absolutely anything that you are grateful for.

Expressing gratitude, and revisiting the things that you have written down, will help with shifting your mindset to a more positive position.
 

Daily Task #3

Your third – and final – daily task is to practice visualisation. A lot of us do this without conscious realisation of what we are doing. How many times have you lay in bed, thinking about all the things that you would love to happen? This is exactly what you are going to do.

Take some quiet time away from everyone, and everything, and relax. (I know, I know.. easier said than done – but give it a try.) Think about your dream future. What does your house look like? How do you feel? Step outside; what do you smell? Focus on the smallest of details and imagine that you are living this dream life. Anything you can visualise, you can manifest.
 


 

If you are serious about your mindset shift, there are other simple things you can do to help your thinking and feeling become more positive. We all deal with day to day stresses, and problems arise all the time, but it is the way in which we deal with them that defines us.
 

Re-Direct Your Stress

Often when we feel stressed, it is hard to put a finger on exactly why. To release the feelings of this stress, and redirect the energy, we need to get to the bottom of it in the simplest way possible. Let me give you an example: you are feeling stressed about giving a presentation at work. This fills you with dread and you just want to get it over with. But think about the reasons you feel this way. Are you nervous about speaking in front of people? Are you trying to impress your superiors? Once you realise the root cause of your feelings, you can begin to redirect them to use them more positively.
 

Develop a Personal Mantra

A personal mantra is a positive phrase, quote or affirmation that you say to yourself for motivation and inspiration. This mantra could relate to your feelings, your current place in life, your business, or encompass any number of things. What is important that your mantra inspires and encourages you to be the best version of yourself.
 

Find a Hobby

There are some people who would consider a hobby to be an unnecessary distraction when building a business. I, however, believe that it is important to have an activity to turn to, that you enjoy and that gives you time out from work. Finding a hobby that you are passionate about will make you feel happy. This is something that you can revisit, whenever you choose, to instantly change the way you are feeling.
 

Smile at Strangers

This is a strange one, but also very fulfilling. When someone smiles at you, your automatic response is to smile back. (Unless you’re on the tube. Then you’re just a smiley weirdo that no one wants to stand near.) When you’re walking down the street, and you pass a stranger going the other way, smile. You’ll be amazed at how a single smile can help you to instantly feel better. And you might even be brightening someone else’s day too.
 

Download Your Challenge Workbook