Managing my Mind: Finding Strength through Mindset Practice

I want to be honest with you, and me. This journey right now is not easy. Working and desiring to build a business, to navigate the uncertainty after losing a job, to evaluate corporate opportunities I interview for and if they are right for me, and having the courage to say no to good opportunities because they just don’t feel right and trusting myself to know that and see that. I’ll write more on that in a different post about how I’m evaluating different opportunities at this stage of my career. 

I’m not really sure how it will end up (we never do, but gosh I sure wish I had a tiny bit more certainty!) Here’s what I do know. I have a VERY strong desire to create something that is impactful and a super strong work ethic to support that desire. I have a passion for building great leaders and great organizations that serve their employees, their customers, and that make a profit and an impact on the world. 

And what I also know is that in the past few days, it has been incredibly difficult for me to get out of my own way. I’ve been hit with doubts, fears, exhaustion, uncertainty, and just this ticking clock in my head. I have to constantly remind myself of what I have done, and how I am making positive steps forward.

This journey, and leadership in general, and well, life in general, is really about managing your mind. I know a lot of people call it mindset. And that’s true too, but I do feel like this week I’ve been needing to manage my mind in particular - to keep it from running away with doom and gloom scenarios, and I’ve been doing that through mindset practices.

I’ve started an expanded practice this week - it’s a blend of things I’ve learned from a variety of places, so I’ll give credit if I remember where I got this from. Every morning this week, I’ve been writing these things down:

1. 5 things I am grateful for
2. 5 dreams I have/ 5 things I want (from Mel Robbins)
3. 3 things I’m excited about
4. 3 things I’m committed to doing today no matter what
5. 1 thing I’ve been avoiding that I’m going to work on that day

I can talk through these items and why these things later on, but for now, I just wanted to be real, to share the ups and the downs of this time in my life right now. You might ask if this has helped - I would say yes. Because while this week has been hard, I have been able to neutralize some of the most damaging voices in my head by being grateful, by making small steps forward, and being bold about what I want in my life and writing that down. There's power in this practice. And right now, I'm utilizing the practice to enhance my own power, and to bide my time a bit until I move through these emotions.