Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Get Out of Your Negative Rut



'By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try the world is beyond the winning.' Lao Tzu

Do you find yourself focusing on things that aren't going well during your work day, or perhaps the piles of things you failed to get to? Stop beating yourself up--learn to pay more attention to what's going well instead. Shift your focus to your achievements by learning how to take an inventory of your day with four questions.

Take a daily inventory. By consciously and deliberately focusing on what's going well in your life you'll train your brain to accent the positive. It may feel awkward or forced at first, but do it anyway. With consistent focus on the good stuff you'll shift out of a negative groove into a positive channel in three to five weeks. Set aside 15-minutes a day to focus on the good stuff.

Re-focus by writing. Our natural tendency is to focus on the negative in our heads making it difficult to shift our thinking towards the positive. The negative track is too deep. It's essential you write it down. The physical act of writing the questions and your answers each day focuses your attention as it moves you into a different part of your brain. Get a notebook or journal to collect your positive actions and life experiences.

Ask yourself these four questions to accent the positive:


·         What is working well for you at work and home?

·         What have you accomplished that you've failed to acknowledge?

·         What is the most meaningful thing you did in the last 24 hours?

·         What is one meaningful step you could take today?



'Appreciate yourself and honor your soul. Love your soul.'  Yogi Bhajan

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For more than 25 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes changing easier than ever before. Contact Susan to schedule life change coaching, weekend retreats, or engaging Lightarted experiences to share with friends and colleagues.

2 comments:

Jean | Delightful Repast said...

Sue, this is such an important post. So many people today, even those who don't appear to be, are in a negative rut. When life gets too stressful, it takes conscious effort to stay positive. I find being conscious of taking delight in small things every day is very helpful.

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Jean--and thus your 'delightful repast' blog---taking delight in the little niceties of creating comforting, eye-appealing, taste-pleasing food.

I think we both share those little behind the scenes tips that make life more comfortable and livable for us.

Taking delight in small things everyday--and acknowledging them--is so very helpful!