Tips for a Positive Year

Last week, I wished you a week of reflection on what you wanted to have happen in 2017. Did you make time for this reflection? What did you come up with?

I challenged you to make a monthly ACTION PLAN to make those things happen DAILY! Remember, Jim Rohn always said that unless something is written down it’s only a wish.

My author of choice lately is Jon Gordon. He has written such books as The Energy Bus, The Seed, The Positive Dog and several others. I came across a list that Jon had put out on “20 Tips for a Positive Year.”

Number one is to Stay Positive. He states that we can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible, or we can trust that with faith and optimistic attitude all things are possible. The only qualifier I would put on his statement is that it’s not just about success. Isn’t this statement true for everything in our lives?

In my opinion, we are surrounded by cynics, doubters, people who talk out of both sides of their mouths, and especially those who are not open to all schools of thought. We are bombarded with people who are fear mongering diatribes that you would think the world is coming to an end listening to them. With my antennae alert and more sensitive these days, I’m amazed at how prevalent this toxic environment is now. So to say “Stay Positive” that will take a conscious effort on my part and yours in order to have a positive year.

Number four, from Jon’s list, is Talk to Yourself. “Instead of listening to your complaints, fears, and doubts, talk to yourself and feed your mind with words of truth and encouragement.” It’s part of the gratitude walk that I begin and end each day with. We all get into our funks. We all have difficult days and times where we can only see the negative. If, however, we are conscious of this way of thinking, we can then turn ourselves around with a more a positive outlook.

Metacognition is thinking about our thinking. Unfortunately, many of us go through the day on autopilot and don’t pay attention to the details surrounding us let alone the constant stream of thought going on in our heads. Haven’t you been driving somewhere, reached your destination, and wondered how you got there? Your mind was off thinking about something else. That happens to us time and time again throughout the day. I’m going to challenge you to pay attention to your thinking. If you’re in that negative space, what do you need to do to turn it around?

Am I saying you need to ignore the crap or the negativity surrounding you? It depends. Are there situations, people etc. that you can ignore? Are there things or people you can distance yourself from? If so, then JUST DO IT. We absolutely DO NOT need to get caught up in much of the negativity.

On the other end, there are things or people in our lives we need to acknowledge that are negative, and we have little control. It may be a family member, a boss, etc. We can’t be sunshine and roses all the time and pretend the negative isn’t there. However, what I am saying is that we have a choice. How much time, energy and focus are we putting into that negativity? Is it something we can control by changing our TV channel or radio station? Is it something we can change by limiting the amount of time on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.? Is it something we can change by meeting new people or spending more time with the friends who support us? Is it someone we can stay away from as much as possible who just tears us down and wants to steal our dreams? After all, we are in far more control of our attitudes than we’d like to accept. It’s easier to B, C, D (blame, complain, defend) than it is to accept WE are in control and the finger points to us.

Here’s another good one on Gordon’s positive list: Don’t Waste Your Energy. I love this one! “Don’t waste precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you can’t control.” There are 24 hours in a day and how much of that do we want to waste? Life goes by too quickly, time is precious, and if we want to live the life that God has planned for us, then there’s no time to waste.

Number 17 on the list of 20 is Focus On “Get To.” Focus on “get to” versus “have to.” Focus on what you get to do NOT what you have to do!! Life is a gift NOT an obligation. Think about that one. It’s renaming and changing your mindset. Because I have my health, I get to clean the house. Because I can see, I get to read the textbook for my class. Because I can, I get to volunteer my time in a classroom helping younger students read. Because I want to make a difference, I get to talk to young adults about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Because my aunt is struggling with her health, I get to spend time playing bingo with her. Just saying these sentences out loud, give a sense of power.

“We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are,” says John Maxwell.

I wish you a week of Positive Energy with an emphasis on all that you “get to” do in order to move forward in 2017 Being the Best You that You Can Be!