You do not have to get your mind right to take action
Many people think that you have to get your mindset “right” in order to have a truly fantastic life, yet they could not be more wrong
You’ve spent hours journaling, working through limiting belief systems that don’t serve you and repeating mantras to shift those beliefs, yet you’re still stuck in the same position.
Journaling and working on your mind is beneficial. However, there are other ways to achieve your goals in life and business.
If personal development is essential to you, mainly if you operate a business, you’ve probably heard that mentality is everything, so you’re constantly journaling.
That’s why, when things go wrong in your life, you look to your thinking first, assessing your limiting beliefs and determining whether you believe you’re worthy.
While many people believe you must have the “right” mindset to live a fantastic life, they could not be more wrong. Why is movement considerably more critical than mindset?
Changing your state affects your thoughts
According to research, altering your attitude can be more complex than tracking your thought patterns and attempting to rewire them.
Changing the way your mind thinks, feels, or believes about something can result from taking action and enabling your body to affect your thoughts.
That’s why relying solely on mindset practices that keep you in your brain (or force you to experience positive emotions when you don’t) will not work for you.
No matter how hard you try to think positively, to avoid dread, or to avoid anxiety, you will not be successful.
We all have occasions when those feelings surface. You can try to prevent or suppress those feelings, but those are only band aids that will not benefit you in the long run.
Sometimes, mindset techniques that keep you in your thoughts or try to force you out of your feelings are merely brain gymnastics equal to fleeing or burying your emotions.
It’s healthier to know that no matter how you’re feeling, you can still take action and that, by doing so, your emotions will automatically shift since you’ve altered your situation.
Your emotions are reacting to chemical changes in your body, causing them to shift organically as you work toward your goals. That’s a win-win.
PAD IT
However, taking action only sometimes implies completing the next task on your to-do list. Sometimes, you need to do something to get back on track to go forward.
If you find yourself stuck or highly nervous about something, use the PAD approach to ground yourself before getting back into the game.
P — Pause and become present
Become anchored in your body and the current moment. Our bodies can only be in the present moment.
However, our minds can be anywhere and at any time. It’s vital to respond in the current moment, which is tough when you’re preoccupied with worries about the future or the past.
There are a few techniques for returning your focus to the present moment and regaining full awareness of your body.
Breathing exercises combined with visualizations can help to relax your sympathetic nervous system.
This will assist in relieving some of your anxiety, allowing you to be more present.
Singing has also been demonstrated to help people stay present in the moment and relax their sympathetic nervous system.
Simply massage your hands together or along your legs to reconnect with your physical body.
Whatever you choose, the goal is to bring your attention back to the present moment so that your mind can reorient itself to what is happening. This will allow you to make more informed decisions and determine the next steps.
A — Acknowledge
Do not try to change your feelings or thoughts. Do not pass judgment on them. All you want to do is acknowledge how you feel. Take notice and name it.
Naming your feelings is quite powerful. Allowing your emotions to exist as they are enables them to move freely in and out of your being.
Recognizing your emotions without attempting to push them away removes any shame or stigma associated with having them trapped in your body.
It also prevents your mind from interpreting your emotions as anything other than what you’re feeling in the moment, which can help you stay grounded and present.
D — Do
Take action toward your goal. Do something. If you can’t do anything to help you achieve your goal, get up and move.
Go for a stroll, have a dance party, or take a shower — whatever you do, change your physical state to keep your mind off of things.
If you do something physical, find something you enjoy that demands enough concentration to divert your attention away from whatever you are concerned about.
Kickboxing, sprinting, and even jumping rope are excellent exercises that will keep you focused on the task at hand while enabling your body to release the sentiments that have kept you grounded.
It requires practice…
Now that you know what to do, you’ll be better able to continue even if you’re not feeling well.
Getting your head correct is optional to take massive action. The objective is to get your body present to make robust and sound decisions based on the present moment rather than anxieties about the future.
Whatever you do, remember that a grounded body leads to a grounded mind — which can occasionally be achieved through action.
