In continuation of the power of mindset theme, which I posted about on Monday (here) and yesterday (here), I am continuing to explore the mindset I’ve developed to cultivate optimistic thoughts.
One of the keys to keeping my mind forward-looking is having habits to fall back on. Whether I’m having a crummy day, or couldn’t be happier, my habits give me an anchor to bring me back to earth. They help me get out of ruts as well as solidify why I’m doing what I’m doing.
Note: Habits are not be-all-end-alls. Although I try to maintain successful habits 24/7, it’s nearly impossible. Sometimes life happens and I break habits, or I get burnt out from habits and need a break. I’ve found the best way to recover from a broken habit is to try and get back on track as soon as possible. Even if I can’t fully get back to a successful habit in 24 hours, I can still start righting the ship.
The 10-3-2-1-0 Rule
This is one of my new favorite habits which I learned from Craig Ballantyne in The Perfect Day Formula. The rule is as follows:
10 hours before bed – No more caffeine.
3 hours before bed – No more food or alcohol.
2 hours before bed – No more work.
1 hour before bed – No more screen time (turn off all phones, TVs and computers).
0 – The number of times you will hit the snooze button in the morning.
Although I’m not the best at sticking to all of these habits (specifically 3 and 0), when I do hit 10-3-2-1-0 I feel fantastic. When I can couple a few “perfect” days together, I really feel in a groove, and my mindset is fully optimistic. Plus, I never go for the afternoon coffee anymore. I’ve realized whatever I can’t do on caffeine I’m probably not amped up to do anyway.
Reading a Book
The one habit I continually find joy in is reading a book. No matter what life has thrown at me (whether ups or downs) I know I can find solace in a book. I prefer non-fiction, self-help style books, but pretty much any book reading would work.
I find the deep-dive into another person’s thoughts creates a powerful connection in my brain. Not only do I get to escape the surrounding world, but I get to glean ideas from some of the brightest people in the world. Reading books consistently is a skill I’m slowing developing, but every time I read a book I start to feel my mindset improve.
Freely Writing
A lot of times when I go to write blog posts I struggle to find what I’m going to write about. Once I decide on a topic I start to overthink everything, I check on my SEO, I make corrections based on Grammarly, and I forget the purpose of writing. A habit I find that successfully changes my mindset is to write freely and to write what’s on my mind. Letting the keyboard do the talking is the best habit I’ve found when it comes to writing.
In order to do that, I either jot my writing down on my note-keeping app of choice Google Keep or use WriteMonkey, which I wrote this post on. By taking the distractions away, I’m able to focus my mind on writing without worry. This allows me to clear my mind of the thoughts on the top of my head which leads to a more optimistic mindset.
Habits to Fall Back On
I am not perfect. You probably aren’t perfect either. Although we have habits we want to stick to, we cannot be 100% on, 100% of the time. Instead, I find it helpful to have a few solid habits that when the going gets tough, the habits will bring me back into rhythm. And if I am having a great day, good habits will make my day that much better.
Having good habits to fall back on is one of the best things I have done for my mind. It has changed my life from not having much of a direction, to knowing the base to get to in order to start an upward climb.