Our initial action to minimize stress and maintain positivity is to take control of everything. As a result, we over-prepare, plan ahead of time, and double or triple check to make sure that everything goes according to what’s expected. But no matter what we do or say, there are things that are bound to happen outside our sphere that can detract from our cheery outlook and determined attitude.
You can’t control other peoples’ minds, you can’t manipulate time, and you can’t change scenarios if it’s meant to be. If you do, it will only lead to unnecessary frustration. As much as possible, you want to eliminate stress so you can focus on what’s important.
“A leader’s role is not to control people or stay on top of things, but rather to guide, energize, and excite.” said Jack Welsh, Former CEO of GE
The surprising secret to achieve a positive mindset in life is acceptance. Once you resolve to the fact that there are things that will be out of your control, you give yourself room for humility which results in growth and learning. It leads you into a balanced disposition where you are already aware of the reality and at the same time able to handle it accordingly.
Here are some surprising insights from the LTH team that you can start doing today to help you achieve a positive mindset even when faced with challenging situations.
- Prepare a Back-up Plan
“Expect the unexpected. And whenever possible, be the unexpected.” – Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter
Since you are always prepared for anything life may throw at you, don’t miss out on preparing for Plan B, C, and so on. Anticipate that your first or second tries may not yield expected results – so arm yourself with a back-up plan. It may entail additional work, but it also gives you leg room for untoward incidents.
By being prepared enough, you won’t have time to spend blaming yourself or contemplating on what went wrong because you can immediately move on with your next steps. After all, life is about constantly moving forward with all the trials and errors that we have to experience. If there are setbacks, accept it, learn from it, and try other routes to success.
- Be an Optimist
Not all things will happen as planned. For instance, you worked so hard for a client presentation but you weren’t able to close the deal. Instead of demoralizing yourself with negativity, which is harmful for your well-being, choose to be optimistic as it is beneficial for your brain.
Training your mind to find the positive side of things activates your brain’s ability to adapt and change. Recent studies reveal that those who showed positive attitude achieved most success when it came to testing or learning a new skill. So the next time you face unwanted situations, shift your perspective into positive thoughts that will lead you to growth.
- Adopt an Exponential Mindset
Do not just think big, think exponential, as this mindset yields faster growth leading to success.
If there are situations you cannot control, don’t try to fix it. Having an exponential mindset gives you the ability to see beyond present results. You are always 10X ahead of everything in terms of your perspective and judgment, hence your directions are always forward-looking.
This mindset teaches you that hurdles in life are inevitable, so the next time you face them, you have to jump much higher. Furthermore, you can immediately identify how you can use these hurdles to your advantage.
- Become an Effective Delegator
Because of our dedication to the things we do, there are times we find it difficult to delegate our tasks which affect our productivity. The more we try to micromanage our day-to-day tasks, the more it causes stress as there are things we cannot handle all at the same time.
Richard Branson once shared that his dyslexia taught him the importance of delegation. He had to think of ways to make things simple for him through passing on tasks to his team. Regardless of any disability, Branson believes that you should learn how to delegate. According to him, an effective delegator finds great people and lets them step in and deal with your weaknesses.
- Disconnect and Recharge Your Mind
One tip when you are overwhelmed with so many red flags is to simply disconnect for a while. If you overthink and let emotions get ahead of things, you might come up with irrational decisions that aren’t be beneficial in the long run.
There are several ways on how you can disconnect and recharge your mind. For instance, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg goes offline at night by turning off her phone. She wakes up the next day feeling more relaxed and well-rested enough to handle stressful matters. Or you could also opt to perform meditation, just like Oprah Winfrey.
It does not matter what kind of activity it is – what’s important is that you give your mind a chance to regain its balance. You have to make sure that your mind is ready to face things that are out of your own hand in order to continue moving on your long-term goals.
Do you have any other tips on using this mindset or eliminating stress? Please share them with the LTH Tribe!
