My first business coach and former weight loss client, Natasha Hazlett, likes to say “mindset precedes skillset.”
It’s her way of pointing out that you can have all the tools in the world to get what you want, right there waiting for you, but unless you’ve got the right mindset to use them, you won’t. Not for long.
Mindset is a powerful factor in getting where you wanna be. Most people get that, which is why mindset questions are the among the most common ones I get.
We all end up with a lot of clutter in our minds, and it smothers and distracts us from the amazing person we really are, and all the things we’re capable of.
So what are we supposed to do?
When someone joins Code Red, one of the first things I tell you to do is get the junk food out of your house.
Having it there within easy reach puts a huge burden on your willpower; plus it reinforces the unhelpful habits you’ve formed around eating all that crap.
Cleaning out your cupboards, and replacing the junk that was there with nutritious, delicious, Code Red foods sets you up for success.
It’s the same in your mind. You clear out the junk thoughts and replace them with thoughts that serve you and what you want to accomplish.
Junk thoughts can enter your mind no matter how rock solid your mindset is. We’re human, and sometimes we don’t think the most helpful stuff.
But whether that junk thought stays is up to you.
When an unhelpful thought enters your mind, you can tell it, “No thank you, you’ve done me no favors.”
You can also direct “you’ve done me no favors” at tempting foods you wanna reach for. Heck, say it out loud if you want!
If your co-workers look at you like you’re nuts, all the better! When they see you shrinking right before their eyes, they’ll stop laughing and start doing the same thing.
You can also decide to think the opposite of that thought. For example, if you find yourself thinking, “I don’t know if I can resist that donut,” or even something like, “I can’t have that,” (which is a very victimhood way to view things), instead think, “I’m choosing not to eat that donut.” It’s way more empowering, and for that reason, way more effective.
Purging your mind takes longer than purging your cupboards, but it’s even more worth doing.
Start with the basics I’ve outlined here, and go from there. And be consistent! Cleaning the junk out of your mind doesn’t happen in a week, but it does happen when you take consistent action.