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How to Will Power Your Way Through a Bad Day

 

Will power

 

How to Will Power Your Way Through a Bad Day

Today did not start off to be a good day…

I was only ten minutes into my day and the kids were already wearing me out! My workout, that normally finishes at 8:30am, had not even begun and I was just sitting down to breakfast. In addition to that I hadn’t been able to drink my allotted amount of water before breakfast and I still wasn’t in workout clothes. Today was not looking good and the worst part of all was my mindset.

Our minds are very powerful tools, but how many times do we actually use the power of positive thinking?

When it really comes down to it, how much do we realize positive thinking effects our day? More importantly, how can you change your mindset to both improve your day and give yourself the extra boost to get in the mindset that you need?

The power of our mind isn’t a new concept. In A.D. 58, a man named Paul said something extremely relevant even to us today, “Do not imitate this world, but be changedby the awakening of your mind, that by challenging and changing your thoughts, you can recognize the path in which you should take, what your purpose in life really is.”

Following the norm, following the natural weakness of our own selves without tapping into the powerful tools we were given, weakens our day-to-day accomplishments . . .  

. . . like filling up that mason jar of water and actually drinking it all before we leave the house for work.

It’s those simple, down to earth, every day (dare I say, mundane?) things that lead to greater triumphs in our daily lives.

I admit I did go back to bed, but only for a few minutes. I cried. I snuggled with my boyfriend and I told him I just wasn’t feeling good. It wasn’t my body that didn’t feel good. It was my mind. I told him that I just didn’t feel like I could be a mom today.

He said something to me that stopped me in my downward spiral to continuing on my bad day . . .

He said, “I know. But we have to do it. We are the strongest people they know”.

I started to think. If I don’t go out there with a smile and fake it till I make it, I will ultimately ruin their day and make it more difficult for themto have a good day. That is a lot of responsibility for one human!

I managed to drive them to school without lecturing, though I wanted to, and I managed to keep my tone calm. I hugged them all before they went to school and smiled, told them they looked and smelled great, and told them I loved them, and that I knew it would be a great day.

They laughed at me and said, “You just made that up.” And I said, “I certainly did not! The sun is shining, and it’s going to be a beautiful day!”

While I admit, inside, I was trying to convince myself of the same thing, but once I said it, I began to believe it. Seeing the kids leave for school with smiles on their faces reminded me of the power of positive thinking and positive words. Also, the results of our positive thinking can generate encouragement not only in our selves, but also in others, brightening the day for more than just us.

This morning, when I walked back inside, I did something as simple as making up my bed to put me on a productive beginning to my day. I knew that if I didn’t do that, I would probably get back in it and sleep all day long. I wouldn’t get my day going, would never work out, I wouldn’t blog, I wouldn’t make lunch, I wouldn’t feel good when I got up and I would be disappointed in myself.

Choose your own kick-start. Mine was making my bed. Yours could be completely different. The point is, make that first step.

Here are a few tips on how to will power your way through your day. It worked for me today, and all I can focus on is today, so let’s start with today!

 

  1. THINK POSITIVELY. 

    Be grateful! It all starts in our minds. The number one way to begin the process of will powering your way through a bad day till it brightens up, is thinking positively.Nothing will change until you change your way of thinking.

 

  1. SPEAK POSITIVE WORDS.

    When we tell others how good we feel, we begin to realize how good we really do feel. It turns our focus to searching for the good because, if we say it, we end up showing it. Once we say it, somewhere in our subconscious minds, we start to realize that things really aren’t as bad as they could be. The mere fact that we are alive is a wonderful reason to think and speak optimistically.

 

  1. KNOW YOUR GOALS FOR THE DAY, SIMPLIFY THEM, AND STICK TO IT. 

    If your goal is to workout and you know for a fact that doing it will feel like a major accomplishment for that day, then focus on that one thing only and do it. Decide what yourprimary goal is and break it into bits to help you get started.

 

  1. ACT – EVEN IF YOU START OUT AS A ROBOT. 

    You have to force yourself to go through the motions here. You might feel like a robot. But immediately attack the things that are roadblocks to your accomplishments for the day. For me, I knew if I didn’t make my bed, I’d get back in it. I had the day off work, which means it’s my day to blog. I made my bed and opened my computer, turned it on, and set it dead center on my bed. Then promptly went and filled my jar of water and set it beside my workspace. As soon as I sat down, I pulled up my website. I will admit, I kept getting distracted with Instagram and Pinterest, but I kept coming backto what was most important until I finally silenced my phone and threw it across the room. (I don’t recommend that exact plan of attack).

 

  1. ACCEPT THAT YOU AREN’T PERFECT 

    It’s okay if you don’t perform at your ultimate capacity today, but aim to tomorrow, and make it happen!

We all have our days. Just because we’re less energetic or less positive one day, doesn’t mean we have to focus on that negative energy. Put your focus on accomplishing smaller, less taxing undertakings for the day, set your goals at a reasonable and attainable platform, and push through, even though it’s not easy.

Accepting where you’re at is part of positive thinking and willing your way through a less energetic day. Even if that’s all you do, if you’ve kept a positive outlook on a lower energy day, that is an accomplishment in itself, that a lot of people don’t achieve.

 

  1. LISTEN OR READ 

    Find a quote on Pinterest, a podcast, a YouTube video, or something that not only distracts you from your current state, but plants positive thoughts in your mind when it seems too difficult to do on your own.

Nourish and protect your positive choices and thoughts. Don’t allow outside influences to pull you down. If you don’t have the energy to summon your own positivity, go find it.

For a little help on motivation, check out Shlomo Jesmer. His YouTube video How Can We Become More Self-Motivated is great if you don’t know where to get started!

 

  1. ADMIRE YOUR ACCOMPLISHEMENTS.

    Once you’ve accomplished one thing, even if it is simply making the bed and showering for the day while squeezing in a positive podcast while doing these activities. Congratulate and compliment yourself for what you have done.

 

  1. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, NOT WHAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE.

    Nobody can be you as well as you can. Keeping your focus on the task at hand, then admiring what you have done, gives your will power a pre-workout, so-to-speak, for the next task at hand.

 

  1. FOCUS.

    Over and over and over, until focus takes hold. You can do it. We all can. Will power isn’t easy and it is not going to grow over night. Try and fail, and learn, and try again until you succeed

For a little more on motivation, how to stay on course, and tips on how to make working out from home actually work, check out my article Five Ways to Stay Fit at Home!

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