Spring Forward Mindset

Every January 1st I would start the year with the usual enthusiasm that any New Years’ day would bring. It was a new day to have a fresh start to eat healthily, exercise, save money, set my priorities straight, and get my life organized. Every time I tried to tackle any of these seemingly momentous challenges, I had a hot streak for five to even thirty days before I bit off more than I can chew, got bored of whatever routine I started, and eventually went back to my old ways.

This was until September of last year. Since Spring is a time of fresh starts, I want to share a few daily habits after years of therapy, a personal development seminar, and many self-help books that helped take me off anti-depressants, lose weight, get my life organized, and be the best version of me. The daily habits can be done in two minutes or less and naturally became a part of my morning routine without feeling like they were a task. The best part is that just because it’s March, Tuesday, or November, it is never too late to start.

The Future is Now:

One of the biggest takeaways is that I learned to not put off my start date! Seizing every moment of the present is what made the biggest difference. I used to say things like, “I’ll start eating healthy on Monday,” and then I’d be finishing bags of chips in my closet Sunday. I would tell myself I was “just getting them out of the house before I start my diet,” and before I knew it, I was yoyoing again. When I stayed present with every meal, it prevented causing the “I’ll start tomorrow” mindset. When I decided to eat a cookie the size of my face, rather than feeling guilty I would actually enjoy the experience of eating it. I applied this be in the present and “start now not later,” attitude to all aspects of my life. I saved money, organized my closets, meditated, and exercised and I’ve had much more consistent success in all areas.

Here are some messages that have helped me to fight the urge to wait to start my current goals:

“Successful people don’t wait. If they want something, they take action.”

“This will be quick, I’ll just start it and be done in no time.”

“If I don’t want to do it, it means it’s probably something I should be doing.”

Positive Self Talk:

Being a school counselor by trade, positive self-talk is a popular strategy, and those that can’t do teach, which has never been more true for many years in my case. The following self-talk strategies with intention and consistency finally worked to bear the fruits of my self-talk labor. I do these every morning in the mirror when I brush my teeth, which made them a part of my morning routine without having to find time to sit down and practice them.

1 ) Start with gratitude.

This brought so much encouragement to the day and an enormous amount of positive energy toward my goals. Instead of hating my body in the mirror, to look at it and say, “I’m thankful I am healthy. I’m thankful I can walk. I appreciate that I’m strong,” made a huge difference in my mindset around food later in the day. Instead of saying, “my closet is a mess, how can I ever get this organized?” I would say, “wow, I have so many clothes, I am blessed to have this kind of abundance,” and it made it easier to tackle the mess.

2) Set an intention for the day.

This has made every goal much easier to achieve. Some days I set an intention with one goal in mind, sometimes more than one depending on the previous day’s progress. Sometimes my intention for the day is just to stay positive about my goals and not actually take action with any of them, but overall it has helped keep me in a consistent mindset. The first thirty days of doing this habit, I set the same intention daily. The intention I set was, “I will not drink today.” That first intentional success was a catalyst for future intentions.

3) Self-affirmations.

This one was a tricky one for me to accept, in that there were many days that I would tell myself I am a beautiful, abundant shining star, and two hours later I was worried about my bank account and feeling fat. I like to remind myself on the days that it feels forced or like it’s not working that sometimes your brain and your heart are not on the same page. It takes time for the messages to match your heart, but with consistency, this has worked for me.

Overall these small but simple changes truly changed my life. I hope the act now not later attitude combined with these simple self-talk strategies bring you freedom, momentum, and spring you forward in your life goals.