We all go through periods where we feel completely stuck in a rut and it can feel so frustrating when you just can’t seem to move forward.
But with a few simple and powerful steps, you can get unstuck and feel excited again in no time.
If you’ve been feeling frustrated because you just can’t seem to be the person you need to be to create the business and life that you dream of, then this guide is going to help you turn that around.
The tips I’m sharing in this post have helped me time and time again throughout the past few years, giving me the fuel I need to start moving again whenever I’ve felt stuck, lost or frustrated.
Finding powerful ways to shift myself into a growth mindset has been one of the most important things I’ve ever done that has completely transformed my life.
From 2008 all the way through to 2011 I was stuck in a massive rut, feeling completely lost as to where I wanted my life to go.
I had this feeling deep down inside that I wasn’t living the life I was meant to be living. I felt like I was playing small, like there was so much more meant for me.
I just wasn’t living up to my potential and if you’ve ever felt like that, you know how annoying it can be.
THE TURNING POINT
I knew that things needed to change and in 2011, I got to a point where I was completely fed up with my own excuses and I finally decided to do something about it.
I realised that I was the problem and that my own mindset was the only reason that I was feeling so stuck. I knew I was also the only person that could get myself out of it.
I had to change who I was being, the thoughts I was thinking, the way I was showing up every day and the habits I was practicing.
So I did some simple things that had a really profound impact and since then, I’ve been repeating these same steps and they’ve worked for me every time, so I know they can do the same for you.
Step 1: Stick inspirational quotes everywhere
This is one of my favourite strategies and one that works really well for me!
In order to find inspiration, I realised that I needed to see inspiration all around me, so I gathered a load of inspirational quotes I loved, printed them out and stuck them all over.
- One of my quotes said, “Successful people hang on when everyone else has let go” – I would look at that quote every single day and push myself to keep hanging on.
- I felt a special connection to the word “TRUST”, so I wrote it out and stuck it up on my wall because I knew that I needed to trust that I could figure things out, that I would somehow find a way to succeed.
Every time you come across a great inspirational quote that really resonates with you, just write it down on a post-it note and stick them up anywhere and everywhere! On your bathroom mirror, at your work desk, on your laptop, in your car.
Fill your life with prompts of inspiration!
When those quotes catch your eye, they will remind you of the type of mindset you need to have and the kind of action you need to take and it’s a great way to snap out of a negative mindset you might not even realise is keeping you stuck.
If you repeatedly look at a positive quote or affirmation every single day, how do you think it would change your life? How would it change the way you think, act and make decisions?
It would completely transform you! Because let’s face it, a lot of us make decisions based on the fears and thoughts we have that it might not succeed and work out.
This is about immersing yourself in ideas, inspiration, words and mantras that can help you shift into an expansive mindset where anything is possible.
Step 2: Listen to a guided visualisation every day
Listening to positive affirmations and guided visualisations is another simple technique that can have a profound effect.
A mentor of mine once told me that the most powerful voice you can listen to is your own, so rather than just downloading someone else’s audio, use your phone to record a quick visualisation where you simply guide yourself through a breathing, relaxation and visualisation exercise.
Record yourself saying statements along the lines of:
“Give yourself space now to visualise what success looks and feels like.
How would it feel to have achieved the things you would love to achieve?
Where are you? Who are you with?
What can you see and smell? How do you feel?”
Add a few affirmations in there that really resonate with you and then repeat them over and over again throughout the visualisation.
Once you’ve recorded it, take a few minutes to listen to it every day.
It only takes five minutes to immerse yourself in transcending your reality and experiencing the success that you want to create.
Not only is it incredibly effective, the best thing is you can easily do it while you’re busy doing other things!
HOW MICHELLE WENT FROM VISUALISING HER SUCCESS TO LIVING IT
A friend of mine, Michelle, tells a story of her past that I absolutely love.
A few years ago she was working as a janitor, but as she was cleaning, she spent her time focusing her mind on transcending her reality.
She used to visualise herself sitting in a café in Paris hearing her phone ringing in the sales with a “cha-ching” as her business was generating revenue.
She made it a point to visualise this scene on a regular basis, and soon enough, it became her reality. Some time later she was sitting in that café in Paris and making money from her new business.
So give it a try! Immerse yourself in what you would like to make happen in your life and feel connected to it as often as you can. The more you can direct your mental energy towards that focus, the more likely you are to act in alignment with that vision.
Step 3: Feed your mind with information
The next essential step to shifting into a growth mindset is by feeding your mind with the type of information that’s going to help you to grow as a person and change for the better.
Listen to podcasts, watch videos on YouTube, read books – do whatever it takes to immerse yourself into that’s going to feed your mind with information that’s going to help you expand in a positive way.
Reading plays a huge part in this. There are so many amazing personal development and business books out there – so make use of them!
If you need a starting point, then definitely check out my book, She Means Business, which is all about creating the success you want in your life.
So create a list of books, podcasts or inspirational videos you’d love to get through and begin listening to, reading or watching something valuable on a daily basis so that every single day you’re feeding your mind with information that’s going to help you to grow, get into that growth mindset and move away from a limited mindset.
Step 4: Start journaling on a daily basis
Try practicing the habit of daily journaling and discover the power of simply tuning in with your mind and writing things down. It’s an absolutely great way of giving yourself the space to connect with your thoughts and feelings.
As you journal ask yourself how you feel, check in on your mindset, the action you’re taking, what’s working and what isn’t. Create as much awareness as possible around what’s actually happening in your life and ask yourself “why” so that you can dig deeper and deeper.
Creating awareness around your thoughts, feelings and actions will help you make decisions that will move you forward in the right direction, whether it’s doing more of what you’re doing that’s working out or less of what’s not working.
Step 5: Take some big, scary action
This is the most difficult but also the most powerful and effective step for shifting into a growth mindset. Simply commit to taking some kind of big, scary action that’s going to push you out of your comfort zone and help you believe in yourself.
My first experience with this was in 2011, when I felt that I just needed to take the leap.
I was just teetering on the edge of what I could create and I was hanging back because I felt embarrassed to share my idea and was scared of what people would think of me if I put it out there.
It took a lot but I pushed myself out of that comfort zone and decided to go for it, to start my business and to start reaching out to people and networking.
You can’t achieve what you want in this life if you’re not willing to take risks and take action.
If you’ve got an idea, something you want to do or achieve, just go for it!
Take the leap, take really bold action and commit to it.
Sometimes you just need to give yourself permission to see what could happen if you go all in and take action. Just get really clear on what your vision of success looks like and then show up as the type of person you need to be to make it happen!
If you follow these simple steps, you will see so much change and transformation in your life.
