Between the drama and distractions of everyday life, it is a challenge to stay positive and focused all day. But, being negative kills your motivation and drive.
Everyone has their fair share of “personal stuff” to deal with every day, but our drive is lowered when our peers bombard us with their problems.
To counteract the negativity, the following is a list of steps that I take to stay positive all day.
1) Start early.
To start the morning off right, I drink my one coffee of the day. And, it puts a smile on my face just like in the commercials!
2) Do not turn on the TV, check emails, or visit social media sites!
I’ve found that this is not an easy step, and it will take some discipline. We are trained to jump into things first thing. But, the news, email, and social media sites deliver negative messages. It’s hard to stay positive when the first thing you read or hear about is a shooting, car accident, house fire, kidnapping, companies downsizing, or serial killers. (Did I mention I live in a suburb of Cleveland?)
3) Be active.
Exercising releases endorphins, which create a positive feeling in your body. So, endorphins help you have an energizing outlook on life. Breaking a sweat first thing really does clear your head, and your best ideas will come to you during this time! You do not have to go to the gym or do an intense workout. Three years ago, my wife and I started walking for thirty minutes to an hour, with smoothie in hand, at six o’clock every morning. After thirty days of this, we were hooked and progressed to more intense routines! Find out how you like to exercise and add it to your daily routine!
4) If you do not have a good positive peer to work out with listen to your favorite podcast.
Unlike the news, podcasts deliver killer content and help your ideas flow! I try to listen to two to four podcasts daily. It’s still great to hear relatable interviews of struggle to triumph. These stories will keep you focused on your current goals and will remind you of why you want to achieve them!
5) Watch what you’re eating.
Stop filling your body with garbage and fast food. It weighs you down, and you spend more time feeling sick than you will feel motivated to take on the day. If you’re eating habits need improvement, start with green smoothies. If drinking your vegetables does not sound appealing to you, add a banana and a scoop of protein—this gives the smoothie a sweet flavor and a smooth texture. Your body will begin to crave this, and you will give up the convenient fast food habit.
6) Be careful whose calls you take, texts you open, and emails you check during the day.
I know this step is hard for everyone. I have contractors that work for me that will call to complain about LIFE! As positive and motivated as I am, one negative call really can break my state. It’s difficult to clear that negativity out and regain your focus on being positive. The solution I found was to limit the conversation, so their problem will be addressed and you both can skip the ten minutes of “poor me” talk.
If you are currently not doing these techniques, try them now. Practice these steps for thirty days, and I guarantee they will improve your daily mental state. Worst case scenario: revert to your former negative, depressing routine if these steps don’t work for you.
Cleveland author, businessman, and entrepreneur, Michael Alder helps up and coming businessmen and Real-estate entrepreneurs recognize their possibilities through his blog on Under 30 CEO.
Image credit: CC by Rachel Kramer