As you are getting ready for bed and settle down under the sheets with a deep breath, take a moment to reflect on your day for a few minutes. Focus on the positives of the day by using WWW “what’s working well” and celebrate 3 wins you’ve had. You need to take this positivity to your pillow.
It is up to you to make your day great. So here are a few quick Mental Toughness Tips to allow your reflections to bring a smile to your face.
1. Start the day with a big stretch
Stretching while you are still in bed before you get up can be a great opportunity to get blood flowing to all your extremities and can do wonders for your mood before you set a foot on the floor. Give it a try.
2. Visualise your success from the start
In your early morning routine find 10-20 minutes to review the day ahead and visualise turning the opportunities into successes and negotiating the challenges and issues to achieve a positive outcome. When you work through issues and gain clarity on how you are going to successfully manage the day, it substantially enhances your confidence and likelihood of achieving that success.
3. Focus goals
Within your morning routine identify 3 goals that you can tick off. These goals are the “must dos’ that give you an immediate taste of success. Remember a goal is just a dream until you write it down so put the 3 goals on a clean crisp piece of paper where you can see them easily and rule them off as you go.
4. Make things happen
You know what you need to do and you can visualise doing it. Now methodically go about your day and focus on making things happen.
5. Laugh
Science tells us that a good laugh can actually improve our productivity, raising our endorphin levels. So smile. Laugh. Give yourself an instant lift.
6. Roll with the punches
We need to be able to expect the unexpected. It could be a small thing, or a large thing. We can choose to let it get us down, or we can choose to manage it when it comes up. Recognise the best laid plans need to be flexible as do we.
7. Think positively
There will be times during the day when you need a gidi up and an encouraging word to keep you on track. Take responsibility for this yourself and ensure that the gearbox of your mind is engaged in positive not neutral or negative. Keep encouraging yourself throughout the day with positive self-talk and celebrating your successes –especially achieving your three non-negotiable goals. This positivity will keep you encouraged nourished and rewarded.
8. Manage your emotions
Ask yourself the question, do you manage your emotions, or do they manage you? We can easily be derailed when a challenge comes our way. Take a deep breath and remember to respond, not react. Be objective and don’t get sucked into the emotion of the situation.
9. Can’t control it? Then don’t worry about it!
There are a myriad of things you can’t control every day. When you worry about these things over and over, you can just feel like a mouse in its wheel going round and round. Package those thoughts up and put them on the shelf. Only deal with them when they become certain and they impact you.
10. Be grateful
As you are considering your WWW reflections, consider what you are grateful for. Loved ones, security, good friends or just that delicious chocolate donut at lunch.
Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Organisational Consultant, Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. As Director of Bakjac Consulting, she is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a member of Mental Toughness Partners and an MTQ48 accredited Mental Toughness practitioner. Michelle assists individuals and organisations to develop their Mental Toughness to improve performance, behaviour and wellbeing. You can find her at www.bakjacconsulting.com or michelle@bakjacconsulting.com
