Get out of Negative Mindset: How To
Today's post comes from a very good question asked in a group I'm a member of that is full of personal trainers and weight loss coaches. They know the value of exercise. They know about nutrition. But sometimes that isn't enough.
“How do you get out of a negative mindset?” one asked.
“When things go wrong, either in business or in your personal life, how do you put it to one side and move forward?
“Negativity crushes creativity and I know I have to get away from it to move forward with anything I want to do but how do you guys actually do it?”
Here's my answer:
You can't simply forget about the negative situation and move on (at least, without practice)...but you can come up with a plan to get out of the bad situation.
So what happens when you feel 'stuck in the suck' is that your brain gets into a loop. It goes over the same thought again and again and again. "OMG this is TERRIBLE...and it's NEVER GOING TO CHANGE."
You get stuck inside the idea!
The Truth of How To Get Out of Negative Mindset
The ego believes you are separate from everything else, and this feeds directly into the tremendous sense of isolation most people feel when undergoing hard times.
But reality is not actually that way! You are not truly isolated—you are in fact connected to everything else.
As long as you remain the effect of this negative idea loop, you'll continue to spiral down. What you want to do is re-exert control to get out of negative mindset and get back in charge of your reality: be the cause, instead of the effect.
The key to accomplishing this is to get conscious. Instead of unconsciously following along the loop of this nasty idea, address it consciously. "Wait a minute... NEVER going to change? Things are going to stay this way FOREVER?"
Nahhh.
Right?
Change is constant. Things never stay the same. But as long as you allow yourself to remain in that negative thought loop, your conditions will continue to decline.
The key here is Belief that you can get out of that situation. Detach from it. "Yeah, this thing is happening, and it sucks...but it can't keep happening forever. That's impossible. What my mind is trying to convince me of is false. Things cannot stay this way forever."
Then get creative.
Now that can be a toughie in this condition, but do something different. Get up from your desk or your couch. Go outside. Go for a walk. Break your routine. Then, while you're out of the usual comfort zone, address your situation.
What is actually happening?
Are the collectors or evictors banging on your door RIGHT NOW?
Probably not.
You have some time. At least a little time. Nothing horrible is happening at this exact moment.
You should feel a little relief at this point.
Now step outside the problem. Imagine someone has come to you with this problem, and they want you to advise them.
Solution To Get Out of Negative Mindset
What would you suggest?
See, things are almost assuredly not nearly as dire as your mind has been telling you.
And you probably have more resources (friends, family, business contacts) available than you have considered.
Relax as much as you can. Then ask yourself, "If money and resources weren't an issue, what would I advise this person to do to change their situation?" The first part of that question is what allows you to be creative. Detaching to get out of negative mindset, then asking without limits.
Limits are artificial, anyway. They're mostly self-imposed, and yet we act as if reality was that way (see my video on The Stretch for a clear example.)
Write all this down.
Write everything down. Order and movement are the creators of success: Bob Proctor was sharing this in his pre-Internet 1980s seminars. Although the media may have changed, reality has not.
Get a plan together.
What does a plan look like? It has SMART goals. It has actions listed to achieve those goals. And all together, it is something you believe in. Your plan should excite you. Enthusiasm dramatically counteracts negativity.
Then, make another list. Look at your contacts and assign each of them to help you with something. Their help may be an approximation of what you wrote down; it may be even better than what you thought of. But ask them.
For instance, you may have realized that you need more sales. Jason here is a business strategist and sales trainer. Surely he has free resources or something he can give you, if you let him know you need the help.
Will some say No? Of course. Some people you thought were 'friends' may even disconnect from you (and aren't you glad to discover what they truly are?). But you won't be any worse off than you are now. And some will say Yes. They will help you.
Having a plan to move forward that you believe in, and that others are injecting confidence into with their help, is an astonishing turn-around device. It changes your mindset. You have something you can see working.
Sitting there, doing nothing but replaying the negativity loop, not taking any action, is the kiss of death.
Get Out of Negative Mindset With Clarity
As you gather resources, do not wait. Get into action. Use whatever you have and move forward with it. Remember: order and movement. The TV show The Profit recently had an episode visiting Cuba. Entrepreneurs under that harsh anti-business environment were literally using whatever was available to accomplish their goals. One was using a crock pot to melt down commercial soap as the base for her specialty soap business. They weren't waiting. They didn't need everything to be perfect. They were in motion, with a clear idea behind their actions.
You can do this, too.
You will likely encounter a delay between starting your actions and putting your plan into place to get out of your negative situation, and the results you desire. That's normal. The delay is caused by your beliefs and resulting mindset. Keep at it. Be consistent and persistent. The results will arrive faster than you imagined.
If others are around you who continue trying to feed the negativity, cease or limit communication with them. You don't have to be rude. “I have to concentrate on this right now; I'll be happy to talk with you again once I'm back on my feet.” Of course, if it's a family member or significant other that can be more challenging. But you can always steer the conversation away from the negative topic in times you must be with that person.
But get into order and motion.
Get conscious. Break out of the negativity loop. Develop your plan. Assign helpers. Ask them for the help. Use what you've got and get into action with it. Forget perfection. Look to results.
Update for 2022 & 2023: Changing Your Mindset For The Better
As with most fundamental concepts, things have not changed since I wrote the first version of this post in 2016. What you can use are apps, reminders, and even online chat programs to jolt yourself out of a troublesome mindset. Remember that your life can and will start delivering you different results the moment you decide it will. Don't forget to reach out to a friend. You have more support than you think. You've had a bigger impact than you believe.
If you missed my free report on what makes for a good client and how you can identify them, grab it here. No opt-in required. Even simply seeing this could be the big first step in making the mindset change and getting out of a negative point of view.
>> Jason Kanigan is a business strategist and Conversion expert. Book a call with Jason to discuss your situation here. <<
Growth problem defined: in a new sales role, especially if you are starting your own company, you are very likely to become a victim of your own thinking when sales and revenue don't ramp up as you thought they would. You'll give up and quit. Perhaps this has happened to you already...and maybe even more than once.