Make a conscious choice to find joy and happiness, even if you don’t wake up feeling great, and actively prevent stringing negative days together.
Consciously shift your focus from defaulting to ‘what could go wrong’ to focusing on ‘what could go right’ to change your thoughts and feelings.
Stop wistfully wishing for future actions and instead commit to making tomorrow ‘day one’ by taking concrete steps to make your desires a reality.
Reflect on activities that brought you pure, unadulterated joy as a child and then take intentional action to reincorporate them into your current life.
Actively choose to prioritize your mental and physical well-being by making time for practices like quiet sitting and sufficient sleep, even amidst a busy schedule.
Engage in periods of stillness and quiet to listen to your inner self, understanding that meditation is about settling the mind, not stopping thoughts, and even shallow engagement provides benefits.
Ensure you get adequate rest (e.g., minimum 6.5-7 hours) by making it a non-negotiable priority, accepting naps or meditation-turned-naps as your body’s signal for rest.
When negative feelings arise, acknowledge and honor them by asking ‘what do you want?’ but avoid wallowing; then consciously choose to shift your focus to a more positive thought or action.
Before undertaking a task or facing a challenge, mentally visualize the successful outcome and all the positive things that could go right, rather than focusing on potential failures.
Cultivate optimism as a skill that strengthens with consistent use, making it your default response to life’s challenges and preparing you to better tackle adversity.
Understand that achieving big dreams requires consistent, step-by-step effort and daily work, rather than expecting instant results or a ‘microwave’ solution.
While planning for potential problems is prudent, question if your worrying is still useful after a certain point, and avoid overthinking negative ramifications that may never materialize.
Deliberately decide to adopt a positive outlook, especially when faced with a choice between negative and positive reactions, actively spotting and appreciating ‘rainbows’ throughout your day.
Question long-held beliefs about your capabilities (e.g., ‘I’m not motivated’) and re-evaluate if they are still true, rather than assuming past feelings define your present potential.
Sometimes, even if you don’t feel genuinely positive, pushing through (e.g., ‘faking the funk’ for a job) can lead to genuine positive feelings later in the day.
When presenting or consuming difficult information, actively seek out and emphasize glimmers of hope or positive aspects within the story to counteract feelings of hopelessness.
When communicating difficult truths, consider not only its accuracy but also its usefulness and whether it’s delivered at the appropriate time.
When presented with early opportunities, consider if you have the necessary foundation and experience to sustain success, sometimes opting to build more before taking a big leap.
Make a conscious effort not to immediately reach for your phone first thing in the morning to avoid being overwhelmed by external information and to protect your inner calm.
Actively recall and apply valuable advice you’ve learned, especially during personal challenges, recognizing that much wisdom is about remembering what you already know.