3 Tips to Stay Positive in Just 5 Minutes Per Day
By, Esther Spina
Business Coach and Mentor for Ambitious Businesswomen & Female Entrepreneurs
Inspired by Chapter 17 of my Amazon Best-Selling Book,
What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,
It’s All In Your Attitude — YOU CAN DO IT!
If you find yourself having a lot of negative thoughts about your career or business lately, thoughts like —
“I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Maybe these goals are too big for someone like me.”
Or, “I’ll never have enough money . . . time . . . energy . . .”
Then it’s time to do a mindset refresh because the only thing holding you back is your attention to the downside of things.
Being an Ambitious Woman means that you are driven and hold high standards of yourself. But, the same positive traits also cause you to be self-critical and disappointed when you don’t live up to your goals. We all slip into the negative thinking trap from time to time. It’s human nature.
Don’t let yourself stay in a pattern of negative thinking — you have too much good ahead of you to sabotage it with doubt and fear.
So, how do you stay positive when your demands become overwhelming and it feels like you’ll never get to where you want to be?
As a business mentor, I know it’s a challenge to get into a more positive mindset sometimes. I’ve been there . . .
Throughout my career, I’ve had to overcome several difficult circumstances from the loss of a child, to failed entrepreneurial pursuits, and economic downturns that devastated my businesses.
But, I chose to take a positive approach and focus on changing my thoughts one at a time. And it changed everything for me. Now, I hope to inspire other businesswomen like you to look at all the ups and downs as positives!
What the hard times made me realize is that we have a choice every day to look at the positive or dwell on the negative. The negative route gets you nowhere, but the positive route gets you AHEAD. My hardest times were the biggest lessons in the importance of positivity.
Without positive thinking in business, you don’t just remain stagnant in your career, you move BACKWARD.
Below are a few tips I’ve learned to leave negativity behind in only a few minutes a day. Make these a daily habit before you start your day or while you’re having a cup of coffee.
Start your day with an open, success-affirming mindset.
1. Make a List of Positive Affirmations and Repeat Them Daily
Positive affirmations are “I AM statements” that are even more powerful when they are written in the present tense.
Don’t worry that what you’re writing hasn’t happened yet. Write these affirmations statements as absolutes, as if they already exist. Your brain won’t know the difference. And once you believe it to be real, you draw it toward you.
For example:
“I AM wealthy and abundant.”
“I AM the top earner in my company.”
“I AM supporting my family doing what I love.”
“I AM healthy, happy, and free to pursue my dreams.”
“I AM capable of achieving all my goals.”
Science shows that positive self-affirmations enhance performance and help you learn from your mistakes.
Affirmations help us shift our mindset from self-limiting beliefs to optimistic thoughts.
Even your health improves when you stay positive.
According to this article from John Hopkins, positivity reduces stress, helps you focus on long-term goals, and prevents disease. Negative thoughts weaken your immune system, leaving you susceptible to illness and injury.
Staying positive has so many benefits, but it also keeps you focused on your goals as an Ambitious Woman.
Negativity drags you down and saps your energy, but practicing positivity keeps you motivated and moving forward.
2. Write Down 3 Things You’re Grateful for Every Day
When you make gratitude a habit you program yourself to look for the good in every situation.
Some examples are:
“I am grateful I’m in good health.”
“I am grateful for the support of my family and friends.”
“I am grateful for the comfort and companionship of my pets.”
“I am grateful for my current opportunities and open to new ones.”
“I am grateful I woke up to a new day full of possibility.”
Gratitude shifts your mindset from focusing on what you lack to what you have. That positive mindset always leads to success as a female entrepreneur or businesswoman
It’s important to appreciate what you have instead of complaining about what you lack. Because where the majority of your mental energy goes your career follows.
You can’t achieve your goals when you feel like you’re missing something. You have to focus on the skills, talents, and determination you do have. And that’s what practicing gratitude does — it shifts you from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. Then you’re unstoppable!
Here are 10 more research-backed benefits of gratitude, including stress relief and improved relationships.
Science proves gratitude works! By taking a minute to list what you’re thankful for, you rewire your brain. Your brain releases the feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin when you show gratitude. This is why you feel better when you express thanks.
Some of the most powerful people in the world struggle with major disabilities but know it’s important to focus on what they CAN do instead of what they can’t. Let those people be an inspiration to you, there’s always something you can do, even if it’s just thinking positive and being optimistic.
3. Re-Frame Negative Thoughts as They Arise
You’re human, so it’s only a matter of time before a negative thought slips in again, no matter how many positive affirmations or notes of gratitude you jot down. The trick is not to let them overwhelm you and to try to shift that energy as quickly as possible.
For example, “I’m a failure, I’ll never get to where I’m going,” can easily be shifted to, “I am figuring it out as I go and I am doing my very best right now.”
The next time you have a negative thought, ask yourself how you can soften it. Soon, “I don’t know if I have what it takes,” becomes, “I’ve faced difficult situations before and I always figured it out.”
Stop negative thoughts from gaining momentum and power over you one thought at a time.
Looking for positive role models is another way to keep your thoughts on track for success. A mentor, business partner, or friend can alert you when your thoughts are taking a turn and help you course correct. This way you have accountability to maintain the power of positive thinking. Surrounding yourself with positive people is always helpful to stay on track.
And if you don’t have anyone to turn to for help staying positive — please reach out to me!
Soon, I will be launching a mentorship program where we can support and empower each other as ambitious women in business. But, in the meantime, I am happy to share what has worked for me as a female entrepreneur, top sales earner, and business coach for women.
To gain feedback for my upcoming mentorship program, I am offering free strategy sessions for a limited time! Get yours by emailing me below.
