Your Guide to a Positive Mindset: 5 Powerful Daily Habits Enjoy a Happier Everyday Life
by T.L. Farris
Your mindset runs your daily life. The day you expect to have is typically the day it will be. If you expect to have a fun and exciting day you start to subconsciously look for the fun and exciting moments and at the end of the day what you remember is the fun and exciting things.
Therefore it’s pretty important to have a consistently positive mindset. I’ve previously talked about affirmations and the power of your words to determine your reality (check out my article on how to always wake up energized and sleep well), today I have 5 habits that will help you to cultivate a positive mindset. The kind of mindset that will help you achieve your dreams and live in your purpose.
Habit #1 – Gratitude
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
Gratitude is essential to a happy heart and, also, a positive mindset. It’s nearly impossible to see the good, to stay positive, to have hope, and expectation without first being grateful.
Creating a habit of gratitude can be as simple as saying 3 things you are grateful for each morning, it could also be more involved. You could have a gratitude journal where you write out events that happened in your day that you’re grateful for. You could combine your gratitude habit with affirmations and recite the same gratitude statements each day.
The habit of gratitude can feel so small and insignificant but I promise you it is a total game changer. When you are grateful for the things and people around you, you’re less likely to take them for granted and more likely to enjoy them.
Habit #2 – Journaling/Reflection
Intentionally crafting your perspective through journaling and reflection is one of my favorite daily habits. Grabbing my journal and documenting not just my gratitude (see habit #1) but also being intentional to document all of the great things that happen so that when life isn’t so great I can have a backlog of miracles and joy to reset my mindset. This habit is also incredibly powerful in forcing you to notice the little things in your life that otherwise might have gone unnoticed or uncelebrated.
On the flip side, journaling and reflection doesn’t just illuminate the positive it can help you to process through the negative. Writing your thoughts, feelings and experiences that are painful, hard or challenging helps to clarify them. The act of writing forces you to slow down. A slower pace will help you to have a different perspective and see those experiences in a new light either helping you to see the positive or giving you insight into how to avoid those scenarios in the future.
Habit #3 – Bible Time
Nothing shifts your mindset like reading the word of God.
Setting aside regular time to invest in exploring the promises and life-giving words found in scripture will be an investment that returns 10x minimum. My Bible time is invaluable to cultivating my mindset.
I make a point to fill myself with His words and to build my daily foundation on His promises so that He may sustain me through whatever circumstances may arise. Bonus points for including Bible time in your morning routine, to start your day off right.
Habit #4 – Monitoring Input
Paying attention to what you are putting in, to what is feeding your mindset in the first place will help you to cultivate a positive one for sure. Things like music, movies, books, social media, etc. all have an input on your mindset. Being cautious and intentional about what you allow to have input on your mindset can make all the difference.
If you’re looking for some positive inputs here are a few of my favorites:
- The Habit Lab Podcast by. Jenna Zint
- The Chosen – TV Series
- Forrest Frank Music (Specifically Good Day & Hallelujah)
- Andy Andrews Novels (Specifically The Noticer)
- Redeeming Love – Movie
- Havilah Cunnington on Instagram
Finding positive inputs will be specific to each individual because they should be things that feed your positive mindset and that’s not always the same for everyone. Start with my suggestions or the suggestions of your friends/family and you will eventually find what inputs are best for you.
Habit #5 – Controlling Your Language
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it over and over again; the words you say have immense power! Consciously choosing what words you will speak, and what words you want to influence your mindset will make cultivating a positive mindset that much easier.
Being intentional to speak with positive language, to be grateful, to be kind, and patient will change the way you think. This will require self-control and continued awareness of what you are saying. Last year I went hard after this habit.
I realized I frequently was saying things like “Ugh, that sucks.” or “Just another bad day”, I frequently engaged in gossip and complaining and generally negative language. When I caught myself I thought about what kind of life I wanted to live and what kind of person I wanted to be. So, I changed.
When the conversation turned to gossip I started to say “That’s none of my business.” and would either change the subject or excuse myself from the conversation. If I caught myself saying something like “That’s par for the course.” after something bad happened I would immediately say something positive “This may not be great but I have an amazing family I’m incredibly grateful for.”
In the beginning I had to think very purposefully about my language as I was actively working to change it but after some time it became second nature to say the positive and not the negative.
Your mindset is your choice and that is great news because it means you can change it at any time. Whenever you want! So, choose today to start cultivating a positive mindset, and paving the way to living your dreams. This week I challenge you to choose one of the five habits to start implementing. Intentionally start building the life you want by starting with your mindset.
