Greetings!
Whenever my wife does something she thinks is wrong, she jokingly says she’s going to “punish” herself by staying up late instead of going to bed at her usual time. This always strikes me as funny. Many would not view that as a punishment at all. In fact, if you were a kid, you’d probably love to stay up late and play video games!
How you view something makes all the difference in the world. Do you see things as rewards when others may view them as punishments? Or vice versa?
In almost any situation, there’s a chance to take either a positive side or negative side, framing things with different lenses and perspectives. How is it that the exact same activity can be viewed as a negative or positive? This is the paradox of mindset.
Our mindset allows us to view routines as rewards or punishments. Would you consider staying up late as a reward? Or is it a punishment? Despite the action or task remaining the same for everyone who must do it, it can be either one.
What about eating healthy, exercise or working hard? Do you see eating healthy as something that makes your body feel good or do you see it as depriving you of something you like to eat? Is exercising improving your body or just something that makes you more tired? Is working hard boosting your career and finances or taking time away from watching TV?
Your mindset determines how you approach the routines before you, and therein lies the paradox. Those who view certain actions or tasks as rewards will have a more assured path to success than those who view those same things as punishments. In fact, therein lies the power of mindset as well!
This all ties into goal-setting, and accomplishing the things you want to do. Remember when I discussed the issue of uninspiring goals versus inspiring goals? I said that goals that stoke the fires of inspiration are essential for success. Well, inspiration–or the lack thereof–is a function of mindset.
If you view your goals, or the steps you must go through to achieve them, as punishments, you’re destined to fail.
While many of us would see hard workouts lifting weights in the gym as a chore, Arnold Schwarzenegger famously described them as positive experiences that he relished.
Switching up your mindset to turn something into a positive will enable you to find success where previously it eluded you. Any challenges reframed by a different mindset can produce a different outcome.
What do you view as a punishment that could be framed as a reward? Is your mindset getting in the way of inspiration and the accomplishment of your goals?
Remember: It’s all in your mind!
Keep living Bold!
P.S. PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success is a complete system for planning your life to get what you want. An Amazon top seller in three categories: “Motivational Growth & Spirituality”, “Personal Success & Spirituality” and “Management Skills”. I hope you check it out if you have not purchased a copy.
