Who of us doesn’t crave a better life? While a morning routine or daily habits may help for a short while, changing your mindset can ensure life-long change.
Mindset #1: I’m going to enjoy myself.
There’s always going to be dishes to wash, laundry to fold, and meals to cook. You’ll always need to move your body and be productive in some capacity. You might as well figure out a way to enjoy these tasks (or at least not dread them).
Maybe doing the dishes is your least favorite thing to do. And every evening you find yourself doing anything BUT the dishes. You aren’t really enjoying yourself because you know those dishes are in there, waiting for you. Somehow the clock strikes 11pm and you’re stuck with the choice of doing the dishes now (and all you wanna do is go to bed) or waking up to a dirty kitchen.
What would have saved you from this decision would have been to just do the dishes in the first place. That’s a simple matter of self-discipline. To increase your chances of practicing self-discipline, you can make things more enjoyable.
Let’s talk about dish washing for example. What’s nice about washing dishes? The water is warm and sudsy. The return on investment is pretty great – messy kitchen to clean kitchen in under 20 minutes. Each dish reminds you that you have food to eat and a family to feed. With a grateful heart, you wash the dishes.
A fun little hack I also use – I save my podcast listening for when I do the dishes. I have awesome over the ear headphones. I crack open a LaCroix (yes, I’m a millennial). And I wash the dishes. Dish washing time is now podcast listening time. And I love listening to podcasts!
Mindset #2: It’s Gotta be Somebody, so it’s Gonna be Me.
There’s always going to be a leader, a boss, or an employee of the month. Why shouldn’t (or couldn’t) it be you? You may not even be in the industry you want to be in yet, but someday you will be.
You have the same number of hours in the day as everyone else. And those hours are going to pass whether or not you are making the most of them. So, what can you do TODAY to make you a better candidate to be at the top. And I’m not just talking corporate CEO or major influencer. Maybe your dream is to be a mom who makes killer sourdough and travels with her kids. Maybe you want to build and operate a retreat for grieving children. What is the ideal life for you?
Somebody is going to be that “ideal” person. It can be you. Start today, and every day doing something to move towards that goal. And as the years pass (remember, they will pass no matter what you’re doing), you will be creating the life your younger self dreamed of.
For example, let’s say one day you want to open that retreat for grieving children but right now your 19 and working as a restaurant server. What can you do now, besides saving money? You can research locations for a retreat. Look up the cost of land in the area so you have an idea in your head of the first big cost. Are there any currently existing retreats that you can get a job at? Or maybe programs for grieving children? Can you talk to the directors at one?
It doesn’t take much to set yourself apart and get ahead of your peers. You just have to be the one who actually takes action.
Mindset #4: My Salvation has been Won, What Can I Do with this Freedom?
This mindset if for my sisters in Christ. Remember, Christ took our place on the cross. We can rest in the assurance of a salvation already won. What are we to do with our time here on earth?
We are to love and serve our neighbor. We do that in many ways. Whether it’s helping our elderly neighbor care for his lawn or helping a swamped co-worker even though we just want to take it easy for a few minutes. We have been given an incredible gift. Decide to serve your neighbor each day – because we have been commanded to do so and because we have been freed of the task of earning our salvation.
Want more thoughts from a conservative woman? Read here.
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