To Manage Your Mindset, Choose Your Focus

Although you cannot control all of your circumstances, you can control your mindset and your focus. Caroline Hernandez/Unsplash

Each day, you make countless choices. You choose what to do. You choose what to focus on. You choose what is significant to you and what is not. You choose the way in which you interpret the life that unfolds before you. You choose the standards by which you live. You choose your thoughts, actions, reactions, emotions, and state of mind. It is your mindset that determines much of your experience of life.

While you can’t control what other people do or think, the weather, or the state of the world—you can control your mindset. Here are a few ways to manage your mindset to make the most of each and every day.

Set Your Mind at Ease

If only it were that easy, right? There are things you can do. It’s easy to follow the fear and doom of today’s media landscape and live in fear and worry about what might happen next. This type of mindset can easily become a habit, and it’s one far too many people are presently trapped in.

Audit your media consumption for starters and stand guard at the door of your mind. While you should be informed, you should not be obsessed with staying up-to-date on the news. Of course, it’s not just news consumption you should temper; it’s all media. Who you follow on social media will influence your mindset greatly. The movies you watch, the shows you binge, the books you read—it will all influence your mindset. Choose wisely.

Further, when you find yourself steeped in worry and fear, it’s a sign that you need to strengthen your faith. Whatever that means for you, seek higher wisdom and truth.

Do Well What You Should Do

When we know we aren’t living up to our fullest potential, it affects our self-confidence and overall spirit. The answer is to get to work.

Commit to the roles you play in your life. From your job to any roles you may have as a parent, sibling, son or daughter, member of your community, and so on. Consider all the hats you wear and do your absolute best to fulfill the duties of each and every role you play.

You won’t get this perfect all the time—few do. But focus on being diligent, showing up consistently, overcoming laziness and procrastination, and doing what you should do even when you don’t feel like it. Nurture the parts of your life in the same way you’d tend a garden. Keep at it, pull the weeks, embrace the sunshine, nourish the plants, and eventually you’ll see fruit.

Cherish Your Life

How miraculous it is to be alive right now. Your mindset will shift mightily when you can stand in awe at this life, cherish both the good and the bad, and be truly grateful for the blessings and the lessons you’ve been given.

Love

Turn away from the culture of resentment and vitriol and fill your heart with love. Love yourself, love your family, love your friends, love your neighbors, love people whom you respect and people you totally disagree with, love the strangers you pass on the street—foster love in your heart.

Recognize that we’re all doing our best with this life on this planet and in these times. Recognize that everyone faces challenges and heartache, illness, and suffering. Recognize that everyone has good in them and that you can choose to focus on that.

Be a Light

Finally, choose to shed light wherever you go. Set down complaining, gossip, and the spreading of doom and gloom. Instead, be a light. Smile more. Have compassion. Cheer others on. Be helpful and caring. See the good in all situations and share your inner light with those around you.

Are we living through challenging times? It seems to be the case. There’s never been a better time than to strengthen your mindset and be a beacon of light and hope in the midst of it all. If we all did this, imagine the outlook.