Happy Monday and welcome to your Monday Mindset Motivation. We know there are going to be many, many things out of our control this week, but the thing we always have complete control of is… our minds… our thoughts… our overall outlook on life. If we can keep out minds in a healthy, happy place, the rest will follow. These Monday Mindset Motivation posts are intended to give us a kick start to keeping our minds strong all week long so the world outside of us becomes everything we want and more!
So, we all seem to be easing back into a more regular routine with our workouts, our meals, our jobs/school, our lives in general. It’s kind of the fun part about fall, isn’t it?! It’s like schedules and routines bring about more peace and clarity along our life paths. Do you feel that too?
So often, routines get a bad rap as if they’re mundane and boring. Don’t get me wrong… some totally can be. But most habitual routines are designed to make our lives easier.
Think of it this way…. everything we do in a given day requires a whole lot of E-N-E-R-G-Y. Brain power is an incredible energetic demand the body must keep up with constantly. Fun fact – the brain is actually the most energy-demanding organ!
The brain uses glucose to do things like think, remember and learn: a whole lot of glucose! In fact, a half of all the sugar-energy in the entire human body is used by the brain.
I’ll stop nerd-ing out and get to the point… habits make life easier on us. They are less demanding of our precious energy.
I mean how much do you actually think about brushing your teeth before bed?! I know I pretty much wander into my bathroom, brush my teeth and hop into bed. There’s not much thought that goes into it. BUT, when the dentist advised me to add this special, two-step mouthwash to my routine, it was like woah, what do I have to *think* about doing haha.
Habits are actually one of the reasons I’m so obsessed with providing you daily workouts and nutrition help… if I can give you one less thing to think about in your day – even as simple as your workout routine – then you save that energy to put towards anything else you want…. like planning a trip, playing with your kids, surprising your significant other, taking time for yourself.
Habits = more stored energy to put towards things you love.
Let’s circle all of that back around to a mindset habit we need to get into, so that we don’t waste brain power on useless emotions like guilt, worry, fear, shame, anxiety, etc.
Scroll up quickly and re-read that pretty little pink quote a few times: you are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.
Let me tell you something, sweet girl…
You are F-ing perfect.
A true masterpiece.
I’m so serious about that!
But, my guess is that you probably don’t feel that for yourself, do you?!
You’re not alone! I struggle with it daily too. As do far too many women.
We get into those nasty, negative cycles of seeing only what needs improvement: more weight to lose, slimmer thighs, higher-paying job, faster times while running, meeting a significant other/better relationship, more healthy meals, buying a nicer car.
It’s okay to want more for yourself, but it’s not okay to miss that everything is already amazing as it is.
This may sound pretty silly, but I feel a bit embarrassed with how little I’ve done around my house since moving in. We have enough furniture to feel comfortable, but I seem to focus on the pieces we still need to find. We have decor, but all I see are the places that lack it. The backyard landscaping simply hasn’t happened. I get upset with myself when I see a box that has yet to be unpacked.
When meeting the neighbors and seeing their homes all put together, I felt guilt and lazy like “what have you been doing for the past 3 1/2 months, Lauren?!”
A few of our friends have made sweet comments about wanting to come over to see our home: something I wanted to put off until I had everything “ready.”
Again, I know it’s seemingly small and petty, but so are most of our “issues.”
The other day, I had a total f*ck it moment.
After inviting our friends over for dinner this weekend, I proudly thought to myself who cares if you don’t have bar stools or if there are pictures that haven’t yet been hung on the walls… you’ve done so much already. Most importantly, you are not defined your house being in order.
I needed to let go of those moments where you think to yourself, “I’ll feel good about my house when I have everything all set.”
Whether it is something like a clean, decorated home or wanting abs, we all struggle with focusing too much on the work-in-progress piece.
Here’s where I notice so many people miss the mark on this one… and where I struggled recently…
Most of us know exactly what we want more of or where we can improve, which is great! Many of us, however, fail to acknowledge everything we already have going for us, how far we’ve come and how perfect things are right now.
To make matters worse, so many self-help books and articles I’ve read almost bash that whole improvement component while discussing self-love.
It’s as if they focus too much on self-love that you almost start feeling guilty about wanting more out of life. Do you ever see that too?
Like, I’m constantly feeling the push and pull between feeling amazing with where my life is at and wanting more for myself. Do you know what I mean? It’s that grapple between “okay, how do I feel happy with myself exactly as I am yet I’m supposed to be excited about bettering myself and my life. Logically, it doesn’t make sense. How do I get to that place?”
The mindset of feeling like a masterpiece while enjoying being a work in progress is not easy, but it’s possible.
It first takes a mindset of self-love and the acknowledgement of ourselves as masterpieces. Only then, can we use that rock solid foundation as a platform for jumping to higher levels in our lives.
I’m confident we can all get to that place through…. HABIT!
Here’s how…
Make time every single day to see the masterpiece you are.
Things I do from time to time:
[ ] Mirror Work
Yes, you will feel crazy and uncomfortable at first. Stand in front of a mirror and look at yourself. I will almost guarantee that the first thought to pop into your head will be something negative. Earlier today mine was “oh my gosh where did that zit come from?” Just look at yourself and say I love you. It sounds easy, but it’s sadly far from it. You will notice critical thoughts come up, but practice simply letting them go as you continue to repeat those words to yourself.
[ ] Affirmations
Affirmations are intentional declaration that speak to our soul. If affirmations work for you, find one that speaks to the deepest part of you right now and post it in all sorts of different places you will see: post-it notes on your mirror, as your phone background, on your planner, etc. When you see them, declare them proudly. Feel all the wonderful feels.
[ ] Gratitude Journal
This is something I do every day without fail and it helped transform my mindset most! I keep a running note in my phone and every night I write down 3 things I’m grateful for. I like doing this daily because it’s easy to be thankful for big things, but it’s being grateful for the every day and the ordinary that is really meaningful. A daily gratitude journal forces you to find what you have to be thankful for right now, even on a not-so-shimmery day. Plus, on those difficult days, having a list of things you’re grateful for to look back on can change your mindset in an instant.
[ ] I Acknowledge Written Statement
This year, I added acknowledgement statements to my gratitude journal. In addition to 3 things I’m thankful for, I also write down 3 things I acknowledge myself for doing. Two that were on my list for yesterday: “I acknowledge myself for cleaning up the kitchen” (hey, it was a Saturday and I was exhausted, but I did it and I certainly acknowledged myself for it!) and “I acknowledge myself for making conversation with the cashier.” (sometimes it’s easier to rush through the check out and stay quiet but I could tell the young cashier was interested in chatting so I made it a point to ask about her and her day and in a very authentic conversation. The more we acknowledge ourselves for doing both big and little things, the more respect and love we show ourselves.
[ ] Meditation
I can’t say enough about taking silence, solitude and/or time for yourself. Meditation looks different for everyone, but if you can find a way to turn inside, do so often!
This is a nonnegotiable. We have to carry out a masterpiece mindset habit like this daily.
The majority of our mind’s default mode are, unfortunately, a negative, fearful, harsh mentality. We’ve allowed time and society to make that impression on us.
We don’t have to stay that way. These habits will initially feel like a little bit of work. It will take effort to remember doing this. You may struggle with the time-commitment (although it can just be a quick 2 minutes per day).
Very soon, like with any habit, it will be second nature.
When you build that self-love, that masterpiece feeling, your mind will no longer waste that precious energy on thoughts like “if only I were a size 2,” “I should not have eaten that pizza” and “I’m so stupid for doing that.”
Instead, you will recognize yourself as amazing and as the total bad ass babe that you are.
Only when we have that foundation will we feel comfortable simultaneously being a work in progress.
I don’t even want to spend time on that component. You know exactly where you want to make strides in your life. You know your goals. You set them. You work hard at taking steps closer to them. I know you do! I see that hard work!
What you may not have had in your mind are the mental tools and the emotional feeling of loving where you’re at right now.
That’s where we need to work the most. That’s the mindset we need to stick to.
Today and every day, try including a few of the masterpiece mindset habits, so you feel that balance between loving where you’re at, who you are now and what you look like while enjoying improving yourself.
Last week, we started our first community chat! They take place on Instagram and it’s basically a way for all of us LG Sisters to share, chat and connect on a topic.
I always say… you have no idea how much of a difference simply sharing your story and your thoughts makes in the lives of others! I know because I get the emails and messages about the impact of this community!
Look for today’s community chat on this mindset topic… I want to hear from you! We need your voice and are so thankful for what you have to share!
PS – this was last week’s community chat!
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