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The longer our habits have been in place, the more deeply ingrained they are and the more confidence we can have in them.
the most important principles to developing a new habit: start small.
5 Daily Habits That Will Improve Your Mental Strength
Habit #1: View your past as training for overcoming future adversity.
Habit #2: Evaluate negative emotions immediately when they arise.
Habit #3: Build your self-confidence.
Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”
Habit #4: Practice gratitude.
Each morning, reflect on things that have gone right for you. Each afternoon, think about everything you have for which to be thankful. Each evening, before you go to bed, contemplate the small victories you enjoyed throughout the day. Practice gratitude daily.
Habit #5: Build a tolerance for change.
It’s difficult to be mentally strong when our confidence levels are unrealistic.
5 Core Building Blocks of Self-Confidence
#1 - Willingness to leave your comfort zone.
#2 - Openness to experiencing emotional discomfort.
#3 - Habit of self-assessment.
#4 - Embrace positivity.
#5 - Abandon your desire for external validation.
Seeking approval from others hurts your self-confidence. It trains your mind to distrust your motivations and abilities.
If we have a positive attitude, we’re likely to evaluate situations with optimism and confidence. If we have a negative attitude, we’re likely to evaluate them with cynicism and fear.
When we commit to something, we assign value to it. The outcome we seek becomes, in our estimation, worthy of the time and effort required to pursue it.
Committing to a task, project, or specific outcome gives us the resilience to stay positive and resolute when we face obstacles. Our commitment helps us to endure when giving up would be easier. It allows us to persist, working toward our goals rather than surrendering them for short-term gratification.
self-pity is a choice.
5 Things You Can Do Today to Silence Your Inner Critic
#1 - Scrutinize negative thoughts the moment they surface.
#2 - Ask for evidence.
#3 - Come up with a rational response to every overgeneralization your inner critic makes.
#4 - Stop spending time with negative people.
#5 - Advise an imaginary friend.
The more decisions we make, the less willpower (i.e. fuel in our tank) we have to make subsequent decisions. The absence of willpower makes it difficult for us to make hard choices, and we instead choose the easier option.
The key to taking action in the absence of willpower and motivation is to rely on habits. Create routines and rituals that spur you to take action on autopilot.
5 “Secrets” to Mastering Self-Discipline
“Secret” #1: Create a temptation-free environment.
“Secret” #2: Take small steps forward.
“Secret” #3: Create an action plan.
“Secret” #4: Grow accustomed to short-term unpleasantness.
“Secret” #5: Commit to doing nothing but the task in front of you.
5 Most Common Reasons We Give Up
#1 - We don’t “own” our commitments.
#2 - We train ourselves to surrender to temptation.
#3 - We’re easily distracted.
#4 - We’re unclear about the reward.
#5 - We entertain excessively optimistic expectations.
Ask Yourself These 5 Questions When You Feel like Quitting
#1 - Why do you want to quit?
#2 - Does the reward adequately compensate you for the discomfort?
#3 - What is your purpose?
#4 - Are you tempted to give up due to weak resolve or because your outlook has changed?
#5 - Will you regret the decision to give up?
If you plan to develop expertise in a skill or craft, boredom should be an expectation.
Failure can be a highly effective teacher. It’s also a harsh and unsympathetic one. The insight and value we obtain from it ultimately depend on which lessons we learn.
