Thomas Troward observed that “our thoughts travel at 186,000 miles a second, which is 930,000 times faster than the sound of our voice.” This reminds us just how powerful our thoughts are in shaping our lives. Since 70% of those thoughts are negative and 85% of us grapple with low self-esteem, creating daily habits to cultivate more positive, empowering thoughts can be transformative. Here are three simple tools to help you reconnect with your awesome thoughts throughout the day, each designed to fit seamlessly into your morning, afternoon, and evening routine.
Morning: Visualize Your Awesome Day
Start each day by setting a powerful, positive intention. Visualization is a tool that athletes and high achievers use to rehearse success mentally, and studies show that it activates the brain similarly to physically performing the action. In the morning, take a few minutes to visualize what an awesome day would look like for you. Choose one or two achievable things within your control that would make the day feel successful, joyful, or Awesome. As you visualize, allow yourself to “feel the feels”—the excitement, peace, or fulfillment of having already achieved these victories.
Practical Tip: For example, visualize your day. Choose things like a productive meeting, completing a personal goal, or a smooth commute. Visualize these moments vividly, feel the satisfaction as you accomplish each one, and let this energy carry you into your day. This practice not only frames your day in positivity but also primes your mind to notice opportunities for awesome moments.
Noon: Take a Gratitude Break
The middle of the day is perfect for a gratitude reset. Research has shown that gratitude boosts happiness, decreases stress, and shifts focus from what’s lacking to what’s already going well. The “Five Fingers of Gratitude” activity is a simple exercise to reconnect with positivity during lunchtime. Think of five things you’re grateful for, whether they’re big or small. This brief mental pause helps you refocus on the good things around you and energizes your afternoon with a more positive outlook.
Practical Tip: As you think of each gratitude item, touch one finger to anchor it in your mind. This could be gratitude for a beautiful day, a supportive colleague, or the progress you’re making. Reflecting on these five things grounds you in appreciation and makes the afternoon more enjoyable.
Evening: Celebrate with Your Celebration Jar
End your day on a high note by taking time to reflect on your wins, reframe challenges, and celebrate the moments of growth. A tool that I use is a “Celebration Jar”. This is a powerful tool that encourages reflection, allowing you to acknowledge all the achievements—small, medium, and large—that you have had throughout the day. It’s an opportunity to reframe any negative thoughts or outcomes and record all the challenges that you have overcome. Simply capturing these everyday successes boosts self-esteem and trains your mind to look for positives even in tough situations.
Practical Tip: Each evening, write down as many moments you can think of that have occurred throughout the day to celebrate on scraps of colorful pieces of paper—anything from a project you tackled to a negative thought you reframed. Drop these notes into your Celebration Jar. At the end of each week, month, or even the end of the year, revisit your notes and appreciate how far you’ve come. This habit will help you recognize your own resilience and power, reinforcing the awesome within you right in the moment. It provides undeniable proof of your awesomeness as you can see your jar filling up each day.
Final Thoughts
By dedicating a few moments each morning, noon, and night to these three habits, you will gradually reshape your mindset to focus on the awesome. Visualizing a successful day in the morning, taking a gratitude break at noon, and celebrating wins in the evening will keep you grounded in positivity and growth, no matter what life throws your way. Small daily practices like these not only build resilience but also awaken the incredible potential within, reminding you every day of the power you hold right in the moment to Activate the Awesome and transform your life.
Citations:
- Leahy, R. (2005). The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You. Harmony.https://www.amazon.com/Worry-Cure-Seven-Steps-Stopping/dp/1400097665
- https://sesamecare.com/blog/low-self-esteem-causes
- Emmons, R.A., & McCullough, M.E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf
- Moran, A. (2014). Sport and Exercise Psychology: A Critical Introduction. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F14251-005
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