Feeling like a zombie? Let me put the LIFE back in your Monday mornings.
So, first of all, I’ve been there. And, not just on Monday’s, but every day I was scheduled to head into the office.
Alarm going off, same time, every morning, up, doing the same thing… EVERY morning…I get it. Life can get the best of us but you should know it’s completely unnatural to feel this way. You should WANT to get up early. You should be EXCITED to head into work. So, how do we get there?
By realizing the real rat race only exists in your mind. This race everyone talks about is a STATE. OF. MIND. and you can change it anytime.
Here are the five steps I took to break free from this way of thinking and begin living a life filled with activities I actually love and a career filled with purpose:
1. Make a dream agenda.
Don’t be afraid of your dreams, this is your way out. Ask yourself, “What do I REALLY love?” Dig deep and write it down. Literally visualize what you would love to fill your life with if money didn’t matter because money doesn’t matter.
Happiness matters. When you’re happy, you’re aligned. Think about when you love what you’re doing, time just flies.
So, what’s the way out? The way out is through your dreams!
Make a list of everything you love. Big, small, outrageous, unrealistic….write it all down, write out your dream life, and start stepping towards those dreams. Which leads me to step two…
2. One action a day keeps the rat race away.
This is big. Okay, so making dreams a reality is actually pretty simple. All you need to do is make mini changes. That’s it. You also need to put your dreams into perspective.
Reality check? You’re not going to look like a supermodel overnight. Supermodels dedicate their entire day/life to health, literally. So, if you work 40 hours a week and you have kids, can you transform in 1 week? Maybe. Maybe not, but, can you do it in a year? Yup. Can you do it in five years? Also, yup.
So, here’s the thing, your goals can be whatever you want. They can be 3 inches tall or 5 million feet above you, they can feel unreachable or they can feel achievable, but the only way to get to the top of your dreams is to start climbing.
Start climbing. Start crawling. Start dragging yourself. Whatever you need to do just start inching your way there.
You want to be a millionaire? Start moving money. $1.00 a day. $2.00 a day. It doesn’t matter, just start moving it. Daily.
Moving $3.00 into savings every day gives you $1,095.00 in savings in a year. Not that much right? Well, keep doing that for ten years and you have an extra 10k that was seamlessly put away. My point is, little actions, those “unchecked” actions every day, brings you to a new place.
A new place or the same place. A new space or the same space. A new mindset or the same mindset. You decide but, here’s what honestly happens over time.
One salad turns into your favorite daily salad. One workout class turns into weekly workouts. Losing 1 pound turns into 50. My point? Get clear on your goals and start stepping towards them.
This CHANGES the rat race mentality. This actually slowly but surely removes it entirely because now you’re no longer “stuck,” you’re moving.
You’re doing. You may be moving at a turtle pace but forward is forward my friends… moving is movement. You’re shaking up your lifestyle. You’re shaking up that stagnant energy that’s keeping you blocked and THAT’S what brings the REAL change. That mentality shift. KNOWING you are on your way to that big goal.
Going to your “boring office job” just got better because you have fucking plans. Plans for life. Plans for the next few months. Plans for the week. Plans for your fucking day. Your job? It’s not your life. It’s not your whole day. It’s not your whole life. So, stop treating it like it’s your life. It’s a moment in time. A glimpse. A glimpse, that you’re now grateful for because it’s supporting you while you get to where you really want to be.
So, don’t quit. Grab those dreams and start. Write 1 sentence. Write 1 page. Build one link on a website. Try 1 push up. Go for 1 walk. Schedule 1 appointment. But, whatever you do… just simply start.
3. Believe in yourself.
In life, we have two types of people: the people that get shit done and the people that watch people get shit done.
An unshakable belief system appears when you realize no one is going to come hand you your dreams on a silver platter. Even more eye-opening, it’s also realizing people can only meet you as far as they’ve met themselves. As far as they believe they can go.
Their personal belief systems.
People will unintentionally (lack of awareness—a subject for another day) hold you back simply because they can’t hack it. It’s reality. For them. Not you. The very people you love and confide in (some not all) will sometimes tell you it’s not possible. Not the easiest reality or concept to accept but, you have to just love them and continue believing it’s possible anyways.
Believing in yourself requires unshakable faith and trust in yourself. Not in someone else. Not in a quote you read online. Not in your pastor on Sunday. But in your fucking self. Your. SELF. Period.
Your actual SELF. Will take you there. Your confidence will take you there. Your work ethic will take you there. Your DRIVE will take you there. Your passion will take you there. Your belief system will take you there. See where I’m going with this? No one else is driving your life ship. You are the driver, the creator, the thinker, the alpha, the omega, you take yourself to the other side. No one else. No one else can drive you to your dreams.
So get back in the driver’s seat. This is the key to believe. Once you’ve taken ownership for your life, you are ready to navigate towards your dreams. Your compass? An unshakable belief in oneself.
4. Read an affirmation when you wake up and before you fall asleep.
Best thing I ever started doing was affirm. Affirm. Affirm. Affirm. Like, basically… fuck everything/everyone until my mind is completely 100% affirmed.
Solid. Unshakable. Unbreakable.
Until my TRUE intentions are set. No phones. No social media. No conversations. No influence.
2 ways to do this. Write out your affirmations….
I am ______ (fill in the blank)
I am _____(fill in the blank)
Make a huge list and then read this list to yourself every morning until you believe it. I personally, just have a list on my board to remind me “#1 Podcaster, Blogger, Mindset Coach, Best Selling Author… etc.”
But, the point is, this keeps you focused. On your goals. On your intentions and now you only give attention to things that will help you achieve those goals.
You align with your day. You’re now in a new mindset. A positive one.
Way numero dos, purchase affirmation cards, shuffle, and read. Let it be random. Let it feel like a joke at first, but start connecting with your spirit in the morning. Connecting with your true self. Connecting with your authentic energy before anyone’s had a chance to influence you. Let yourself connect to a higher frequency. A positive frequency. An internal knowing. Trust in the messages.
This sets the tone for your entire life.
5. Read everything.
I used to hear this and think “boring”. So, here’s the thing, reading is not on anyone’s list of “fun” activities, or at least, it’s not on your list until you start doing it again.
So, start reading. Anything and everything you are drawn to.
It’s no mistake that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are avid readers. It’s no mistake that the most influential people in the world are dreamers. So, marry the two! If you have a dream? Begin to read. Readers are achievers. Period.
My best tip on reading is to be DRAWN to your reading material. Let it be a natural experience. Go to a bookstore and see what jumps out. This is your path to self-knowledge. Self-awareness. Self-mastery.
No one who ever mastered anything was sitting online scrolling. Your mind is a very powerful tool, make sure you sharpen it, daily.
For More Motivation + Podcasts + Mindset Coaching: www.ChelseaSwiftBlog.com
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If you enjoyed this piece, be sure to check out: Confidence As A Muscle
