Do you wanna see real grit?  Real determination?

Go out to any marathon race, that is going to be in the rain and cold, and watch the 25 mile mark.  

You’ll find some real mind determination.

As I have said in the past, I am a firm believer that your mindset can pave the way for your life.  If you have a positive mindset.  A determined mindset.  One that says, I will find a way no matter what.  You will find ways to succeed in your life.  If you are always focusing on the negative, finding ways to cry “why is this happening to me” then you will ultimately find yourself in the same circle year after year.

Today I got to witness my husband and many friends complete the 2018 Chicago Marathon.  Wow..what an accomplishment.  And did I mention it rained for a good majority of the race?  Talk about amazing. To get up at 5:30am, get dressed and prepped to set out to battle thru 40,000+ people in the rain and cold and run 26.2 miles.  It really is something to be amazed at.   I’m so proud of everyone and I am glad I got to witness them running.

But watching all the runners today really got me thinking.  Running a marathon is hard...no doubt that your body will be taxed, hurt, sore and more than likely chaffed and feel awful after those 26.2 miles.  You have to spend months training your body to run for that long of a time.  You have to dedicate time and hours each week to get out and run so you can be prepped for it.  It won’t be a cake walk, but it is doable for most people.  What I saw today, were body’s that were sore, beaten down and tired, but minds that were not.   I saw people limping, walking, crying, some with prosthetic legs, and everything in between.  But I did not see them stop.  

They were mindset strong.

They could have easily listened to their bodies and said..”ok. I’m done.  I can’t finish this.”  But instead..their mind said.  “Just a little more.  You got this”. 

This type of mentality is easily applied to our everyday lives.  It doesn’t have to just be in feats of running like a marathon.  Maybe you are trying to start your own business or take your current business to the next level.  Having a strong mindset is going to help you navigate those rocky waters.  Or you just want to put yourself out there more, make new friends, get better grades, lose weight, become more fit, and so on.  It really doesn’t matter what goal or dream you have, as long as you can be mindset strong.  

Working on mindset won’t be easy, as I suffer everyday from negative thoughts and panic that creeps into my mind.  I get frustrated and angry often.  I can’t figure out why I can’t catch a break or why certain things keeps happening.  When I don’t start my day with strong mindset work, the days these negative thoughts start creeping in, I usually can’t get out of it.  But when I do mindset work as one of the first things I do in the morning, the days when bad things do start to happen, I tend to bounce back quicker.  

So here are a few ideas to start working on being mindset strong each day.

1.) Start each day with gratitude.  Write down 3 things you are grateful for as soon as you get up, before you touch your phone or look at your to do list.  Having a grateful heart helps keep your mindset strong when negative feelings start to creep in.

2.) Have a daily mantra that you say 10-15 times each morning when you wake up.  Even if it’s as simple as, “I will keep a positive outlook during all adversities today”.  Repeating this over and over again will get your mind on that track for the rest of the day.  Want a midday boost.  Take a moment 2 or 3 times during the day to say your manta 5-10 times so you stay on track.

3.) Meditate and visualize your dream, goal or how you want your attitude to be for the day.  Take 5-10 min in the morning to sit quietly by yourself and visualize your day. 

4.) Journal in the morning and before bed. Wake up and write down a few things that you want to accomplish that day or how you want to feel throughout your day.  Then at night, come back and reflect on your day and see how your day worked out.  Did your mindset stay positive? What can you do to rework it for tomorrow.  

Now I’m not saying just staying positive will make your days always go smooth .There will just be crappy days when crappy things happen. But from first hand experience I can confirm that if your mind is more strong and positive, the crap seems a little less crappy.  

My goal is to work on my mindset more and more each day and I hope this little post helps inspire you if you want to work on yours:)

Congrats again to my amazing husband and friends, and everyone else who competed in the 2018 Chicago Marathon today.  You are all rockstars and should be proud!!!