by Suellen | Meeting the Challenges, Vision and Goals
What do you crave when you are stressed? Do you crave donuts, potato chips or a big juicy hamburger? If so, you are not alone.
It’s what we call “emotional eating.”
In fact, you are probably aware of the affect your mindset has on nutrition. Being stressed, anxious, unhappy, or otherwise in a negative frame of mind often results in consuming less than ideal foods. This can become an addictive behavior and emotional eating is a growing problem.
Did you know that the opposite is also true? Your nutrition has a major impact on your mindset. What we eat provides fuel for our bodies and our brains. Eating too much or too little, or eating the wrong foods can cause hormone issues, blood sugar problems, stress, depression, poor mood, impaired decision making, and a negative mindset. It is a two-way street!
So let’s get down to it. What are the best foods to provide your brain with the best possible fuel? Let’s look at some of the best foods you should include in your diet and some of the worst.
The Best:
1.) Omega-3 Fatty Acids -These fatty acids are pure brain fuel. You can get them from fish, plant oils, nuts, and seeds.
2.) Leafy Greens -The vitamins and nutrients in these foods, such as Vitamin K and folate, are important for proper brain functioning. You can get good quantities from most leafy green vegetables, but especially from the brassicas (collards, kale, etc.), spinach, and colored lettuces.
3.) Berries -All brightly colored berries contain antioxidants and flavonoids, which promote a positive mindset, a better memory, and protect against disease.
4.) Eggs -Eggs are a great source of protein, folic acid, and B-vitamins, all of which are necessary to support both your mood and your brain health.
The Worst:
1.) Processed Foods – These foods contain large amounts of sugar, empty carbs, and preservatives, all of which create inflammation in the body and brain and reduce mood. These foods are also addictive.
2.) Sugar – In addition to the other negative effects excess sugar has on the body, it reduces thinking power, decreases mood, and can induce depression and fatigue. That’s not exactly a recipe for a great mindset!
3.) (Too much) Caffeine -The much-loved stimulant is good for you in small doses. It has a lot of benefits for your health and your mindset. The problem arises when you consume too much.
The stimulant effects of caffeine overpower the benefits and make you restless, irritable, unable to focus, and give you trouble sleeping. That makes you more likely to need caffeine the next day -another vicious cycle!
So when you plan what to eat, don’t just think of taste and appetite. Think of health and clarity of mind. The foods which flood your brain with good nutrients and keep a good blood flow to your brain will make a huge difference in your mood – and your overall mindset.
by Suellen | Meeting the Challenges, Online Success
Success Tip: Get an Accountability Partner
Growing your mindset isn’t easy and requires a lot of work. There are going to be times you’re tempted to give up or not do your growth exercises “just this once.” Having a support network to encourage you and guide you is essential to get you over these humps.
And just as I’ve suggested, one of the most important support people you can have in your corner is an accountability partner!
An accountability partner is someone who has agreed to keep you on track and making progress. It doesn’t have to be someone else who’s trying to grow their mindset or who’s already done so. It doesn’t even need to be someone who believes in what you’re doing.
So who could be this person? Someone who is good at making other people take responsibility and who is willing to help you.
People use accountability partners for all kinds of things, from maintaining a workout plan to following through on starting a business. It’s a popular and well-studied method of increasing follow-through.
There are several ways to do this. One is to schedule a “coach type” partner. It’s a one-way obligation. The coach checks up on you and your progress. The other is more like a mastermind partner. The two of you keep check on each other.
Either one will work. You have to decide which would be best for you.
Here’s how it works for growth mindset work: you develop a detailed plan for cultivating your growth mindset. It needs to be specific -you’re going to try X new things each week, confess the Word daily, and so forth. You give a copy of your plan to your accountability partner. The partner gives input into the plan and suggests if it’s too ambitious or not ambitious enough.
Your partner will then check in on you at specified times to see if you’re on track.. (Or if it’s a mastermind, you decide certain dates you will check on each other). Once a week is a good marker to start with. Did you do what you said you would? Why or why not?
You need a partner who doesn’t take excuses lightly. (What do you mean you didn’t do your affirmations this week? Were you unconscious in the hospital?)
The possibility of facing up to not following through on your commitments is enough to get most people to stick with the program. Others need more incentives, such as agreeing with the partner to donate a significant amount of money to a cause they abhor if they don’t follow through.
Having an accountability partner is one of the most effective ways to increase follow-through. Most people find a friend, family member, colleague, or support group member to be their accountability partner,. If that’s not an option for you or no one has the right personality, consider finding a life coach to fill this role.
Either way, being accountable to someone is one of the major keys to success.
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by Suellen | Meeting the Challenges, Vision and Goals
Do you know your purpose in life? Or are you unsure about it? So many wonder about this.
Acts 17:26 tells us that God, our Creator, set the time we would live and the boundaries of our existence. There is a reason we are here right now.So you have a purpose. You have a unique set of gifts. You also have a unique set of desires which are part of your makeup.
If you are having trouble finding your life’s purpose, you aren’t alone;. Many people have trouble with that. Most people don’t get the proverbial bolt out of the blue that tells them what they’re meant to do. Most of us find our life’s purpose slowly, little by little as we go through our lives.
Here are 6 ways that will help you speed up the process. Keep an open mind as you proceed with this. You never know when you’ll find your perfect “fit.”
1.) Pray. And pray often.
Your Heavenly Father is the one who knows it all. He knows everything about you, and He will guide you if you allow Him to. Ask Him to show you as you continue with these ideas. You will learn to recognize that still, small voice within your heart. That’s Him urging you to go one way and not another.
2.) Check out your interests
What kind of things are you interested in? What are some things you like to read about? Are there things you collect or would like to collect? If you could talk to someone about anything, what would it be?
Your interests are clues to your life’s purpose. Start spending more time on them and see what comes up.
3.) Ask for advice
Talk to people in your life who know you the best. Ask them what they appreciate about you and what they think you should do with your life. Then listen to their feedback. If they know you well and are honest, they should have some interesting answers.
Often others can see things in you that you take for granted. When it’s your gift, it’s easy to think that everyone thinks that way.
4.) Read widely
Reading opens your mind to new horizons and possibilities. Go to the library and explore. Browse both the non-fiction and the fiction sections. Pick up any book that appeals to you and read it. This will lead you to new interests and new activities.
5.) Volunteer at church or for a charity.
In addition to helping those in need, volunteering has many benefits for the volunteer: it improves your self-esteem, increases your confidence and makes you grateful for what you have.
It also shows you new things about yourself and the world. Find a cause or two that you care about, and volunteer.
6.) Accept the Uncertainty
It’s hard not knowing what your life’s purpose is when you feel like you should know it and know it now, if not yesterday. That uncertainty is one of the hardest things for many people to accept. But one of the truths of having a life’s purpose is that you can’t force it.
Trust that God is leading you. Proverbs 4:16 says that the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn. It shines brighter and brighter until the noon day. As you continue to pray and do what seems right, you will find your clarity growing.
As you trust God, you’ll find doors opening to you that you never knew were there. Ideas popping up. New gifts being discovered.
In the meantime, relax and realize that God is directing your steps. Treasure each day and know that clarity will come as you go along.
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by Suellen | Meeting the Challenges, Success
Let’s clear something up right now! When we talk about Growth Mindset, we aren’t talking about perfectionism. In fact, tryingto be perfect can hinder your mindset.
Read on and I’ll explain.
There is a difference between excellence and perfection. You will never be perfect. Nobody is! However, you can strive for excellence!
Some mistakenly think that cultivating a growth mindset is a form of perfectionism. That’s not true. Growing your mindset is about improving and achieving excellence, not perfection. We aren’t perfect and we never will be!
There is another misconception. It says that, even if perfectionism isn’t part of a growth mindset, being a perfectionist is an aid to achieving a growth mindset. To this I would say, “No! No! No!’ Perfectionism actually works against achieving a growth mindset.
It’s a problem, and let me show you how.
Perfectionism is Compulsive
Again, no one is perfect, and no one can become so. Perfectionists not only deny this essential facet of the human experience, but they continuously try to disprove it. The desire to reach beyond the boundaries of the good into the realm of the perfect isn’t just a desire for them -it exceeds that and becomes a compulsion. T
his is a legitimate mental illness that often needs professional help to overcome. Even when it’s not that severe, compulsions aren’t compatible with a growth mindset.
Perfectionism Doesn’t Mean Growth
Not only are they different, these two are almost opposite one another. Perfectionism is about achieving a single goal of perfection and staying there. That’s impossible.
Growth, on the other hand, is about constantly growing and changing and trying to improve. They aren’t the same thing.
Perfectionism Is Driven by Fear
The driving force behind perfectionism isn’t a desire to improve oneself or to do better, much less to grow. The driving force behind it is fear, usually fear of failure.
This is unhealthy and can lead to serious issues such as burnout, stress, and depression. It can even result in the failure the perfectionist fears so much.
Perfectionism is Often Counterproductive
People who are perfectionists tend to believe that doubling down on the things that have worked in the past -working more hours, getting more credentials, etc. -is the surefire way to future success. This sometimes works -for a while. But eventually, it stops, because the rules of success change at different levels, and the end result is depression, anxiety, and burnout.
Is there any hope for a perfectionist? Yes.
Relax. Realize that no one – including you – is perfect.
Take a deep breath and think of some small changes you would like to make. As you love yourself and others while you love your work, you’ll accomplish more than you thought you could.
And let me say it again, “relax!”
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by Suellen | Meeting the Challenges, Online Success, Vision and Goals
Remember: Success doesn’t just happen, it comes to those who pursue it! And part of that pursuit is periodic monitoring of progress.
Some might call this “reflection.”
Reflection is an important tool you can use to grow your mindset. Use it regularly, and you’ll see great benefits. You should aim to reflect at least 2-3 times a week and preferably daily. This will help you identify what you’re doing right, what your current issues are, and where you should correct course.
These reflection questions are designed to help you do that on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Keep track of your progress by writing out the answers in a notebook or file and keep them to look back on later. Periodically you can review your old answers and see how far you’ve come.
Just a few minutes: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes, respectively will do the trick. You’ll be glad that you took that time!
Daily Questions
1.) What is one thing that went right today and why did it go right?
2.) What is one thing that went wrong today and is there anything I can do to change the outcome when this situation presents itself again?
3.) What did I do to improve myself today?
Weekly Questions
1.) What was my biggest success this week? Why did I succeed at it? How can I replicate this success in the future?
2.) What was my biggest failure this week? What caused it? How can I change things to prevent it from happening again?
3.) What did I do to improve my mindset this week?
4.) What did I learn this week?
5.) How much progress did I make toward my goals this week? Did I meet this week’s milestone? Why or why not?
Monthly Questions
1.) What went right this month and why? Is there a pattern to my successes throughout the month? How can I keep these things going in the future?
2.) What went wrong this month and why? Is there a pattern to my failures this month? How can I change to stop this pattern from repeating next month?
3.) What are the most important lessons I have learned this month? How can I implement them into my life for next month?
4.) What have I done to improve my mindset this month? Is it working? Should I try something else next month?
5.) What progress have I made toward my goals in the past month? Am I closer or farther away? Are there obstacles that have arisen? What can I do to speed up my progress?
These simple questions can be powerful if you check them routinely.
Course correction is the key one of your keys to success in anything. Your mindset will grow and your vision will increase with these simple periodic checks.
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