With every year that comes to an end almost all of us, all around the world will start reflecting on the year that we have had, we want to see how far we have come during the past year and what we have been able to achieve. This is also the time that most of us start setting our resolutions for the upcoming year. The end of the year is very important because it gives you a clear view of the time that you have spent building your life or maybe you just wasted the whole twelve months and haven’t quite achieved anything.
Most people would like to think that they will achieve success and be keeping their New Year resolutions and that this success will bring happiness, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Happiness is what brings success, this fact is well documented by Shawn Achor in the book Happiness Advantage. A positive mindset allows the brain to see more possibilities than a negative mindset, a negative mindset makes the brain feel threatened hence closing it to new opportunities.
Most people do not understand it but, when the brain is in a positive state it tends to be three times more creative than when it is in a negative state. If the brain is more positive towards the end of the year it helps the person to be creative with goals that will be set for the New Year and also as the person reflects on their past. Most people will want to get into a positive state of mind before the New Year in this post we will tell you some of the ways that you can do that.
Never Start At Zero
The worst thing a person can choose to do is start off listing down their new year resolutions with nothing, what does that mean? Most people would like to think that they have nothing to start with but, they can start by listing some of the achievements that they have made during the previous year. This will help the person see that they are better off than they were at the same time last year and will give them a reason to carry on further.
When you are closer to the finish line your brain will want to pick up the pace, it will be less enthusiastic if it senses the process is just beginning. As human beings, we tend to have more energy when we perceive that we are getting closer to achieving our goals.
This technique can also be used daily to achieve gradual success throughout the year. An individual should try and focus on what they have achieved rather than looking at what they haven’t. Before the day starts list down the things that you have already accomplished, this is a much more effective strategy than listing the things you are yet to accomplish.
Start Your Day With A Positive Email
Most people would like to start their day by looking through the urgent mails in their inbox. Most often than most these emails aren’t positive mails, most of them usually end up just spoiling the day for most people. To start the day in a positive mind state a person needs to make sure that the first mails they read are positive mails.
The reading positive mail alone will not affect the mindset of a person, it is also by sending some to others as well. Positive communications will help the brain start the day without feeling threatened and it will make it easy for the person to see out the day in a positive manner. Make the day start with positive social connections, the greatest predictor of happiness. According to the author of happiness advantage Shawn Achor, happiness begets success.
Use Positive Language In Goal Setting
You cannot start the year trying to break your negative habits if you don’t have positive ones to replace them with if you are not positive you will soon fall back into your bad habits within no time. Try to identify the bad habits that you want to change, if eating junk food is one and focus on avoiding junk food by carrying healthy foods with you every single day. Try to frame everything in a positive light.
The brain will not focus on the negative habits and how you can stop when you have taken the step of changing the vibe into a positive one, the brain will use its energy on the positive idea that you have adopted. The brain only needs the person to start off the idea and dump the bad habits immediately and then it can take over and continue with the good work, that can never happen if the person is waiting for a good way to start avoiding their bad habits, they must start the positive ones immediately and replace the bad ones.
Focus On The Positive Habits
Positive habits should be incorporated into your daily routine so your brain can get used to them. First of all, be grateful for all that you have on a daily basis. Meditating and paying close attention to the breathing will also help as will journaling your positive experiences, always show appreciation to everyone around you at all times.
Most people think that they are way too busy to show appreciation to the cab driver who got them home safely or that waiter who spent countless hours on their feet but still served them with a smile on their face. It is always good to show appreciation to all the people around, you may end up changing the world with that one single act.
Conclusion
There are many reasons that we can look to be positive in the upcoming year, for most people it is all about self-improvement. Being positive will increase your productivity levels and help you to live without stress. See this post about how to program your mind if you want to make real change in the coming year.