How to CONTROL YOUR MINDSET!

Mindset.

It is responsible for SOOOO much yet we sometimes ignore it all too often. It controls just about everything from how well you race on race day to how you internalize failure or success.

As a business owner, we take a HUGE risk when we put everything we have into DOING WHAT WE LOVE. About a year ago I quit my job at the fitness center to 1. train for the Triathlon World Championship and 2. BUILD MY OWN BUSINESS.

I admit I was SUPER scared. The future was and always is UNCERTAIN. I completely turned it over to GOD and asked for strength and blessings throughout the process. I knew I could not train to be the kind of athlete I wanted to be and teach 8 classes a week while taking on training clients too. So I GAVE IT UP and jumped in with 2 feet to Marinewife Multisport.

I admit there are days where I look at what everybody else is doing and compare myself to them. I get worked up and wonder if I am doing everything in my power to grow my business. (This blog post is one of them.) Sometimes I start to go down that "WHAT IF" thinking road but now I am smart enough to catch myself.

So here are my top 5 tips to TAKE CONTROL of your MINDSET each and every day and stop negative thoughts from entering your head. You can apply this stuff in racing or in your everyday life.

1. Read Personal Development books every day. They are GOLDEN for filling your mind with good stuff. Right now I am reading CRUSHING IT by Gary Vanyerchuk. He knows EXACTLY what entrepreneurs like me are going through and he has amazing advice to keep you motivated and never give up. Authors like Darren Hardy, John Maxwell, Brendon Burchard, and Seth Godin are a few great examples of authors who inspire and motivate their readers.

2. Use a variety of media to inspire your thinking. If you aren't much into reading there is always Podcasts or video. I am trying to stop listening to junk radio and switch to listening to informative, creative, and noteworthy podcasts when I am driving around College Station. I have a friend who wakes up every day and watches a Gary Vanyerchuk video on YouTube- now if that doesn't fire you up then I don't know what does. There is a podcast for just about everything now. Chalene Johnson, TriSwim Coach, James Wedmore, these are just a few of the ones I check in on. GET RID OF THE JUNK RADIO and start filling your head with amazing content!

3. Hang with those who motivate and inspire you to be your best. Everybody has at least one friend that sucks the life out of them, who are negative, or NEEDY. You can be kind, but KEEP THEM AT ARMS LENGTH. You are most like the top 5 people you hang around with the most. Make sure those 5 grow you, inspire you, and lift you up. I spend a lot of time with triathletes. That's because they constantly push me to be my best, make me want to be a better athlete, and teach me so much about what it takes to work toward something awesome. THAT is who I want to be around and that is who I want to work with.

4. Practice seeing the glass as half full in everything. Instead of thinking about how awful foot surgery is, think about how awesome it will be to run pain free. This kind of thinking take PRACTICE! Instead of dreading a 5am swim workout in January, think about how awesome you will feel when the workout is done. Learn to catch yourself being negative and re-direct your thinking.

5. Use the "Act As If" method. Talk about your business as if it is a multi-million dollar enterprise. Talk about your next race as though you already did your personal best, or had a podium finish. Although you may not be where you want to be in your business, or your fitness, always envision it as a WILD SUCCESS. Portray that when you speak to others about it. When YOU believe then so will others. When you talk about it with positivity, that will actually spread that kind of vibe and generate more interest in what you do. When you talk about it as if it already exists then you are SENDING IT OUT THERE with a good dose of positive energy. What goes around comes around, you get what I'm saying?