What mental habits do you have that are helping you or holding you back?

On the negative side, do you have mental habits that contribute to failure? Are you in the habit of thinking negatively about certain things? Do you have any ingrained thoughts about yourself, such as "I'm not good enough for _______," "I don't deserve _______," or "I'm not worthy of ________."

On the positive side, do you have positive daily mental habits? Do you use affirmations and/or visualization? Do you make a conscious effort to keep your mind focused on your goals or what you want you life to be like?

In the last six years I have made a 360 degree shift in mental attitude.

For a long time I was very negative and had a bad attitude towards other people. Eventually this led to depression which had me down for quite a long time. When I discovered the problem was with me and not everyone else, I was able to gradually change my thinking.

I have used techniques such as visualization and affirmations to make improvements with self image and confidence. I think my biggest setback at the moment is that I still tend to doubt my abilities with certain projects which causes me to procrastinate.

I have just about eliminated those statements in the OP from my thinking, but there are a few that still creep in now and again.

I'm still working on it though, so hopefully my best is still to come. :)

Sounds good Scarlet! My suggestion though regarding the tendency to doubt yourself on certain projects, is to develop the habit of visualizing/focusing on the end result, regardless of self-doubt. If you experience seeing and feeling what it's like to have already achieved it, often enough, you will.

Sounds good Scarlet! My suggestion though regarding the tendency to doubt yourself on certain projects, is to develop the habit of visualizing/focusing on the end result, regardless of self-doubt. If you experience seeing and feeling what it's like to have already achieved it, often enough, you will.

That sounds like good advice... I'll give it a go. :)

Hmmm, maybe that is why I procrastinate sometimes. Perhaps I cannot visualise the end result as being something that is possible. I know that when I see the end result as being possible and I am inspired by it, I have no problem doing it.

Perhaps I need to true myself up to my purpose in life and true myself up to the possibility / future I have created for my life.

Perhaps it will help with procrastination, yes. But what I was thinking of when I made that suggestion has more to do with attraction than action. For example, let's say I have a goal to have 1000 members for this forum. There is only so much I action I can take, there is only so many dollars for advertising, etc. However, if I keep visualizing it, I attract what is necessary to help me accomplish it. Maybe, someone joins the forum who has a large ezine, he likes it and decides to recommend it to his list. Or maybe I am surfing and find a site that sells cheap and very effective advertising, You see where I'm going with this?

The key ingredient IMHO to making visualization or affirmations work, is to include a positive emotional component. That is to say, when you are visualizing or affirming something, to have a strong feeling of excitement, passion, or faith while doing it.

Ahh, yes, I believe that firmly. If you are committed to something in life, and give your word to it, and take actions consistent with it, the universe tends to fall in line with what you are doing.

That may sound a little woo woo for some people, but I have seen that in my own life. When I truly commit to something and can see it happening (i.e. visualize it) in my mind, it is amazing how suddenly resources become available that I didn't even imagine were there. When I doubt my success and doubt that something is possible, it is amazing how quickly I either sabatoge myself and/or the resources suddenly disappear.

In some ways it is scary how powerful our mind is.

Perhaps it will help with procrastination, yes. But what I was thinking of when I made that suggestion has more to do with attraction than action. For example, let's say I have a goal to have 1000 members for this forum. There is only so much I action I can take, there is only so many dollars for advertising, etc. However, if I keep visualizing it, I attract what is necessary to help me accomplish it. Maybe, someone joins the forum who has a large ezine, he likes it and decides to recommend it to his list. Or maybe I am surfing and find a site that sells cheap and very effective advertising, You see where I'm going with this?

The key ingredient IMHO to making visualization or affirmations work, is to include a positive emotional component. That is to say, when you are visualizing or affirming something, to have a strong feeling of excitement, passion, or faith while doing it.

I also believe this is true. When we are committed to achieving a goal and have 100% confidence in pulling it off, we tend to find alot more resources to accomplish it.

As for attracting what is necessary to achieve a goal, perhaps it is because we are more open to the opportunities that present themselves when we are in a positive state of mind.

years ago there was a saying that you all know - "you reap what you sow"

today i say it differently, "you get what you focus on" .

You actually dont have to have a 100% belief. to commence with an idea of interest, a mild possibility - and to take a course of action, watch it grow a little - not much later that 15% becomes 25% etc etc, and soon enough your actions have taken you to 60% now giving you leverage & momentum to achieve the !00%.

years ago there was a saying that you all know - "you reap what you sow"

today i say it differently, "you get what you focus on" .

You actually dont have to have a 100% belief. to commence with an idea of interest, a mild possibility - and to take a course of action, watch it grow a little - not much later that 15% becomes 25% etc etc, and soon enough your actions have taken you to 60% now giving you leverage & momentum to achieve the !00%.


Excellent post endeavor. I wholeheartedly agree.

Hmmm, maybe that is why I procrastinate sometimes. Perhaps I cannot visualise the end result as being something that is possible. I know that when I see the end result as being possible and I am inspired by it, I have no problem doing it.

Perhaps I need to true myself up to my purpose in life and true myself up to the possibility / future I have created for my life.

I think procrastination can come from one of several several areas (or more than one at once. I would say these areas are (I am sure there are others also):
- the one you said (can't visualize the ending)
- a lack of mindfullness on what you want done
- a lowness in emotional energy
- a lack of mental endurance
- discouragement (futility), a feeling that what you are working on won't work (often times you haven't broken a task down into smaller steps this can happen)
- frustration that things aren't going as you like, at speed you like.

I think it is important to manage these things...
- Richard