Build your motivation
To develop a (more) positive mindset, you must learn to pay more attention to the positive things in your life.
That means you have to learn a new habit. Learning a habit takes time and requires discipline.
To develop a habit, you need to consciously adjust your behavior for an extended period of time, until the new behavior has become automatic and you no longer have to think about it.
Due to the time and discipline required, developing a habit is only possible when you are motivated enough. Not only at the start, but until the new behavior has become automatic.
It is therefore important to build and maintain your motivation.
Advantages and disadvantages
Your motivation to change your behavior is a function of the pros and cons that this adjustment brings.
If you only see disadvantages and no advantages, it is very unlikely that you will change your behavior. A successful change of behavior is only likely when the (perceived) benefits are larger than the (perceived) costs.
By clearly listing the pros and cons of adjusting your mindset and behavior, you can build and maintain the motivation to take on this challenge.
And by regularly reviewing and supplementing this list, you ensure that you remain motivated, even when things are not going so well or when you experience setbacks. This way, you maximize your chance of success.
The effect of your mindset
Extensive scientific research has been done on the effects of a positive and negative mindset.
This shows that a positive mindset has many advantages and a negative mindset has many disadvantages.
We list some of these advantages and disadvantages below.
Advantages positive mindset
- More confidence
- More business
- More optimism
- More satisfaction
- Greater sense of freedom
- More happiness
- More stress-resistant
- More emotional stability
- Higher social well-being
- More successful
Disadvantages negative mindset
- Depressed mood
- Do little or nothing
- More pessimistic
- Little or no courage
- Stuck in old patterns
- Little mental resilience
- Emotionally unstable
- Social isolation
- Little result/success
Challenge
List the pros and cons of your old and desired mindset
- Use the pros and cons in the table for inspiration only.
- Write down the pros and cons in your own words.
- Use examples and situations to make it as personal and concrete as possible.
Changing behavior
The pros and cons of your old and new mindset are only part of the story. They only determine your initial motivation to adjust and change your mindset.
We cannot change our mindset overnight. This takes time and requires a prolonged effort.
In addition, there is a reason why our mindset is the way it is. This means that it has a function and also brings us certain benefits.
For a complete picture, we should therefore also look at the disadvantages of adjusting our mindset and the advantages of not doing so. We list these below.
Disadvantages of changing our mindset
- Needs effort and willpower
- Can be uncomfortable and even frightening
- Can lead to irritation, frustration and disappointment
- Can be accompanied by stress and uncertainty
- Can be at the expense of relationships
- Need to admit that “something is wrong”
- Can make us vulnerable
- There is no guarantee of success
Advantages not changing our mindset
- Easy and comfortable
- The way of least resistance
- Maintain status quo
- It feels safe and familiar
- No effort is required
- It gives a sense of security
- Everything remains as it is
- We are not confronted with our shortcomings and limitations
Challenge
List the disadvantages of adjusting your mindset and the advantages of not adjusting your adjustment
- Use the pros and cons in the table for inspiration only.
- Write down the pros and cons in your own words.
- Use examples and situations to make it as personal and concrete as possible.
Short term versus long term
A major reason why adjusting our mindset and behavior is difficult is because of the difference between short-term and long-term effects.
We experience the disadvantages of change immediately, while the advantages often take some time to materialize. And because we don’t look beyond what is right in front of us, we simply choose comfort and a false sense of security in the short term.
We put it off and conveniently forget that delay often leads to cancellation. Every day we postpone it, the challenge only becomes bigger and more difficult.
Not only will we have less time to realize the change in the future, but our old mindset and the feeling of ease and comfort is also more deeply ingrained.
Challenge
Indicate when the listed advantages and disadvantages will materialize
Consider the impact of delaying changing your mindset on the size and complexity of the challenge:
- Will it get easier or harder?
- Will it increase or decrease the chance that you will actually do it?
To postpone = to put off
It’s time to be completely honest with yourself. To postpone is to put off. If you choose not to do it now, you choose not to do it. And this reinforces the idea that you don’t want to or can’t.
All change takes place in the here and now and not in some distant future. There’s no reason why it’s going to be easier in the future. This is only an illusion with which you fool yourself.
Staying motivated
It is important to have a clear picture of exactly what the advantages and disadvantages of an adjustment in your behavior are for you, and when they will materialize.
This ensures that you know exactly what you are getting into and what to expect when.
To stay motivated, review your list of pros and cons from time to time and add new information and experiences.
You may be confronted with advantages and disadvantages that you were not aware of at first.
When this happens it is good to adjust your analysis of the pros and cons based on this new information. This will keep you motivated.
Warning system
An up-to-date list of advantages and disadvantages can also serve as a warning system. When the downsides seem to get the better of you, you risk becoming demotivated.
You can then take the necessary steps to reduce the disadvantages or increase the advantages. For example, by seeking the necessary help and support.
Challenge
Review your list of pros and cons once or twice a month and supplement it with new information and examples
- Make sure the pros outweigh the cons to keep you motivated.
- Take the necessary steps to ensure that the disadvantages do not get the better of you.