With the world having gone through a life-altering, deadly pandemic, it is safe to say that many of us have recognized what’s valuable in our lives, what we are passionate about, and what our current health looks like. The year 2020 was a scary time for a lot of people, and most of us were beyond ready for things to go back to “normal.” But, before jumping back into what was, the world did an evaluation of what we wanted normal to look like moving forward. Many of us have taken this pandemic to understand how precious life is and to appreciate the good we have and WANT in our lives.

As a health and fitness professional, I obviously prioritize health above anything else. I believe health is wealth because struggling with anxiety, depression, physical illness, chronic pain, or fatigue really does minimize the quality of our lives. I can honestly say I have experienced both extremes of this. I have lived in abundant wellness, confidence, and joy and I have lived with anxiety, exhaustion, and chronic pain. I’m telling you right now, living with health and confidence feels a whole lot better, and for me, putting an end to my self-destructive behavior was ultimately a matter of mindset-shifting.

In 2020, I chose to focus on mindset. With the right mindset, especially toward health, stress can be reduced, goals can be accomplished, productivity can increase, and true joy can be experienced. Making a mindset-shift is about taking control of your own life and deciding that change is ultimately up to you.

We have the power to recreate our lives, especially in times like these. Too often are we worrying about things out of our control, coming up with excuses as to why not, and giving so much to others that we are forgetting to take care of ourselves.

Prior to the pandemic, I was guilty of ALL of these things and I watched my mental health deteriorate. So, at the start of 2020, I decided to make a change. I made a promise to myself to prioritize my health again and focus on my self-care. I shifted my mindset and reminded myself that I am worthy and that my actions are mine, and mine alone, and the choices I make are entirely up to me. Now, with this new mindset, I feel happier, more confident, and more self-accepting than ever before.

So, what mindset shift am I really talking about? If you know anything about me, you know how strongly I feel about the Law of Attraction (and if you don’t know me, you’ll learn to see how powerful I believe this is). The Law of Attraction is a way of thinking in which your current thoughts create your future life, whether consciously or unconsciously. It is the idea that like attracts like, or more specifically that when you have a particular thought, you are attracting similar thoughts into your mind and thus, into your world.

If you take the Law of Attraction and really think about how that may affect your own life, you can imagine that negative thoughts only bring on more negative thoughts and thus, negative things in your life and that positive thoughts attract more positive thoughts and thus, more positive things in your life. The Law of Attraction is really about perspective and shifting your mindset to one of gratitude, imagination, and self-love. Generally speaking, a lot of individuals do not love themselves very well, and they do not treat themselves very well. I was guilty of this for years.

Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” What you envision for yourself, whether it is a healthy mind-body and a life abundance or poor physical health and a life of constant struggle, that vision has the power to shape your future. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right.” What you believe you are capable of becomes your reality. It is crucial to let go of difficulties and understand that you are the only one who can create the life you deserve. And yes, you deserve an incredible life!! So, seize this moment and decide what your impact will be in this lifetime.

With this information, let’s take action. Let’s break down this mindset-shifting process into a few fundamental steps that you can start today. It’s easy to talk about changing your perspective, but taking action is something different. Taking action is the foundation of my online programs, which is why my clients have been so successful. You can find my programs HERE.

Before I discuss a few easy steps to implement into your day, I have a resource that I highly recommend to anyone who is looking to reset their internal energy and shift their general way of thinking into one that promotes health, fitness, joy, peace, and success. It is a Law of Attraction daily planner. I absolutely LOVE this planner because it focuses on all aspects of holistic health and emphasizes goal setting, self-reflection, and daily habit-tracking. I use it every single day, and as soon as I use up the entire thing, I order another one. I have been using this planner for years and it has helped me clearly envision (and therefore attract) my current successes in life- my home, my family, my business success, my health, my travels... You can get the planner HERE if you are interested.

Now, here is my call-to-action. These are a few simple steps to implement into your day to help with a healthy mindset-shift to begin envisioning and building the life you want for yourself.

1. When you wake up: Put aside 10 minutes in your morning routine to set your mindset for the day. First, spend 3 minutes breathing deeply and calmly to start your day relaxed, whether this is in bed right as you wake up, in the shower, or before you start moving. Then, think of 1 thing you appreciate about yourself and embrace this feeling of self-acceptance. After you have set a healthy mindset of inner peace and self-love, set a goal for yourself for the day. Write this goal in a positive way. For example, rather than saying, “Don’t skip my workout” say, “Complete my full workout.” Summary: relaxation, affirmation, positive goal.

2. Throughout the day as you approach obstacles to your goals or begin negative self-talk, take a deep breath, and think to yourself, “Is this in my control, or out of my control?” If it is out of your control, let it go. Learning how to let go of things you cannot change is a huge step to freedom. I am still working on this every day. Summary: breathe, ask in/out control, let it go

3. Before you go to bed: Set aside 10 minutes at the end of each day to go over your goal of that day and self-reflect on how you approached it, from a MINDSET perspective. Did you shut down when an obstacle came your way? Did you let go when it was necessary? Did you find appreciation in the challenge? Absorb this reflection for a while to build some self-awareness. Then, spend 3 minutes breathing deeply and calmly to reset your mindset and end your day relaxed. As you breathe, think of 1 thing you are grateful for. Spend time saying thank you and embrace these feelings of gratitude. Summary: reflect on goal, relax, gratitude.

Remember, your thoughts shape your life. Now go, “Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.” -Maya Angelou