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Mind over matter

In the course of life and business, the discrepancy between what we hope for and our realities can be discouraging or seem insurmountable. But one of the most effective ways to stay on track and not become discouraged is to cultivate a lifestyle of positive thinking. Having a strong, positive perspective about a desired goal can help business owners stay on course and ultimately achieve their dream.

There are a number of ways business owners can cultivate a lifestyle of positive thinking:

Idealisation: This is a fun, unrestricted process of dreaming, exploring possibilities and visualizing an ideal life. Visualizing and accepting our ideal self as real, helps our minds to subconsciously adjust the expectation, and subsequent achievement, of something being real over time.

Dreaming without setting limitations or boundaries can help spark innovative solutions and even new business ideas. Allowing the brain free rein to cultivate creativity is important for entrepreneurs as they venture into new business opportunities.

Verbalisation: Articulating statements and encouragements about ourselves can help re-train our minds to think positively. Business owners who have trained themselves to have a positive self image often have more confidence when tackling their goals and achieve great success in their endeavours.

Materialisation: Be aware of your changing outer environment as the seeds you’ve been planting start to bear fruit. A helpful element of the process is to be cognisant that change and achieving goals takes time. Discouragement often creeps in when business owners fail to notice when there is progress.

Even small steps of progress towards achieving a goal should be celebrated as this creates positive reinforcement and encouragement to continue pursuing the goal.

Our minds are amazing tools and can be powerful agents of change when used to create positive thinking habits. However, they are also susceptible to repeat negative thought processes if we overindulge in those, and train our brains to automatically revert to the negative.

Positive thinking can motivate positive, active steps towards achieving a goal. And once it becomes habit, a positive mindset can help overcome any setbacks or challenges.

* Pieter Scholtz is the co-master franchisor for ActionCOACH in Southern Africa.

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