Even though we may know this to be true, slipping back into negative thinking about our abilities is as easy as falling off a log. Well, it is falling—falling back into the rut formed as a child when both peers and adults found it easier to point out faults and failures than our goodness, talents and skills.
Depending on how deeply our self-doubts were ingrained, it may take just one little thing or an accumulation of problems to push us over the precipice into the aforementioned rut. It could be debt, declining revenue, loss of support, loss of a loved one, an accident, injury, health problems, or even something as little as steadily increasing clutter in both our physical and mental environment. Any one of these things may be enough to derail the best of intentions and restart our negative self-talk. Negative self-talk leads to an "I can't" frame of mind. And the result? Sinking back into the rut so deeply that makes the challenge of climbing out feel like scaling Mount Everest—more than the average person is willing to attempt.
"Life balance is like a seesaw. It has it's ups and downs and the occasional perfect midpoint." (Linda Samuels, from her book, The Other Side of Organized)
I have often compared life to a pendulum swinging from one extreme to the other as I sought the perfect balance. The seesaw simile works just as well. The encouragement I found in reading Linda Samuels' book, is the assurance that I don't have to be perfect all the time, nor do I have to solve all my problems or finish all my projects at once—like right NOW.
Goals met are an encouragement; a motivation to keep thinking positively about life. It is self-defeating to make goals that are too big to be completed in the designated time frame. To emerge from the self-defeating rut of negativity, start with small, specific goals. "Reduce stress and increase focus by singletasking rather than multitasking." (Samuels)
Each small goal met will help you think you can. And the more you believe in yourself and your dreams, the more you will achieve.
