Updated: Jun 8, 2022
SunKiss Life - March Edition
Welcome to the SunKiss Life Blog, a monthly round-up celebrating inspiring stories from our online lifestyle magazine, SunKiss Life.
Mark Twain once said, the secret to getting ahead is getting started.
Is there something great you've always wanted to do, but fear has held you back? There's always hope for positive change - regardless of what's going on in the world around you, and believing you have agency to make things happen is powerful. Read on to discover how to cultivate an 'I can do anything mindset' in the face of adversity.
Photo by Guy Kawasaki, Unsplash
When You Feel Like You Can't Do Anything Right
Do you sometimes feel like you can't do anything right and that you're the only one? In a world where we compare ourselves to so many perfect profiles online, it can be easy to develop an inferiority complex.
But we forget that the online version we see of our friends, colleagues, and loved ones is the one they want us to see, and the truth is that it's perfectly common to feel this way.
Feeling that you can't do anything right happens, but there's no need to get stuck in that negative mindset. Verywell Mind gives you the tools to help you turn things around, so that you can feel worthy and know that you are adding value in whatever you choose to put your mind to.
Why Being a Perfectionist May Not Be So Perfect?
Why being a perfectionist may not be so perfect? But what could possibly be wrong with setting high personal standards and achieving excellence?
When healthy, perfectionism is a trait that can be self-motivating and drive you to overcome adversity and achieve success. When unhealthy, however it can paralyse even the most adept person and lead to unhappiness …
As counter intuitive as it may sound, perfectionism may prevent you from doing your best. When you set unrealistic standards an uneasy feeling of fear of failure begin to hold you back, leaving you vulnerable to procrastination and even depression.
Perfection, of course is an abstraction and therefore an impossible goal. Lifehack have some great strategies for how to be a healthy perfectionist and enjoy the process rather than racing to meet the unattainable.
How To Procrastinate with Purpose
Do you sometimes put off tasks you should do to focus on irrelevant ones? This phenomenon known as procrastination comes from the Latin word pro-crastinus, which means for tomorrow.
Mark Twain once said, « the secret to getting ahead is getting started », yet instead of moving forward and reaching our goals, we allow ourselves to be distracted by Netflix, Instagram or any number of side projects that seem more enticing in the moment.
It’s easy to write off procrastination as laziness or complacency, but it happens to everyone - and the more you do it, the worse you feel. Sadly, it may even prevent you from being the person you want to be. Find out what’s really going on under the surface to help you procrastinate with purpose.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash
Have you been looking for motivation in the wrong place?
Motivation plays a role in almost everything we do but finding it isn’t always easy. Sometimes you need that little extra push to deal with tasks that life throws your way.
Motivations were not all created equally, and it is unlikely that carrots (or sticks), also known as extrinsic motivations, will keep you going for long. Goal-based motivation will drive you forward, but the positive emotions you experience after the project is completed don’t tend to last all that long. Long-lasting motivation is intrinsic in nature and more likely to focus on the journey rather than the destination. To find it ask yourself how you would most like to spend your time in life …
In SunKiss Life we reveal some of the common roadblocks that might hinder motivation and how to find and harness it, even when you’re really struggling to do so.
Overcoming Fear of Failure
Have you ever been so afraid at failing at something that you decided not to try at all to avoid potential embarrassment or disappointment? Or do you suspect that an underlying fear of failure is causing you to unknowingly self-sabotage your own efforts to undermine your success? If left unchecked, this fear can cause you to freeze and become immobilised.
Winston Churchill once said that ‘success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm’. We all fail from time to time. But if you allow fear to prevent you from progressing in life you may miss out on some great opportunities along the way.
Mindtools provides an inspirational video featuring five steps to overcome fear of failure, including practicing self-compassion, and looking at failure as a learning experience. You’ve got this!
Photo by Guy Kawasaki, Unsplash
Cultivate a “I Can Do Anything Mindset”
If you believe in your abilities, have an optimistic attitude, and look forward to creating a good future, chances are that you have an “I can do anything” mindset.
People who think “I can do anything” tend to think positively about themselves and the world. Believing that things will work out does not meaning overlooking reality nor does it mean you are ignoring potential problems.
Believing you have agency to achieve and make things happen is powerful. An attitude in which you expect good things to happen and look for good things to occur is also advantageous for your health and happiness.
Verywell Mind takes a more detailed look at some of the traits of an 'I can do anything' mindset and what to do if you’re naturally pessimistic …
Share your tips on how to cultivate a “I Can Do Anything Mindset” with #SunKissLife - we love hearing from you :)