Five easy shifts to give yourself a lift!

Regular listeners to the podcast or readers of my blog will know how important your mindset is to every single area of your life.

The way I see it, everything revolves around your mindset: how you look at the world, how you think in business, how you think about literally everything. From the moment you open your eyes, how you think about the day and how it's going to unfold – it’s all down to your mindset.

How many times have you woken up, rolled out of bed and thought “I'm exhausted, I'm tired, it's raining outside. I'm going to have a crappy day”. Well guess what? You've just created a crappy day for yourself. You’re the only one with the power to make your day a good or bad one – no-one else… no matter who you might like to blame!

As we approach the end of the year, why not think about making some changes now that could really give you a boost in the New Year?

1. Get moving

Your health is your wealth.?That's something I strongly believe in and it's one of the reasons why I make sure to exercise every day - no matter what. It's become an integral part of my daily routine and I can't imagine starting my day any other way.

Aside from the obvious health benefits it means my day always starts with a massive endorphin boost so I walk into work feeling fantastic. Having a routine is also a brilliant way of dealing with anxiety – our brains don’t like uncertainty, and a routine can help reduce the amount of stress hormones being released into your system.

Remember, you don’t have to start with a big change – you don’t train for a marathon by going out and running 26 miles on your first day! You build up slowly, adding a little bit more each time, until you reach your goal. And the same is true of exercising for mental health benefits – start small, and increase gradually over time. You’re far more likely to embed a habit if you start small and build yourself up to achieve the targets you want.

2. Write it down

Journaling is such a useful tool. Every morning, quite early, I sit down to write and think about my goals, my ambitions and how I'm going to achieve them. It’s just my little reminder, first thing in the morning, that everything I do in that day needs to point towards those ambitions.

So many of us feel stuck in a rut or routine, treading water in the daily grind with no actual direction, which is depressing. Actually writing down your goals can really help crystallise what you want out of life, and help you decide how you’re going to achieve those aims. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself by thinking you have to get it all done by next week – think of it more like a roadmap of how you’re going to get to where you want to be. ?

3. Change your perspective

Sometimes, it’s hard to find the positive in life. It can be difficult when we are constantly being bombarded by negativity from other people or even ourselves! It's all about how you see the bigger picture. A pessimistic outlook may cause you to miss opportunities, but if you try to view things from a more optimistic perspective, you may be surprised at what you find.

I was once asked by a 38-year-old if they were too late to get on the property ladder. In his eyes, he was already 38, and so he’d missed the boat. I advised him to look at it a different way, that he was only 38, he still had loads of time! Shift your viewpoint and find your positives. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your mood improves.

4. Compare and despair

I called my podcast Behind the Facade, because if you are hiding behind a mask and pretending to be something that you're not, then you're not living up to your true potential. Stop comparing yourself to what other people appear to have.

Don’t get fooled by peoples’ Instagram lives: you might scroll through your feed seeing amazing lifestyles, travel videos and so on, but you’re looking at life through a filter. You don't see all the background stuff, what’s really going on. You're just seeing the highlight reel. So remember that the only thing that's important is what's happening with you, not with others. ?

5. Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint

When you’ve got a lot going on in your life, it’s too easy to be reactive, bouncing from crisis to crisis and dealing with everything the minute it crops up. But think about taking a step back next time something blows up in your face. Unless something is actually on fire, consider a couple of options rather than just going with your first instinctive reaction.

Your gut feeling may well turn out to be the right reaction and action but look at some other options first. When it comes to the property industry, remember that like everything else in life, it goes in cycles. Sometimes it’s up, sometimes it’s down. Play a long game with your strategy and investment, rather than constantly going for quick wins. Your brain (and your blood pressure) will thank you!

Remember, it all starts and ends with you. These five tips are all easy shifts to make that could have a major impact on your mindset and ultimately your life. Don’t think you have to make massive, sweeping changes all at once – it’s far better to make small, incremental adjustments. You might not see results right away but in time, it will all add up to some pretty fantastic results.

You’ve got nothing to lose… except maybe some stress and anxiety!?