Hello My Friend,

When you begin a project or take on new goals, I know you  have the best intentions. No one starts a thing with the desire to fail, stumble or fall!  But inevitably, life happens and commitments weaken with shifting priorities. It’s part of being human…managing the valleys along with the peaks of achievement.

We just have to be prepared and, be sure to rise after each fall.

Here is a powerful 3-step strategy for when (not if) we stumble:

First step: Set your mind – As you detect a reduction in commitment, optimism or output ( for any undertaking, not just the “big” ones) it’s important to ‘set your mind’ on perceiving the “fall” as an opportunity to rise. 

How we see – with our thoughts and feelings what is happening in our life in any given moment determines all that follows. So the first thing to do, before any pessimism or doubt sets in, is to grab control and set your mind where it needs to be.

Setting your mind is about three essential things – A. Seeing what is  B. Re-framing what is into what is needed and  C. Choosing optimism, always.

A) Seeing what is – If you choose to perceive what is happening as simply what it is, interpreting the facts of what is taking place for what they are and nothing more then you will be able to respond effectively to those facts and not to your own emotion driven perceptions.  Seeing what is happening as purely as possible is honest and powerful. This allows you to bring to the situation what is needed and not be held hostage by what you feel or perceive.

B) Re-framing – Setting your mind where it needs to be is also about re-framing.  When you catch yourself in a ‘fall’ choosing to see it as a stepping stone to opportunities and blessings  will ensure the negativity of the situation is short-lived.   Re-framing means applying the meaning you choose; it means taking a situation and choosing one perception over another. It means choosing life, optimism and creativity over darkness and despair. Re-framing is crucial as we manage the peaks and valleys of achievement.

So first, you choose to see what is, then you re-frame.

C) Choose optimism – Finally, confirm your re-frame with spoken affirmations.  Speak to your sub-conscious mind by passionately repeating a predetermined affirmation.  Know ahead of time what you will speak to yourself when you detect the need to reset your mind.  These are a few of my favorites:  “I am optimistic and WILL pass through this moment” or “I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me” or “My mind is mine and I choose life, love and light.” 

Second step: Be still in it. Once you have set your mind where it needs to be just be still. Quiet your thoughts as best as possible and breathe – several deep breaths will slow the thoughts.  The goal is stop thinking for a few minutes as it’s in the stillness we can hear. Hearing from your deeper and wiser internal voice – where God lives in me, requires stillness and quiet. Get still and listen.

Listen for guidance, nudges, clarity and insights.  Ask for the lessons to become clear.  Open your heart for whatever is in this moment.

Third step:  Take a step. Rising requires action. After setting your mind and being still, moving forward by taking action is necessary.  From stillness you will know which action to take. And the action may be to do something that seems like nothing.  Sometimes in my stillness I get clear guidance to stop what I’m doing and take a walk or a nap, or perhaps switch to another project. The thing ‘to do’ may be to STOP. 

The motivation to stop shouldn’t be despair or negativity; stop when you have reset your mind, you were still and in that stillness you were guided. Don’t stop to give up, stop to move forward.

When you are rising from a fall taking a step forward no matter how small is extremely powerful. It’s that first step up that provides the momentum for the rest of the journey ‘out.’

There you have it, a 3-step strategy that will have you rise whenever you fall. With these steps you will not only rise, you will get the most out of the fall. Remember falling or “failing” is actually a good thing. 

With high achievers stumbles, falls and valleys are inevitable. We just have to have a strategy in our back pocket, ready to be used.  Creating new habits around how we think and react at these crucial, life-impacting moments is necessary as we can’t apply the strategy once in a while to be effective. We have to create a habit that helps us rise most, if not all of the time, when needed.  For this, we need consistency in application.

Wishing you an abundance of optimism, 🙂
Julette Millien

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 Creating Habits that Help the World…