Sean Huckstep Changing Your Mental State
Everyone (but especially those in sales) can benefit from analyzing and improving their mental state. Door-to-door and field sales can be a frustrating occupation, and some days and weeks it will feel like everything is working against you. But it doesn’t have to be that way– by changing your mental state, you can take more control of the situation than you think.
A good way to get started is listing the reasons you believe you have not achieved certain successes. Ask yourself: could you have better control getting past these roadblocks? Of course, there can be external factors that occasionally limit us, but usually that is not the case. We have the power to change our path if we put forth the effort. Regardless of what is on your list of roadblocks, changing the way you approach each day could make an effective and positive impact on your life.
Create a morning routine and stick to it
Get into the habit of accomplishing a simple task right from the beginning, such as making your bed. This will allow you to be in a productive state of mind. Eat a breakfast that will give you lasting energy – avoid sugary and carb-heavy meals in the morning. Opt for a protein-shake, or some eggs, meat, and fruit for a good balance of protein and fiber.
Spend 15 minutes reading a book that will help you. Whether it be a self-help book, business book, or spiritual book – find something that is motivating to you and gives perspective to your needs. If you struggle to make the time in the morning, that’s okay – use an audio book and listen as you drive or walk to work. You could even listen to audiobooks while you’re between doors or walking to a new neighborhood.
Organize your day based on your priorities
Take time each day to determine tasks that need to be done. Differentiate each task with “urgent,” “important,” and “should happen but not a priority.” It’s common we do the things we want to do first and foremost, but that isn’t an effective way to spend time and often urgent or important tasks get neglected for tasks that “should happen but not a priority.” Getting the wrong tasks done first will condition us to a negative state of mind because it directly correlates with failing to accomplish what needs to get done.
When people consistently don’t complete their priorities, they get in the habit of doing what they want to do rather than what they need to do. This causes many people to feel incompetent and incapable of juggling multiple tasks. When people get into the mentality and habit of doing what needs to be done in order of priority, their mentality shifts to a capable and successful mindset.
Be thankful
Download a gratitude app or buy a simple journal – at the end of your day, record 3 of the positive things that happened in your day. Don’t mention the negative – make this a time for positive reflection only. People tend to dwell on negative instances, even when those negative instances are menial. When people write down and ponder on positive instances each day, they begin to actively look for the positive in each life event, conditioning their mind to have a positive outlook. Failures may even feel less like roadblocks and more like learning curves.
Take care of yourself
This doesn’t need much explanation – eat well and get decent sleep. Most adults need between 6 and 8 hours – find what your body needs and don’t deprive yourself of that. When you’re short on sleep, you won’t be as sharp and tasks will take longer than they actually need to take. The same goes for food – the healthier and well balanced meals are, the more effective your mind will be. If you’re a coffee, soda, or energy drink lover, make sure you drink water a majority of the time and opt for your favorite drink only once a day. Reducing sugar and caffeine intake and replacing with healthy natural hydration will likely have positive effects on mental clarity.
Put habits into action
Start focusing on one or two of these suggestions and commit to doing them for three weeks. Once you are in the habit of doing them, revisit this post and consider adding another into your routine. For the habits you choose, set a recurring alarm on your phone as a consistent reminder to complete the tasks you have chosen. At the end of the three weeks, reflect on how those changes have made an impact on your day-to-day life to motivate you to continue adding in other positive habits.
