Do you often find yourself thinking that you can’t do something or that something is impossible? Do you feel stuck in a negative mindset that limits your potential and happiness? If so, you might have a cant do mind.
A cant-do mind is a mindset that focuses on the obstacles, challenges, and difficulties that prevent you from achieving your goals. It is a mindset that doubts your abilities, dismisses your opportunities and discourages your efforts. A cant-do mind is a self-fulfilling prophecy that leads to frustration, disappointment and failure.
But you don’t have to live with a cant do mind. You can shift to a can do mind, which is a mindset that focuses on the possibilities, solutions and strategies that enable you to achieve your goals. It is a mindset that believes in your abilities, embraces your opportunities and encourages your efforts. A can-do mind is a self-fulfilling prophecy that leads to satisfaction, achievement and success.
How can you make this shift?
1. Change your self-talk
Your self-talk is the way you talk to yourself in your mind. It reflects your thoughts, feelings and beliefs about yourself and the world. According to Psychology Today, thinking is the way you talk to yourself, and self-talk can influence your behavior and outcomes. If you want to change your mindset, you need to change your self-talk from negative to positive. For example, instead of saying “I can’t do this”, say “I can do this” or “I will figure out how to do this”. Instead of saying “This is too hard”, say “This is challenging but manageable”. Instead of saying “This is impossible”, say “This is possible with some effort and creativity”.
2. Use affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself regularly to reinforce your desired mindset and behavior. They can help you overcome negative thoughts and beliefs and boost your confidence and motivation. According to Verywell Mind, affirmations can help you create an “I can do anything” mindset by making you feel more capable, optimistic and inspired. For example, some affirmations you can use are: “I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to”, “I have the skills and resources I need to succeed”, “I am open to new opportunities and challenges”, “I am always learning and growing”.
3. Set realistic and specific goals
Goals are the targets that you want to achieve in your personal or professional life. They can help you focus your attention, energy and actions on what matters most to you. However, not all goals are created equal. Some goals are too vague, unrealistic or overwhelming, which can make you feel discouraged or hopeless. To avoid this, you need to set realistic and specific goals that are challenging but attainable, measurable and time-bound. For example, instead of saying “I want to be rich”, say “I want to earn $100,000 by the end of this year”. Instead of saying “I want to lose weight”, say “I want to lose 10 pounds in 3 months”.
4. Make a plan and take action
Having goals is not enough if you don’t have a plan and take action to achieve them. A plan is a series of steps or tasks that you need to complete in order to reach your goal. It can help you break down your goal into manageable chunks, prioritize your activities and track your progress. Taking action is the process of executing your plan and doing what needs to be done in order to achieve your goal. It can help you overcome procrastination, inertia, and fear and build momentum and confidence. For example, if your goal is to earn $100,000 by the end of this year, your plan might include: finding a new job or starting a side hustle, saving more money or investing wisely, networking with potential clients or partners, etc. Your actions might include: updating your resume or creating a website, applying for jobs or pitching your services, attending events or reaching out to contacts, etc.
5. Celebrate your achievements and learn from your failures
Achieving your goals is not a linear process. You will encounter successes and failures along the way. How you deal with them can affect your mindset and motivation. If you want to maintain a can-do mind, you need to celebrate your achievements and learn from your failures. Celebrating your achievements means acknowledging and appreciating your efforts and results. It can help you boost your self-esteem, happiness and gratitude. You can celebrate your achievements by rewarding yourself, sharing your success with others, or simply saying “Well done” to yourself. Learning from your failures means analyzing and understanding what went wrong and how you can improve. It can help you develop your resilience, growth mindset and problem-solving skills. You can learn from your failures by asking for feedback, reflecting on your mistakes, or finding the silver lining.
6. Seek inspiration and support
Sometimes, you might feel stuck, bored or discouraged in your journey towards your goals. You might need some inspiration and support to reignite your passion and enthusiasm. Inspiration is the feeling of being stimulated or motivated by something or someone. It can help you spark new ideas, perspectives and possibilities. You can seek inspiration by reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts, or following role models. Support is the help or assistance that you receive from others. It can help you cope with stress, overcome challenges and achieve your goals faster. You can seek support by joining a community, finding a mentor, hiring a coach, or asking for help from friends or family.
7. Develop a growth mindset
A growth mindset is a mindset that believes that your abilities and talents can be developed through effort, learning and feedback. It is a mindset that embraces challenges, seeks feedback, learns from mistakes and celebrates others’ success. According to happiness.com, a growth mindset is essential for developing a can do attitude. A growth mindset can help you see every situation as an opportunity to grow and improve yourself. It can also help you overcome fear of failure, criticism or rejection and pursue your goals with confidence and curiosity.
Shifting from a cant do mind to a can do mind is not easy, but it is possible and rewarding. By following these tips, you can change your mindset and transform your life. Remember, you are the only one who can limit yourself or empower yourself. Choose to empower yourself with a can do mind and see what you can achieve.
