Studies show that positive thinking reduces stress, anxiety, boosts mood, and correlates with greater heart health.
Looking for the upside in every situation is entirely within your control. It is a skill that is wise to practice.

One mindset to capitalize on

Sometimes we feel that we are out of solutions to the problem we face. However, uncertainty may be the launching pad for creativity.
When you feel stuck, try to tell yourself that being stuck is a good place to help you generate a lot of ideas. Even if your list of ideas feels crazy, that's often where some of the best ideas come from.

The “I’m stuck” mindset

When you feel anxious about the days ahead, it might be because there's a daunting task or conversation.
If you're feeling this way, try to pinpoint the source of the stress. Maybe you're running behind schedule, or you made a social plan you wish you hadn't. Once you know the cause, reframe it by listing a few possible positive outcomes to ward off undue worry and stress.

Thinking “I’m dreading the week ahead”

An intimidating project can sometimes make you feel like you can't see your way through it. 
If you find yourself doubting your ability to finish a time-consuming task, think of a recent time where you overcame a similar hurdle. You can even write down or verbalise the specifics. "I finished on time and my manager congratulated me on a job well done." If you've done it once, you can do it again.

“I will never get this done"

<div dir="ltr"><a to="https://thriveglobal.com/categories/wisdom/" eventaction="Eyebrow" eventcategory="Navigation" eventlabel="Wisdom" href="https://thriveglobal.com/categories/wisdom/" dir="ltr">Wisdom</a>//<time itemprop="datePublished" dir="ltr">November 26, 2019</time></div><h1 itemprop="headline">Crush Your Goals With These 3 Mindset Reframes</h1><div>Say goodbye to negative patterns of thinking.
</div><div>By </div><UL><LI><a to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/alexandra-hayes/" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/alexandra-hayes/" dir="ltr">Alexandra Hayes</a>,&nbsp;Senior Content Development Editor at Thrive Global</LI></UL><figure><img alt="Svetosila / Shutterstock" src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/shutterstock_1271994046.jpg" srcset="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/shutterstock_1271994046.jpg?w=480 480w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/shutterstock_1271994046.jpg?w=600 600w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/shutterstock_1271994046.jpg?w=900 900w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/shutterstock_1271994046.jpg?w=1180 1180w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/shutterstock_1271994046.jpg?w=1550 1550w" width="785" height="597"><figcaption dir="auto">Svetosila / Shutterstock</figcaption></figure>If there’s one mindset you want to capitalize on in the decade ahead, it’s the <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/positive-phrases-mantras-promote-calm-stress-anxiety-relief/" dir="ltr">power of positive thinking</a>. Always looking for the upside of things might feel laborious — especially since our <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/train-mind-focus-on-positive-framing-psychological-tools/" dir="ltr">brains are hardwired to see the negative</a>, Alison Ledgerwood, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, Davis, <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/alison_ledgerwood_a_simple_trick_to_improve_positive_thinking" dir="ltr">says in her TED talk</a>. But it’s entirely within your control to reframe stressful moments into positive ones — and it’s a skill that you’d be wise to practice: Studies show <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/positive-reframing-techniques-cognitive-restructuring-stress-negativity/" dir="ltr">that positive thinking</a> reduces stress <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4760272/" dir="ltr">and anxiety</a>, <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/train-mind-focus-on-positive-framing-psychological-tools/" dir="ltr">boosts mood</a>, and is correlated to <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-positive-mindset-can-help-your-heart-2019021415999" dir="ltr">greater heart health</a>.&nbsp; Wondering where to begin? To help you out, we’ve honed in on three common negative thinking patterns — and how you can reframe them to be more optimistic through the rest of the year and beyond.&nbsp; “I’m stuck.”&nbsp;Sometimes we feel like all our options have been exhausted and there are no solutions to the problem we face — but in reality, <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/tips-develop-best-most-creative-innovative-ideas-eureka-moment/" dir="ltr">that’s never actually the case</a>. In fact, uncertainty may be an answer to our roadblocks. “Being stuck can be a launching pad for creativity,” Stanford educators Bill Burnett and Dave Evans write in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BJSRSEC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1" dir="ltr">Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life</a>. Next time you feel stuck, try saying to yourself, “I’m never stuck because I can always generate a lot of ideas.” Then, once your head is in the game, try ideating as “broadly and wildly” as you can, Burnett and Evans suggest. It’s okay if your list of ideas feels wacky — that’s often where some of the best ideas come from.&nbsp; “I’m dreading the week ahead.”This limiting paradigm often creeps up on Sunday evenings (though it doesn’t discriminate against other days of the week). When <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/ease-anxiety-coping-strategies-five-minutes-or-less/" dir="ltr">you feel anxious about the days ahead of you</a>, it’s typically because there’s a task or conversation you’re apprehensive about. If you catch yourself feeling this way, try to pinpoint what the source of stress is — perhaps you made social plans you wish you hadn’t, or are running behind schedule on a work project that’s due. Once you have the stressor in mind, reframe it by jotting down a few possible positive outcomes. For example, if a presentation is what you’re nervous about, your list could look like: “I’m congratulated on my hard work,” “People tell me it was engaging,” and “I made people laugh.” This newfound optimism will spill into the week ahead, and will help you ward off undue worry and stress.&nbsp; “I will never get this done.”When you’re bogged down in the thick of a project, it can sometimes feel challenging to see the light at the other end of the tunnel. If you find yourself <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/worrying-irrational-overstated-repetitive-thoughts-anxiety-strategies-how-to-stop/" dir="ltr">doubting your ability to finish a time-consuming task</a>, think of a recent time where you overcame a similar hurdle. Specificity goes a long way here, so don’t be afraid to actually write down or verbalize the example that comes to mind (think: “I didn’t think I’d meet my deadline last week — and not only did I finish on time, but my manager congratulated me on a job well done”). Remember: you’ve done it once, you can do it again.&nbsp;Follow us <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thriveglbl/" dir="ltr">here</a> and subscribe <a href="https://www.thriveglobal.com/newsletter/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive" dir="ltr">here</a> for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington <a href="https://www.thriveglobal.com/categories/thrive-podcasts/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive" dir="ltr">here</a>.<div><time>— Published on November 26, 2019</time></div><img src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Screen-Shot-2018-12-03-at-12.44.40-PM.png?quality=60&amp;resize=60,60" alt="" width="60" height="60"><h3 dir="ltr"><a to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/alexandra-hayes/" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/alexandra-hayes/" dir="ltr">Alexandra Hayes</a>, Senior Content Development Editor at Thrive Global</h3>Alexandra Hayes is a Senior Content Development Editor at Thrive Global. Prior to joining Thrive, she was a middle school reading teacher in Canarsie, Brooklyn.<div dir="ltr">Share your comments below. Please read our <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/commenting-guidelines/" dir="ltr">commenting guidelines</a> before posting. If you have a concern about a comment, report it <a href="mailto:communityhelp@thriveglobal.com" dir="ltr">here</a>.
</div>

2020 is the year of positive thinking. Here, 3 of the most common negative thinking patterns and how you can reframe them so you can become more successful.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

mentalhealth

Mental Health

timemanagement

Time Management

Crush Your Goals With These 3 Mindset Reframes

<ul><li><a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/alexandra-hayes/" to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/alexandra-hayes/">Alexandra Hayes </a>, Senior Content Development Editor at Thrive Global </li> </ul>

If there’s one mindset you want to capitalize on in the decade ahead, it’s the <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/positive-phrases-mantras-promote-calm-stress-anxiety-relief/">power of positive thinking </a>. Always looking for the upside of things might feel laborious — especially since our <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/train-mind-focus-on-positive-framing-psychological-tools/">brains are hardwired to see the negative </a>, Alison Ledgerwood, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, Davis, <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.ted.com/talks/alison_ledgerwood_a_simple_trick_to_improve_positive_thinking">says in her TED talk </a>. But it’s entirely within your control to reframe stressful moments into positive ones — and it’s a skill that you’d be wise to practice: Studies show <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/positive-reframing-techniques-cognitive-restructuring-stress-negativity/">that positive thinking </a>reduces stress <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4760272/">and anxiety </a>, <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/train-mind-focus-on-positive-framing-psychological-tools/">boosts mood </a>, and is correlated to <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-positive-mindset-can-help-your-heart-2019021415999">greater heart health </a>.

Wondering where to begin? To help you out, we’ve honed in on three common negative thinking patterns — and how you can reframe them to be more optimistic through the rest of the year and beyond.

“I’m stuck.”

Sometimes we feel like all our options have been exhausted and there are no solutions to the problem we face — but in reality, <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/tips-develop-best-most-creative-innovative-ideas-eureka-moment/">that’s never actually the case </a>. In fact, uncertainty may be an answer to our roadblocks. “Being stuck can be a launching pad for creativity,” Stanford educators Bill Burnett and Dave Evans write in <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BJSRSEC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1">Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life </a>. Next time you feel stuck, try saying to yourself, “I’m never stuck because I can always generate a lot of ideas.” Then, once your head is in the game, try ideating as “broadly and wildly” as you can, Burnett and Evans suggest. It’s okay if your list of ideas feels wacky — that’s often where some of the best ideas come from.

“I’m dreading the week ahead.”

This limiting paradigm often creeps up on Sunday evenings (though it doesn’t discriminate against other days of the week). When <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/ease-anxiety-coping-strategies-five-minutes-or-less/">you feel anxious about the days ahead of you </a>, it’s typically because there’s a task or conversation you’re apprehensive about. If you catch yourself feeling this way, try to pinpoint what the source of stress is — perhaps you made social plans you wish you hadn’t, or are running behind schedule on a work project that’s due. Once you have the stressor in mind, reframe it by jotting down a few possible positive outcomes. For example, if a presentation is what you’re nervous about, your list could look like: “I’m congratulated on my hard work,” “People tell me it was engaging,” and “I made people laugh.” This newfound optimism will spill into the week ahead, and will help you ward off undue worry and stress.

“I will never get this done.”

When you’re bogged down in the thick of a project, it can sometimes feel challenging to see the light at the other end of the tunnel. If you find yourself <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/worrying-irrational-overstated-repetitive-thoughts-anxiety-strategies-how-to-stop/">doubting your ability to finish a time-consuming task </a>, think of a recent time where you overcame a similar hurdle. Specificity goes a long way here, so don’t be afraid to actually write down or verbalize the example that comes to mind (think: “I didn’t think I’d meet my deadline last week — and not only did I finish on time, but my manager congratulated me on a job well done”). Remember: you’ve done it once, you can do it again.

Follow us <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/thriveglbl/">here </a>and subscribe <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.thriveglobal.com/newsletter/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive">here </a>for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.

Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.thriveglobal.com/categories/thrive-podcasts/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive">here </a>.

Alexandra Hayes  , Senior Content Development Editor at Thrive Global

Alexandra Hayes is a Senior Content Development Editor at Thrive Global. Prior to joining Thrive, she was a middle school reading teacher in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

“I’m Dreading This Week” and 2 Other Mindsets to Reframe Right Now

One mindset to capitalize on

The “I’m stuck” mindset

Thinking “I’m dreading the week ahead”

“I will never get this done"

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