Three Mindsets That I Struggle With

Personal development has been a journey for me. There is so much to explore and it’s nice to be able to focus on certain areas at different points of your life as you feel they are needed. I have come a long way in the last few years but there is always something new to learn about myself or ways to improve certain aspects of my mindset on certain topics. I think it’s great to share when I am feeling motivated and inspired by my personal development, we should celebrate wins of all sizes but I think it’s equally important to share the hard parts. Sharing the parts that you struggle with not only can feel cathartic but it also gives other people permission to acknowledge and feel comfortable sharing areas they may be struggling with too. It opens the door for some real conversations that can feel difficult when you feel like you’re the only one going through it.

There are three mindset areas that have proven to be difficult for me to try and master over the years. To be honest, I feel like there won’t ever be a time that I won’t need to put work into at least one of these areas. Some days are better than others for these mindsets but they are areas that I try and work on every single day.

Food Guilt

I went on my first diet when I was fourteen, it was the summer before I started high school. Up until a year or so ago I had been on numerous diets and exercise regimes. I decided to drop the diets and attempt a more intuitive approach to eating but I have not been able to shake the guilt I have around the food that I eat. I find it really difficult to retrain my brain to stop labeling foods as good and bad. This seems to be my underlying problem and I have been struggling with it almost daily. Food should be enjoyed and not something that you continuously punish yourself over.

Perfectionism/All or Nothing Mindset

I have been a perfectionist for as long as I can remember. It’s a trait that is deeply rooted in my childhood and has been hard to shake even so many years later. I will say yes to things even when I am overworked and I find it really difficult to ask for help. This tendency to want things to be perfect leads me to start and stop a lot on routines, goals, or plans that I have set for myself. An example of this all or nothing mindset is the guilt I have if I miss a workout during a week that I have planned to workout on certain days, this then leads me down a shame spiral and I have been known to write the rest of the week off. I am the queen of the I’ll start again on Monday excuses. I have to actually practice being kind to myself on days like this and while I have a long way to go I have also come a long way in the way I speak to myself.

Imposter Syndrome

I think imposter syndrome is something that everybody deals with at one point or another. This type of mindset has held me back for years when it comes to getting goals off the ground. I wanted to start this blog for at least 2 years before I actually did back in 2017. It’s that little voice in my head that asks the question “why would anyone want to listen to what you have to say…” and it can get really loud at times. In an attempt to quiet this voice there are some days I need to look in the mirror and tell myself I am worthy and on days where the voice is particularly loud, I really like to make time to journal and get all the feelings out on paper. It’s almost like emptying my head onto the page and the feelings are easier to sort through there.

What’s the mindset that you struggle with? Share it in the comments below or come say hi on Instagram!