Fighting Resistance: Mind, Body and Spirit (Part 1)

Part One:  Fighting With Your Mind

Before the new year, some of us made resolutions, written goals we want to achieve, or decided to work on personal development.  Now that the new year is here, it seems like it's easier said than done.  The struggle is real.  You can't seem to get started.  That is what I like to call resistance

Resistance fights the positive changes you would like to make in your life.  Whether it's personal development or to earn more money, it does not matter.  Resistance will fight you every step of the way by slowing you down or taking you off course from accomplishing your goal.

For example:  Creating a routine, developing good habits, or staying committed to becoming the best version of yourself is what one may consider being positive changes.

To overcome resistance, you may have to fight tooth and nail with your mind, body, and spirit.

In our previous posts (Creating a Routine and Good Habits and Developing a Schedule for 20/20), we discussed how to create a good-habit forming routine and develop a schedule to implement the routine throughout your day.


A routine and a schedule that encourages structure for your day or even your business are key to creating excellence in your life.  To make sure you stay consistent and stand guard against resistance, it's imperative that we strengthen our mind, body, and spirit.  In this post, we are going to discuss ways to strengthen and prepare the mind before you start and end your day.

Question:  What does a successful and great day look like to you?

Before you write it down, visualize your perfect kind of day.  Let your imagination run wild.  Allow your five senses to get involved so that the movie playing in your mind seems real.   Now write it down.  Spare no details.  This is your day and no one else's.

This exercise is called visualization.  You can strengthen your mind through visualization despite what your current situation is or what you may physically see in front of you.   See yourself smiling, whistling while you work, accomplishing your goals, implementing your schedule, being the best version of yourself, or having a successful day.  The choice is yours.

Starting Your Day Off Right

Starting your day off right can increase the odds of having a productive day, reducing stress and aggravation, and giving you a positive mental attitude.  It's best to begin each day with positivity and enthusiasm.

Here are a few suggestions to start your morning off in the right frame of mind:
       *Pray (Try the Serenity Prayer); Pray for guidance, wisdom, and understanding when things don't seem clear or right from your perspective

       *Daily Affirmation(s) -  Examples:  "Today is going to be a great day!"
                                                                  "I am excited to get the day started."
                                                              "I will accomplish everything that is on my list."
               Note:  You must choose the right words that are going to put you in the can-do, 
                          positive mindset

      *Think Positive about your day
   
      *Meditation - More on this in when we talk about fighting resistance with spirit.

       *Read the bible, daily devotion, personal development book, or novel from your favorite                            author
     
        *Listening to your favorite kind of music (even if it's the same song(s) every day)

Give Me A Break 

Another way to strengthen your mind is to take brain breaks throughout the day.  When you complete a task, give your brain a break.  This prevents you from becoming overwhelmed with your To-Do List and mentally drained  Brain breaks allow you to organize your thoughts and plan for the next task at hand.

Devices?? Say What?!?

Avoid picking up your cell phone, tablet, laptop, or watching TV first thing before you had a chance to get your life right and mind ready to start the day.

Ending your day right

Establish a nighttime routine.  Compare to starting your day, ending it should be a little bit more low key.  This is the perfect opportunity to take the time to reflect on your day.

You can ask yourself:  

"How do you think your day went?" 

"Did you accomplish everything on your To-Do List?

Please keep in mind that you cannot change how your day went, especially if it wasn't a good one.  Go to sleep with no regrets.  If you felt like mistakes were made, learn from them.  Tomorrow will be a better day.

In the midst of your reflection, write down your To-Do List for the next day.
Just a quick note:  For your To-Do List, try to narrow it down to 5 - 10 things.  Then, highlight three things that take priority.

After your moment of reflection, it is time to put your day away and relax the mind.  You can do this by taking a bath or shower.  This is highly recommended because you need to wash your day away so you can be refresh and clean for the next one.

More suggestions to ending your right: Enjoy a glass wine;  you can also do some of the things from your morning routine like reading; praying, meditation, and listening to soft piano-type music.

Toia M. Thompson
Founder of New Image University