04th August, 2022
I once heard a story about a man who uses a wheelchair. When asked if it was difficult being confined, he responded, “I’m not confined to my wheelchair—I am liberated by it. If it wasn’t for my wheelchair, I would be bed-bound and never able to leave my house.”
This shift in perspective completely transformed how he lived each day.
Many people feel anxious before delivering a big presentation or competing in an important event. They experience quicker breathing, a faster heart rate, heightened arousal. If we interpret these feelings negatively, then we feel threatened and tense up. If we interpret these feelings positively, then we can respond with fluidity and grace. You can reframe “I am nervous” to “I am excited and I’m getting an adrenaline rush to help me concentrate.”
These little mind-set shifts aren’t magic, but they can help change the feelings you associate with a particular habit or situation.
You can make hard habits more attractive if you can learn to associate them with a positive experience. Sometimes, all you need is a slight mind-set shift.
For instance, we often talk about everything we have to do in a given day. You have to wake up early for work. You have to make another sales call for your business.
Now, imagine changing just one word: You don’t “have” to. You “get” to.
You get to wake up early for work. You get to make another sales call for your business.
By simply changing one word, you shift the way you view each event. You transition from seeing these behaviours as burdens and turn them into opportunities.
The key point is that both versions of reality are true. You have to do those things, and you also get to do them. We can find evidence for whatever mind-set we choose.
Reframing your habits to highlight their benefits rather than their drawbacks is a fast and lightweight way to reprogram your mind and make a habit seem more attractive.
Reframe your habits, shift your perspective & Stay Blessed Forever.
(The above is an excerpt from the book I read some time ago, ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear)