Stop it right now!

Then start thinking about a positive thought.

Expectations come from overthinking. We’re all guilty of this, and it’s never served any of us well.

We stress ourselves out about what could happen in the future, when we should be focused on what’s happening in the present moment. We create stories in our heads about something that we don’t have all the facts about, and then create problems where problems don’t actually exist.

We need to stop this. It’s hurting our relationships, and it’s hurting our own potential.

Yes, we can have positive expectations, but the thing is, we still can’t control the universe, and other people, so we need to just ride the wave of life as it flows.

CHALLENGE:

For the next 12 days you have to consciously catch yourself thinking negatively, and train yourself to stop worrying.

This can be very difficult, but I’d wager that you’re more aware of your own thinking than you give yourself credit for.

We often let our minds wander to negative headspaces when we stop focusing on our tasks at hand. When we’re truly concentrating on what we’re supposed to be doing in the present moment, we find ourselves a lot less stressed, and productively going about our day.

EXAMPLE:

1. You’re dating someone new, and have already begun to worry about what could happen in the future. Instead of focusing on your work, and the fact that it’s going really well, you keep playing out scenarios in your mind based off of past experiences that no longer serve you well.

A. Stop. Catch yourself. Remind yourself that you’re having fun, and that this person isn’t your ex, and there are no rules to dating and love. Just because someone in the past did you wrong doesn’t mean this person is going to. Be grateful you’ve met someone so amazing, and get back to work.

2. You’re being recruited for a new job opportunity that is a huge change from what you’re currently doing, and offers an extremely exciting opportunity to do something you love in a new way. You find yourself questioning everything because there are so many pros and cons on both sides of the coin.

B. Stop. Catch yourself. Remind yourself that you have a great job that you’ve enjoyed doing for x amount of time, and that if the opportunity is right, it will all work out. Be grateful that you have a job that supports you, and a possible new opportunity to grow. Then go back to whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing, and enjoy the rest of your day.

It sounds easy because it is. Overthinking, creating expectations, and making yourself mad thinking of all the scenarios that could play out, are not productive to living your best life!

Stop falling down the rabbit hole of craziness, and having expectations of what your life is supposed to look like.

I can promise you, I never thought I’d be where I am today at 28. However, I always knew that if I worked hard, remained persistent, and quieted the negative voices in my head that everything would work out. So far it is, and maybe tomorrow it won’t, but why worry about tomorrow when today is all we have?

If you’ve been keeping up with your journaling and saying 5 gratefuls than overthinking should already be less of an occurrence. Ultimately, the point of this 30 day challenge is: