How’s work treating you these days?

Oh.

Been there, done that.  Maybe not with the bottle of wine (not at work anyway), but the feeling… yeah, I’ve felt that.

Trust me: if you’re dealing with career adversity, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

In fact, my own mindset around work used to consist of a spectrum of negative sentiments ranging from I can’t do this to I’m never going to get this done.

Most people will and do experience career challenges, like struggling to fit in, dealing with difficult co-workers, confronting toxicity, getting along with the boss, perfecting time management, overcoming harassment and/or discrimination, and combating burn out.

These types of things will make or break us.

When things become a bit TOO difficult for our liking, it's not unusual for us to start experiencing a wide range of negative emotions, like fear, panic, stress, and anxiety. Talk about insult to injury. The transformation of external circumstances into internal emotion is where the true danger lies.

 Think of the Law of Attraction. If we want to manifest positive things, we're supposed to speakof them as if they already exist, saying things like, "I'm successful. I'm wealthy, healthy, and financially stable. I'm living my life in total abundance." This isn’t just wishful thinking; there is a lot of science that backs up the extraordinary results of this type of manifestation. It has certainly worked for me.

So, how did I get from stuck in the negative cycle of I can’t do this to where I am today?

By radically shifting my understanding of how the universe works.

You have to remember that the Law of Attraction works… but that means, by definition, that it also works in reverse. What I mean by this is if you keep saying you can't do this and you can't do that, you are, in fact, unintentionally manifesting that for yourself. You're setting yourself up for more frustration.

 YOU HAVE THE POWER TO IMPROVE YOUR SITUATION.

You have the power to improve your situation, even if you don't think you do. I get it. You feel like you're stuck in a rut that just gets deeper each and every day. But what if I told you that changing your mindset could empower you to overcome career challenges entirely? (And BONUS: this works for every aspect of your life, not just your professional one).

Changing your mindset isn't easy. It requires consistency and willpower. However, if you can look past the negativity and find the good in every situation, you can not only feel better but do better.

When a challenge arises, how do you feel? Do you instantly start stressing over the situation? If so, it's definitely time to change that. You need to stop seeing your challenges as problems and more as situations that can help you grow and evolve. After all, we're all here to grow and become the best versions of ourselves, no matter how long that might take.

Determine to learn from the obstacles that come your way. Recognize what you're going through and how it can become a teachable moment that leads to you unlocking achievements and smashing your goals. Everything you're doing now, no matter how hard it is, will help pave the way for a successful future where career adversity is no longer such a serious concern for you.

Manage your mindset to achieve a favorable outcome. Turn a negative situation into a positive one with a bit of optimism. Not sure how to do that? Try this:

•  Stop saying I can’t. Remove that short phrase from your vocabulary and rephrase it with something along the lines of, "This may not be working out the way I want at this moment but I know I'm capable of anything I set my mind to."

• Look for the light at the end of the tunnel. For example, you can reward yourself with something small after completing a difficult task.

I realize that breaking out of the bad habit of having a negative mindset is difficult when it's been ingrained in you for such a long time. But consider that a negative mindset leads only to a bad mood… and who suffers the most from that?  YOU DO. Why increase suffering when you can build an extraordinary career through positivity and consistency?

 While positive thinking is a start, it's not the only way to reverse career adversity and improve your circumstances. Focus on changing your reaction to the situations you encounter. If you have a challenge, accept it with open arms knowing you can accomplish anything. Your optimism will get you much further than you expect – if nothing else, it’ll keep your energy high.

Stop letting a fear of failure keep you from trying again. Everyone has failed. I’ve failed many times. I’ve felt less than or not good enough or not capable enough just because I didn’t master something right away. 

This is the key takeaway: if you want to change your life, change your thoughts.. Stop rooting against yourself by instantly thinking negatively and assuming the worst. Stop manifesting bad situations when you deserve better. Accept your failures because they help you grow, learn, and move forward.

Everyone feels like work is an uphill battle sometimes. After all, sometimes work is just… WORK. But, if you're consistent and optimistic, you can achieve success. I'm living proof that if you change your mindset, you can change your situation and have the career you've always wanted.

We've all been negative before. We've all complained about "challenges" and thought they were simply insurmountable.

But…

… they weren’t. We did overcome. We kept going. We learned. We survived. We accomplished more than we ever thought possible.

You can choose to let those old habits – the ones that are NOT serving you – die out, and instead choose to focus on all the good that can come from a positive, intentional mindset designed to create the success you have always wanted.