Mental Currency

Your mind is like a bank account.

We only have so much money in our bank account.

The amount of money in our bank account is determined by many factors such as how much we earn, how much we save versus how much we spend, our bills, etc.

You get the point.

Additionally, we can use a credit card, take out a loan, borrow money from others, etc., if we don’t have the cash to pay for it.

Some of this debt is better than others.

We prioritize how we spend our money and determine if we want to go into debt to make a purchase.

On the other hand, we can choose to invest money in stocks, real estate, or other vehicles that will grow our money over time.

When we make bad financial decisions, we live in stress, anxiety, and fear.

Our entire being is affected by our bad financial decisions.

I view our mindset the same way.

We only have so much emotional currency to spend in one day.

We can choose to spend it on things we can control, or we can choose to spend it on the things we can’t control.

Spending our mental currency on things we can control such as the actions we take, how we monitor our thoughts and words, and how we treat others, yields great benefits.

These actions are very similar to making good investments with our money.

Spending our mental currency on things we can’t control like inflation, other people’s actions, someone’s political views, what’s going to happen with the economy in five years, etc., are all spending that puts us in a mental debt.

Like bad financial decisions, if we choose to focus on these things outside of our control, we’re going to feel fear, anxiety, and stress.

So again, the key to spending your mental currency wisely, is to focus on things you can control and let go of the things you can’t control.

The next time you’re feeling worried, anxious, nervous, or fearful, stop and think about actions you can take to alleviate these symptoms.

If you can control the situation, then take action to control it.

If not, let it go.

Here’s a simple example.

Let’s say you have an important presentation coming up at work next week.

You’ll be presenting to some executives in your area of expertise.

This is the first presentation you’ve ever given in front of executives at this level.

If you feel anxious or fearful about giving this presentation, that’s normal.

You’re going to feel this way if it is your first time.

Acknowledge those feelings, but that’s where it needs to stop.

Your next step should be to take action on something you can control, your preparation.

You can control how much you prepare for this presentation.

Instead of worrying about what could go wrong, start practicing more.

If you’re still feeling worried after practicing, practice more.

This is all you can control, your preparation.

Another tactic I like to use is to remind myself that these are just people like me.

At the end of the day, they’re regular people and this is how I should think about them.

Finally, you must learn to control your self-talk.

This is mental currency worth spending.

Your self-talk is something you CAN control with practice, and this is where you should be spending most of your mental currency.

Learning to manage your self-talk is like investing your money in an account that doesn’t lose money.

That’s how important it is to manage your self-talk.

The example above, was used so that I could put what I’m trying to say into a real-life example.

Now, here are 10 ways you can invest your mental currency wisely, or to put it another way, 10 things you CAN control:

1. Your Attitude: You can choose to have a positive or negative attitude in every situation.

   The choice is yours.

   I can tell you from experience, that having a negative attitude never helps any situation.

2. Your Reaction: We decide how we react emotionally and behaviorally to events or challenges.

   For example, I battle traffic every day. I choose how I respond to this traffic every day.

   The choice is mine and I own it.

3. Your focus: You can direct your attention to what matters most, whether that’s a goal, a task, or a relationship.

   It’s important to know your priorities and execute on your priorities.

   When you’ve identified your priorities, it’s much easier to say “No” to things that don’t support them.

4. Your effort: You can control the amount of effort you put into your work, relationships, and personal growth.

   You choose how much of you shows up every day and how much work you put into the tasks of the day.

5. Your words: You can choose how you communicate, ensuring your language is respectful and constructive.

   This includes how you talk to yourself.

   The words you say to yourself matter most.

   Negative self-talk does nothing for you.

6. Your Boundaries: You can establish and maintain healthy boundaries in relationships and situations to protect your well-being.

   I believe one of the best ways to establish boundaries is to know your priorities and protect your time.

   Say “No” to things that don’t support your priorities.

7. Your Self-Care: You have control over how you care for your physical, emotional, and mental health through lifestyle choices.

   If you’re going out and drinking every night, you’re not going to be at your best mentally or physically.

   I can tell you this from experience.

8. Your Goals: You can set, pursue, and adjust your goals based on your values and aspirations.

   You have control over what goals you pursue and the actions you take every day that support these goals.

9. Your Time Management: You can prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively to maximize productivity.

   Time is your most valuable resource.

   You have control over how you manage this resource.

   Learning to manage it effectively is very powerful.

10. Your Learning: You can seek out new knowledge and skills, fostering personal and professional growth.

    We should never lose our curiosity and desire to learn.

    This is what life is all about.

    You control your personal growth.

The bottom line, be cognizant of how you spend your mental currency.

The quality of your life will be reflected in how responsible you are with your mental currency.

Focus on what you can control and learn to forget about the rest.

This will take time and practice but is definitely something worth fighting for.

Stay positive and take action!

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter! If you have feedback, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

If you’d like to learn more about my story or sign up for a free 15-minute discovery call, visit my website at marktoner80.wixsite.com/survivor-to-thriver