So many of us are wrestling with internal struggles, often without understanding why we can’t seem to break free from them. In some cases, we get used to the hardship, accepting the frustrations and deep-rooted pain because we’re used to the familiar discomfort.
I like to refer to this as quietly quitting on yourself, slowly giving up on your life while you get lost in the roadblocks and challenges until you’re stuck. We all have mind traps that act as our negative inner, voice, pushing us further away from the path we want to be on. We all have things that trigger these mind traps; thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that activate them and reiterate why you should not move forward with your life.
Once you understand why you’re quitting on yourself, you can start using practices like mindful awareness to build the resilience you need to create meaningful change. Mindful awareness can help you identify and understand the triggers that lead to quietly quitting on yourself.
But first, the difference between mindfulness and mindful awareness…
While these terms are often used interchangeably, mindfulness and mindful awareness are not quite the same.
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment, observing your thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment. It’s about cultivating a non-reactive awareness of your current experience.
Mindful awareness, on the other hand, expands beyond the present moment. It involves consciously directing your attention to a specific aspect of your life or yourself, like your goals, behavior patterns, or triggers. It’s about taking a deeper, intentional look at what’s going on beneath the surface. And that’s what we’re talking about.
For a quick analogy: Mindfulness is like floating on the surface of a calm lake, observing the ripples as they happen in the present moment. Mindful awareness is like diving beneath the surface, exploring the depths to understand the underlying currents of your thoughts, emotions, and triggers.
Use mindful awareness to identify triggers and stop quitting on yourself
Your triggers are specific thoughts, emotions, situations, or patterns that lead you to quietly quit on your goals and aspirations. These triggers depend on your personal experience and often represent the underlying causes of this self-sabotaging behavior. Identifying them helps you become more self-aware of what needs your attention the most. You can’t set goals to move forward without knowledge of what triggers you to quit.
Here are three ways you can use mindful awareness to identify your triggers and end the cycle of quietly quitting:
Self-reflect with purpose.
Mindful awareness invites you to explore the patterns and triggers leading you to quit. By intentionally examining your inner landscape, you can uncover valuable insights into what sets you off running for the hills.
Ask yourself questions like:
What situations or thoughts make me want to give up on my goals?
When did I first notice this pattern of quitting?
What are the recurring emotions associated with this pattern?
Identify your emotional signposts.
Practice mindful awareness by paying attention to your emotional responses when you consider pursuing a goal or making a change. Notice when you feel doubt, fear, anxiety, or frustration. Once you’ve identified these emotional reactions. You can dive deeper into why they occur.
Ask yourself questions like:
What thoughts or beliefs underlie these emotions?
When was the first time in my life I felt this emotional reaction?
What other places in my life do these emotions come up?
Explore your core beliefs.
Use mindful awareness to explore the core beliefs you hold about yourself, your capabilities, and your worthiness of success. Challenge these beliefs to see if they still align with your true desires and values.
Ask yourself questions like:
What are the core beliefs I currently hold about myself and my capabilities?
How do these beliefs align with my true desires and values?
How can I replace these beliefs to better support my pursuit of fulfillment?
If you need help to assess your awareness, I’m here to support you.
I’m passionate about helping clients assess their truth and use mindful awareness to overcome the pattern of quietly quitting on themselves. I’m here to be your guide to self-discovery, delving into the patterns that have kept you from achieving your goals and dreams.
It’s your time to take intentional, empowered actions in your life. With our partnership, you’ll gain the clarity and self-awareness to step into your fullest potential. Reach out to me to learn more. I’m now booking in-person and virtual sessions.
