Ok so really quickly before I get into the post, it’s been my goal for quite some time to create a tool that helps people improve their mental health, because when you’re in a good place mentally, you make much better decisions in every area of your life. 

So I’m very happy to announce that we’re partnering with a startup that’s doing just that!

There’ll be a landing page setup soon with more details, but if you want to join the waitlist earlier and get an exclusive discount when they launch, everyone who joins our newsletter is automatically signed up for their software’s waitlist. 

So if you’re reading this in your inbox, you don’t have to do a thing 🙂 

Ok, now let’s get into what you came for. 

So the reason we titled the post “3 mental models to achieve anything” is because they can literally be used for just that.

In other words, I didn’t mean to imply that these mental models are only useful for achieving material success, like getting a better body or making more money. 

And like all of the things that I share with you, I’ve personally used these mental models to, yea, look better physically and improve my financial situation, but more importantly, to become more mindful and much happier! 

You’ll notice that as I break these models down, the biggest thing that they share in common is their ability to clear your headspace and lower your stress levels.

This translates to better decisions, which translates to you being healthier and happier - and that’s of course our main goal at The Healthy Kangaroo. 

So without further adieu, here’s the first mental model: 

Analyze Yourself From The Perspective Of A 3rd Person

This may seem a little weird at first, but trust me, it’s worked wonders for my mental health. 

So whenever you notice yourself getting emotional about something, or you feel like you’re getting carried away:

pause, zoom out, and imagine viewing yourself, as you are right now where you’re getting emotionally overwhelmed, and just look at yourself. 

Imagine being someone that’s right next to you, just staring at you while you feel like you’re losing control.

Once you’ve done this, laugh about it (haha). Because chances are you look pretty stupid when you’re getting emotionally overwhelmed. 

What you’ve accomplished here is a pattern interrupt.

You’re not allowing the trail of thought, that has you all worked up, to continue messing with your head.

By zooming out, it allows you to think about the situation logically and make a sensible choice, instead of an emotionally-fueled one. 

For example, let’s say you left a mess on your desk, and you come back to it later to look for your phone, but you can’t find it. So, you ask someone you live with to call your phone.

Turns out, your phone’s dead, and you have an important call to make in the next 5 minutes. 

You’re probably going to get pissed, and may be thinking of lashing out at the person who’s calling your phone.

But, if in this situation you paused, zoomed out, and analyzed it logically, you’d realize that it was your fault for leaving a mess on your desk, and your fault for not charging your phone. 

What’s more, this person that you’re thinking of lashing out at, is actually trying to help you!

So wouldn’t you feel stupid for yelling at them? You would.

And looking at yourself from the perspective of a 3rd person as you get all worked up, is kinda funny in my opinion. 

Now that you’ve laughed a little and calmed down, you can do the next logical thing, which is to use another device to call whoever you need to, or contact them to let them know you’re running a little late.

Then, go clean up your desk, find your phone, charge it, and make the call. 

Of course, it’s not easy to catch yourself in a moment like this where you’re getting worked up, before you make a poor choice. It’s a skill, and you get better at it through practice.

Now I’m not saying to go get worked up about something so that you can practice this.

I’d rather have you meditate, and get better at just being aware of your thoughts, your emotions, your physical surroundings, etc.  

And as a result of having a mindful foundation like this, whenever you do get worked up, it makes practicing this skill of zooming out to use logic over emotion that much easier. 

Lastly, before I move onto the next mental model, I hope you can see that this strategy can be applied to any kind of emotion.

Whether that emotion is sadness, a craving, lethargy, not wanting to do something you know you should be doing, etc.

You can use it in so many different scenarios!

Alright, here’s the second mental model: 

Your Mind Is A Mental Fortress

Realize that anything that goes on between your ears is in your control. Every thought, every emotion, anything that lives in your head, is something that you’ve chosen to allow. 

Some people might disagree with me, and that’s fine - in fact, it may entirely be true that a lot of what goes on in your head isn’t in your control, but I choose to think otherwise.

Why?

Because it doesn’t help me to think that I don’t have complete control over my mind. 

I truly believe that with enough practice and effort, you can be intentional about what you allow to manifest in your head.

Sure, certain thoughts or stories might creep up in your mind, but they’ll only be able to stay there if you allow them. 

Therefore, and I know it’s easier said than done, don’t entertain anything that you don’t want in there.

Don’t allow stories to manifest, for overthinking, for daydreaming, etc. 

In fact, almost anything that your mind conjures that isn’t intentional is emotional.

Oftentimes, it’s a coping mechanism for stress that you either don’t know how to deal with, or are too afraid to deal with.

Regardless, taking accountability for what goes on in your mind is powerful, because it gives you a sense of control and responsibility over your thoughts. At least, that’s what it does for me. 

So that’s the model of the mental fortress, but how do you actually maintain your mental fortress? How do you maintain a clear head? 

Well, there’s two things that I do religiously, every single day, that allow me to implement this strategy. 

First,

and you probably guessed it, is meditating/practicing mindfulness.

Active mediation is what works best for me, which just means being very in tune with physical sensations while you’re doing something. This could be walking, taking a shower, writing, eating, literally anything. 

Second,

last week we uploaded a video describing a simple 10 minute morning routine that you can actually stick to, which is also most of my personal routine, so you can check that out if you’re interested.

I also usually take a shower and then do the second religious practice that helps me maintain my mental fortress, which is journaling.

It doesn’t take long. My entire routine from the time I wake up to the time I get to work takes less than an hour.

I mainly use journaling as a brain-dump for clearing up headspace. I use it to organize my thoughts, I use it as a form of active mediation and it’s a part of my stress management system (which I’ll be making a post on soon). 

These two habits allow me to start every day with a clear head, and a mindful foundation that I do my absolute best to maintain as the day progresses.

It’s the equivalent of how working out in the morning makes you less likely to eat junk during the day, but for your mind. 

And this ties nicely into the 3rd mental model, which is:

Every Thought Has A Price

I want you to think about your headspace like a battery that gets reset every single day. And every thought, every figment of your imagination, anything that takes up space in your mind, costs energy, which depletes your battery. 

Now, your battery is gonna get depleted, every single day, but it’s up to you to decide how that energy is spent. 

Therefore, the price of every thought that you have is an opportunity cost. 

Is what you’re thinking about right now the best use of your mental energy?

Can you conserve your mental energy by not having any thoughts and being fully present, so that you can save that headspace for when you really need it? 

These are questions that I ask myself often as the day progresses.

And with the second one, yeah, it’s possible to have a clear mind, with no thoughts at all, that’s what it’s like to be fully present.

I’ve experienced it, you’ve experienced it, and it’s one of the best feelings in the world. 

Those times that you’re fully present and immersed in the moment is when you’re in a flow state, like when you’re doing something you really enjoy.

Perhaps that’s playing a sport, watching a movie or spending time with your family. We’ll make a separate post on flow states in the future, so I won’t get into it now. 

The point of this model is to act like an investor. To treat your mental bandwidth as a resource that you invest, every single day.

And the more your investments align with your goals and the life you want to live, the more likely you are to realize that vision. 

Also, the investments of your mental energy don’t need to be work-related 24/7. You could intentionally invest your mental energy in thinking about doing something nice for your partner; something that’ll make them smile. 

Or maybe you could think about designing a realistic workout plan that you actually enjoy and can stick to long-term.

All that matters is that you do your absolute best to be intentional about the way you use your mental bandwidth, day in and day out. 

It may seem robotic, but almost no one ever stumbled upon the life that they want. They made it happen intentionally, and you can do just that.

So if you’re willing, use this and the other models to improve your physical & mental health, your relationships, your career, your social life, your hobbies, etc. 

I’ve used all three of these models to improve every aspect of my life, and I continue to do so every single day.

To me it’s not robotic, it’s intentional, it’s peaceful, it’s rewarding, and it allows me to live in accordance with my long-term vision for what I want out of my life, and that makes me happy.

That’s A Wrap!

I hope you found this post valuable!

If you did, then consider sharing it with someone who you think it could help. The bigger our community, the more we can all help each other :)

Thanks again!

Your Internet Siblings,

The Healthy Kangaroo Team ;)