3 Steps to Overcome Mental Blocks and Find Success

Ever feel stuck, unmotivated, or just plain overwhelmed by life's challenges? In this episode, James shares the powerful AAA Method—a 3-step process designed to help you break free from mental roadblocks and take control of your life. Learn how the "three A's" can transform your mindset and set you on a path to unstoppable success. Plus, discover the bonus 4th step that can accelerate your growth faster than you ever thought possible!

Major Takeaways:

• The hidden trap that keeps most people stuck—and how to break out of it
• Why awareness is the most underrated skill you never knew you needed
• How to rewrite your inner narrative and finally silence self-doubt
• The critical mistake most people make with affirmations (and how to fix it)
• Why positive thinking alone won't change your life (and what will)
• The one action step that turns dreams into reality—without fail
• A powerful 4th key that amplifies your growth—warning: it’s not for the faint-hearted
• How to spot the patterns holding you back (and flip the script)
• The ultimate mindset hack to break free from fear and hesitation
• Why taking action is the missing link between you and the life you want

If you want to know more about Seasonal Affective Disorder, check out this classic episode of the podcast!

Winter blues got you feeling S.A.D.? Here's how to beat it and keep your mindset shining bright!

 #AAAMethod #MindsetMastery #BreakFree #UnstoppableSuccess #AffirmationsThatWork #ActionTakers #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowthJourney #MentalBreakthrough #UnstoppableMindset 

Transcript

Hello, Hello! And welcome back to the show, all right. Just a quick update about life, about what's going on in my world, because then it will lead into what this episode is all going to be about here in the Midwest. We got hit by yet another snowstorm thankfully. This one wasn't too bad. We have had the cold weather for quite a while again now, but we got a little bit more snow this weekend.

and, man, it just puts me in the worst moods. I swear I try to be a positive, you know. Uplifting kind of guy you listen to this. You know who I am. You know what I'm about about trying to be positive, trying to be inspirational, motivational, and seeing the best and everything. But I just don't fucking see the best when it comes to this nasty snow mess. It's just not my jam.

you know. If you've been part of my world for any length of time whatsoever, you know, I do not like the snow, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to move out of the Midwest here in just the next couple of years and get someplace where it's nice and sunny and warm, and I can just enjoy the weather. 24, 7,

you know, not to go on a rant here, but just kind of paint the picture, you know. Here in the Midwest. The weather is always up and down. You never know what to expect. You know the the running joke here in the area is, if you don't like the weather, just wait 30 min, it's going to change, you know, but right now we're going through again. A nasty cold spell, single digits below freezing below 0 temps. I think you're expected this week again. We got a little bit of snow today.

And how this directly affects what we're going to talk about here on the podcast today is

something. I recognized a couple of years ago is, I never been clinically diagnosed, but I feel like I suffer from a condition called sad, seasonal, affective disorder. And so really, what that is in the loosest terms possible. It's

you get depressed, you get down, you feel funky, you know, when you go through this season of the year. It's it's a season where there's not as much daylight. It's overcast more often it's cold, it's just dreary. It's not, you know, that fun, sunny, warm weather that makes you want to get up and get outside and do fun things and be able to enjoy life.

And so I don't know if you're aware of this disorder, or if you suffer from it, or if you're, you know a snow, Bunny, you love the snow, and you enjoy this time of year, and you can't wait for it, and you look forward to it. If if that's the case, more power to you, my friend, you are not my people, and I say the most loving way possible. But you and I are not connected on that deep, deep level, because that is just not my jam. It just does not work for me whatsoever. But yeah.

being aware of that, and recognizing that has been a huge huge piece of my life.

you know, and understanding what's gonna happen at this time of year.

Because so we just had a situation, you know, like, just a couple of days ago, my daughter, you know she wanted. She asked if I could let her, you know, go spend some time at a friend's house. They were going to color her hair. They're going to have some fun, and my daughter, my daughter doesn't get out and spend time with friends like that very often. So I was really looking forward the opportunity for her to go do that and enjoy that time. But then, as we got ready to hit it.

here we come.

freezing rain. Now I'm having to worry about, you know. Are the roads going to be okay or not? You know, because I don't want her out and about in that type of conditions, because then it might not be safer to get back home. So you know, you end up dealing with these things and these type of things frustrate me, and they annoy the crap out of me. And so this is where that sad disorder really kicks in. It's just it. It depresses me. It puts me in a bad state of mind, because then I can't really

plan anything I don't feel because I don't know what the weather's gonna be like. I mean, I shouldn't say I don't know what's gonna be like. I don't know if it's going to be tolerable to go out and do anything to really enjoy time. You know, you can't really plan to go do a lot of stuff outside. You have to figure out. Well, what can we do indoors. Just not my thing.

But how this all leads into again, what we're going to talk about on the podcast today is the fact that I became aware of this condition a couple of years ago.

and this is part of a 3 step process that I share with my clients, you know, if you're going through struggles. You're going through challenges. There's a 3 step process to really help you get through them. And awareness is that 1st step. And so I want to share that step along with the other steps in this process with you. So if you are struggling, if you are feeling challenged in certain areas.

If we can kind of help get you through that. You know. If I can get you through that I know me using the three-step process. It helps me deal with this sad disorder.

in as good of a way as I possibly can. It doesn't make it go away, but at least I am able to deal with it in a much better fashion. So again, awareness is the very 1st step we've got to become aware of what the problem is you got to be aware that there is a problem too often. What happens is we go through life not realizing there's a problem. We don't realize that

things aren't supposed to be the way they are, and I shouldn't say supposed to. But there's a different way that things can be in our lives. We accept what is and think. This is the only way that life can possibly be possibly be. And that's not always the case.

More often than not there are multiple opportunities, multiple ways and multiple variations of how life can be and how life can unfold for us. Once we become aware that the way that we're living, and the way that things are going isn't the only option.

So really raising your awareness. So look around at your life, look and say, hey? Is there a place where I'm just not really feeling in alignment? Is there a place where I'm just not really feeling connected? This doesn't feel like how I think life could be, or life should be never a big fan of should. But is there a place in my life where I don't feel like life should be like this. Is there something else that I really wish life could be like

that opens up that door for awareness? You can say, okay, well, wait a minute. Yeah. I realize now this is something in my life that just isn't really fitting, is it? You know? Is it your money? Is it your relationships, is it, you know, feeling down and depressed when I know that's not me. That's not the type of person I am.

I know. Okay, if I'm feeling down and depressed consistently, and I'm cranky. And I'm edgy. And I'm short with people more often than not. There's got to be something going on. This isn't me that we all know that I am so raising. That awareness is the 1st step.

The second step is

well, I was going to kind of spin it a certain way. But the second step is affirmations, you know, and affirmations is really just changing the story. And here's where I kind of pause there for a second, because I was like, what do I just go? Reference back to the episode a couple of episodes ago, and say, change your story. No, but it's going to be the triple a method. We'll stick with my normal fun way of sharing it. The affirmations, so the affirmations are just really. What are you saying about this? What is the story you're telling yourself about this particular situation?

What are the words you're repeating to yourself over and over and over again. Now, if I'm going through life

looking at this sad situation and saying, this just sucks. This is the worst ever. I I hate the cold weather. I hate snow, and this just means I'm stuck in this.

Then, of course, I'm going to continue to stay in that mindset that mentality and don't get me wrong. I'm not ever going to fucking skip a chance to say I, fucking hate the snow because I do. And yes, I always talk about gratitude and being grateful for things, and what I do is I will spin it from time to time. If there's a situation like today or this weekend, and

you know where it's really cold and really nasty. Right now, what I'm doing is like, I'm grateful for the fact that I'm just a couple of years away from moving to a warmer climate. I'm grateful for the fact that this will be one of the final times that I go through this situation. I'm grateful for the fact that here we are in February, and that we're just literally probably less a month away

from having to deal with any of the snow and any of this cold, you know. Ideally, we'll see what happens, because in the Midwest anything can happen. But I start being grateful for those things, I start changing it.

even though there's a part of me that just again hates this weather, hates this nastiness, hates all of this crazy mess I still try and find something that I can be grateful for, because there's always going to be something, even if I don't like the fact that there's snow on my sidewalk. You know. I had the situation last month when we just got dumped on. I forgot how deep it was, but it was deep. You know. I was out there shoveling the sidewalk for the 3rd time, and I was just finding gratitude in the fact that, hey.

this is literally going to be one of the final times that I ever have to do this. I mean, there's gonna be a few more times. I sure I'm sure I expect it's probably going to happen. But let me just be grateful for going through this process, and when I am living in a much warmer climate with the sun, and I never have to deal with snow again. I can think back, and I can be truly appreciative of that particular situation, because I'm like man. Remember those days of having to be out there and digging that snow up and

clearing off the sidewalk and salting the sidewalk and putting on the 5 layers of clothes to go outside, and whatever and all that I can really, truly appreciate where I'm at then, even more because of what I'm dealing with now in this cold climate, in this weather system that I'm a part of, and in this area that these type of things happen in.

So the affirmations, you know, you've probably heard about affirmations before. These are positive things that you can say to yourself.

and I'm not a really big fan of just running around like

saying, I'm happy. I'm happy. I'm happy. I'm happy because

if I'm not happy that's a bullshit story, and I'm not going to make myself happy by just saying, I'm happy. I'm happy. I'm happy. I'm happy. But changing the words that I'm using, changing the language when I can, and finding gratitude in there, wherever I can about the situation that I'm in, and using that to help shift the story around what I'm living with, what I'm dealing with. So you know, in your life again, what are the stories you're telling yourself? What are the words you're using? Describe your situation, the challenges that you're going through.

What are you saying about it? How much are you just spending time spewing hate, spewing, anger, spewing

just discontent about that situation? And where can you shift that a little bit again? Don't deny your feelings. I'm a big fan of just expressing your feelings when you need to express them getting that shit out of your system. But then shifting that perspective and saying, Okay, now.

what can I focus on this positive? What are the things that I can start saying that I truly believe, and that I feel 100 truthfully in my heart, in my soul about this situation. What can I be grateful for what can I start saying? That's a positive about this situation, and then moving through that step. So 1st again getting awareness, and then second, your affirmations, changing the story. What you're saying about the situation. The 3rd step in this 3 step process is

actions. What actions are you taking? So here was always a big problem I had with affirmations back in the day when they were 1st introduced to me is you would hear affirmations like, I'm happy. I'm healthy. I'm this. I'm that I'm whatever, and if you're not taking action, then they are just bullshit, empty words.

And I think what for me

really did not resonate was the fact that

too often I would hear affirmations be the be all end all you know, like that was supposed to be it like, if I sit here and stand in front of my mirror day after day after day, and say I'm happy, I'm happy, I'm happy. I'm happy. That means if I'm

truly depressed, I'm going to change my perspective. I'm going to change my mindset to being a happy person. It's bullshit. If I'm sitting in front of my mirror, and I'm chanting I am fit, I'm fit, I'm fit, I'm fit, I'm fit, but I'm stuffing my face with Cheetos and sitting on my couch all fucking day every day, and I'm not going out doing any exercise, and I'm not doing anything like that.

It's bullshit again. Those affirmations are complete bullshit. So we have to follow up these new stories, these new words, this new language that we're using with actions you have to take action. So what are the actions that you can take.

So for me again to circle this all back around to this sad situation. What I do is I have been trying to find, you know. How can I find places to go that are hopefully, fairly local. So I don't have to worry too much about what the weather's doing that. I can get out as often as possible, not get stuck in the house too much. You know. The weather is going to limit the amount of time that I can get out and about especially just being outside

but what are the things that I can do

on a semi-regular basis to get out, and about a little bit more. Are there places that I can go that I don't have to worry about.

you know, putting on 5 layers of clothes or traveling too far, because then that makes it more of a challenge, because I don't know what the weather is going to be like over in Missouri. So if I'm going over to St. Louis, Saint Louis is actually about 2225 miles from where I live, and and a lot of the stuff is even further than that, because

I'm on the Illinois side of Missouri, and then you drive to St. Louis. Well, then, there's a bunch of stuff on the other side, like the west side of St. Louis. That's where a lot of the fun stuff is at. So we're talking like a 30, 45 min drive. I don't know if the roads are going to be like over there.

I don't know why the hell I got over on this. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, getting out. That's what it was. But

really trying to find what are the things that I can do on a regular basis to get myself out and about. So instead of just saying that, okay, this is the last time I have to deal with this, and there are other fun things that I can do while I'm here. Whatever you know, I'm saying to myself, I'm taking action on those things as I'm talking about moving somewhere else. I'm reaching out to people

and talking to them and saying, Hey, I'm semi interested in the area that you live in. Kind of. Tell me a little bit about that, because I've got a couple of areas right now that I'm interested in moving to. Obviously, la has always been number one on the list. We'll see about that. California's gotten a little too crazy, it seems like these days. But

that's still a very real possibility. Still number one at a time, you know. At this at this current moment, but looking, you know, maybe, like some someplace like Austin, Texas, St. Petersburg, Slash, Tampa, Florida.

I got a decent number of friends live down that way, Colorado, Denver, for some reason that's been kind of in my mind, even though that's not sunny and warm all the time. That's like a way outside possibility. But you know, reaching out to people and talking to people. Oh, yeah, Vegas, you know that's something. Might be a little too hot, but maybe someplace out in Arizona again, maybe possibly too hot. But reaching out talking to people. I'm taking action. So I'm moving out of this

negative talk or like this negative mindset this negative situation that I've been stuck in. I'm taking those affirmations and those things I'm saying, okay, I'm going to be appreciative of

this time. Now, when I've moved to somewhere else. Well, let's start taking action. Let's start looking at. Where else am I moving? Who can I talk to? To give me some ideas about some great places to move, and really just taking action to get yourself out of these situations.

so to recap the 3 steps here for you. It is awareness

getting aware of the situation, affirmations, changing the language, changing the wording that you're using around the situation and action, taking action to physically change that situation and to start living. What you're saying in those affirmations. And that's the 3 step process that you can use in just about any situation that you find yourself stuck in, that you find yourself trapped, in that you find yourself not living the life that you want to live. If you

raise that awareness.

start changing the words that you're saying about, and the stories you're telling yourself about it and then start taking action to change that situation. It will transform whatever situation you're in. And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna go ahead and give you an actual bonus 4th one that you've heard me talk about many times. But

repetition is the key with a lot of this stuff. I got to repeat it over and over, and over, and over and over again, just as much for myself as I do for you. But the 4th key that you can use here. And the 4th step is community. Putting yourself in a community of people like minded people.

you know, who are growth oriented, who are focused on positive things, who are focused on creating the best life for themselves. And, you know, shameless plug. Here we go to shamelessly plug elevate here for you, because this is a community. This is a place where you can have that group people around you to support you, to guide you the challenge you that hold you accountable, that, you know are going to lift you up and keep you focused on the things that are going to drive you forward in life. They're going to get you to where you want to be, you know, for me.

going through this sad part of the year. It's so much easier to deal with when I have friends that I can talk to consistently when I can connect with people consistently

and hear about the stories that they're going through, and even if nothing else, living vicariously through them, I've got friends as I shared that live in the Tampa area. I've got friends that live in Arizona. I've got friends that live in California, and so, if nothing else, as I'm sitting here in this sucky, cold, nasty weather, I can live vicariously through them and picture myself in their situation, and knowing that hey, this is

my future. This is where I'm going to be. I'm going to be one of those people soon. So putting yourself in a community of again, like minded people who are living some of the things that you want to live in your life is an amazing way to help you deal with whatever situation you're dealing with, because when you see that the situation you're in right now is not permanent. It makes it so much easier to get through. It makes it so much easier to do the work that you need to do to get you out of that situation.

What happens is we get too caught up sometimes, I think, and feeling like this is a permanent situation.

If I were in a situation right now where I was back, where I used to be many, many, many years ago. It felt much harder to deal with because I was in a situation where I knew I was 10 years away, 15 years away from that opportunity to move.

You know I've shared the story in the past. Before that I had the intention of moving years ago. My son was 15 years old. I felt like, Okay, he's getting ready to graduate high school here in a couple of years, and when he graduates high school I'm going to take off. I'm going to get someplace nice and warm, and that was the year that his sister was born.

and I started this process all over again. You know she wasn't playing, but she is absolutely loved and absolutely so happy to have her here, and as a part of my life. And you know that is a commitment that I made that I was going to stay here where her mom was at, because her mom and I divorced. But I was going to stay here because I wasn't going to separate her from her mother, and I wasn't going to leave without my daughter, so

I was here until she graduates high school. Now she's just a couple of years out and no more kids for me. Damn it, that is not happening. And so once she graduated high school in a couple of years, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I see that it's right here, and it makes it so much easier to deal with this to feel like I'm ready to move forward, and I know that it's right there.

So

take these 4 steps. Take these 4 keys and use them in whatever situations you're dealing with whatever challenge you're coming up with right now use these to get you through, because they'll do it. And you know, irregardless of what you're going through right now, these 3 steps plus that 4th key with the community.

We'll get you through any of that if you will take the time to use them. So one last time to recap for you awareness, affirmations, and action are the 3 keys to get you through any situation that you are struggling with, and if you add in that community piece, as I shared elevate, if you add that piece into it.

man, there's nothing that's going to stop you. So get out there have an amazing fucking day, and I'll see you next time.