Curious about how I used lockdown as a chance to jumpstart two major Bucket List items? Dive into my full journey here: Read the full blog

Book 4/52 of My #52Books52Weeks Bucket List Challenge

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from living my Bucket List Life is this: Your beliefs shape your actions, and your actions shape your reality.

That’s why Useful Belief by Chris Helder was a must-read in my #52Books52Weeks challenge. This book takes a fresh approach to mindset—going beyond just being "positive" and instead focusing on what’s actually useful for creating the life you want.

Helder argues that positive thinking isn’t always enough. Sometimes, trying to be positive feels forced—especially when life throws challenges at you. Instead, he introduces the concept of Useful Belief:

💡 What is the most useful belief I can have right now?

Instead of asking, “Is this true?” you ask, “Does this belief help me move forward?” This simple shift can change the way you approach goals, challenges, and setbacks—especially when chasing big dreams.

Key Takeaways from Useful Belief

• Forget Just “Thinking Positive” – Focus on What’s Useful – Optimism is great, but action is better. What belief will get you moving forward?

• Your Perspective Shapes Your Reality – If you believe you’re in the best possible time and place to succeed, you’ll find opportunities instead of excuses.

• Action Over Emotion – Even when you don’t feel motivated, act as if you are. The right actions will create the right mindset.

• Change the Questions You Ask Yourself – Instead of “Why is this happening to me?” ask “What’s the most useful way to approach this?”

• Useful Beliefs Are a Choice – No one else controls what you believe. You decide what serves you best.

How Useful Belief Relates to Living a Bucket List Life

1. Useful Belief Helps You Say "Why Not?" Instead of "I Can’t" – If you believe you don’t have enough time, money, or skill to tick something off your Bucket List, you’ll never start. Instead, ask: What’s the most useful belief I can have to make this happen?

2. You’ll See Opportunities, Not Limitations – The world is full of reasons why you can’t do something. Useful Belief shifts your focus to what you can do.

3. When Life Throws Challenges, You Pivot – During lockdown, I could’ve believed “I can’t tick off my Bucket List because I can’t travel.” Instead, I adopted the Useful Belief: “This is the best time to write my book and tackle my 52-book challenge.”

4. Fear Won’t Hold You Back – Whether it’s skydiving, public speaking, or running a marathon, a Useful Belief can override fear. Instead of “I’m not ready for this,” you believe, “This experience will make me stronger.”

5. You’ll Take More Action – The people who live their Bucket List don’t just dream about it—they do it. Useful Belief helps you focus on the next step instead of getting stuck in overthinking.

Reading Useful Belief reinforced something I’ve always taught: Your mindset is everything when it comes to creating a life you love. You don’t need to be endlessly positive—you just need to choose beliefs that actually help you move forward.

So, here’s my challenge to you: What’s one belief that’s holding you back from living your Bucket List? And what’s a more useful belief you could choose instead?

Let’s keep growing and ticking off life’s big goals! 🚀

Stay tuned for Book 5 of 52 as I continue this adventure of learning and growth!

#BucketListLife #UltimateChallenge #52Books52Weeks

What's one Useful Belief you can adopt today
to move closer to your dreams?

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