What part does mindset play in your success?
For many people, in particular those of us who are left-brained and task driven,
not much. We want to know what to do. “What steps do I need to take to reach my
goals?” “Don’t talk to me about that ethereal stuff!”
In the past, I’ve said that “Nothing gets done by simply thinking about it”.
While I still attest to the fact that accomplishment requires action, my mind
has changed regarding the unstated meaning, the implied “and furthermore…”.
That is, that mindset should be the lowest priority or even disregard altogether.
This past month, I was challenged by a mentor in a mastermind group
to write down my business goals and email them to him. Which I did.
So, then I was committed, no excuses
Although, this public declaration of my intent played a significant part in
realizing my goal, I’m convinced, it was the changes I made to my mindset
that put me over the top.
What is ‘Mindset’ anyway?
There are books written on the subject and there are several definitions
but I like this simple answer:
“A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines
a persons responses to and interpretations of situations.”
In other words, the way I interpret and respond to situations is pre-programmed
based on what I think about. And it seems reasonable then to assume, that, for
the most part, my responses will be positive if my thoughts are positive and
vice-versa.
“What you think about, comes about”
“As you sow, so shall you reep”
“Out of the heart, the tongue speaks”
I began to change my negative thoughts by simply disagreeing with them. I would
catch myself pondering my ‘underwhelming’ sales or stressing out about upcoming
bills. I would contradict my thoughts by saying something like:
“No, that’s wrong. I am the leader people are looking for. There’s an
abundance of qualified people who will only get into business with me”
(I did this silently, if I was in public. It’s better to keep quiet and
let people think your weird, than to speak up and remove all doubt.)
These affirmations did change my attitude. But what I found most remarkable
was that I was focusing on the solution and taking action. Absent was the feeling
sorry for myself and navel gazing.
As a result, I not only achieved my goal, I exceeded it. It was the most
stress-free month I can remember.
Mindset can energize you or it can stifle you. But it’s not neutral. It’s our
responsibility to take charge of our own programming and to use mindset
to our advantage. If you’re interested learning more about how you can drive
your own success through the power of your mind, sign in to my newletter on
the form to the right of this post.
Tags: mindset
