In this 3 part blog series, I’ll be sharing with you 7 ways that you can begin thinking right now in order create a mindset that sets you up for success day in and day out.
Before we get started with Part One, I wanted to share some good news with you. You have access to one of the most powerful tools ever available to anyone on the planet to help you to make it happen in your life and business.
You carry it around with you each day, you talk to it, you create with it and you use it to solve problems, remember phone numbers and to envision how you want your future to be.
It’s your mind. And it’s the most important tools you’ll ever use to make it happen – whatever “it” is for you.
You’re going to hear me mention the term “make it happen” a LOT and you may have guessed by now that that’s what I am MOST passionate about helping people (and businesses) to do. To make “it” happen.
To make their goals, dreams and desired outcomes a reality.
Mindset seems to be a very popular buzz word now. And I’m sure you’re aware of how important it is to develop a mindset that sets you up for success so that you can make it happen.
But what does the term mindset actually mean?
What is mindset?
Mindset is HOW we think about and react to people, situations and events in our lives
Mindset is WHAT we think, our ‘frame’ and the way in which we INTERPRET what happens
Mindset is HOW WHAT WE THINK impacts our emotional state, our levels of motivation and our ability to achieve our goals in life and business
MINDSET IS ONLY HALF of the success equation… and it’s a good half to start with!
What is a mindset hack?
A new way of thinking and be-ing that supports you in achieving your goals.
A mind-body-spirit collaboration to develop your mental and emotional agility and resilience so that no matter what happens, you can bounce back, leap over obstacles and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.
Hacks are concepts that I invite you to pre-suppose are true. ACT as if they are TRUE. Notice what happens as you try on each mindset hack and do the activities. And I invite you to share your experiences in the She Makes it Happen! Facebook Group.
How our minds work
Human beings are born pattern makers. The world is infinitely rich in sensory experiences but we only have the mental capacity to pay attention to a small portion of what is available at any one time.
You can see, hear, feel, taste, smell and be talking to yourself all at the same time. Through your senses you experience the world in a myriad of ways.
Can you feel your legs on the chair right now or notice your breathing? Pay attention to everything that is white that is the room you are in now.
Before I mentioned those things to you, they were in all likelihood outside of your conscious awareness. Because you weren’t PAYING ATTENTION to them.
Because of all the information that is available to us at any one time, to maintain any meaningful sense of permanence and continuity we need to SIMPLIFY our experience.
We do this by generalising what we perceive and organising it into patterns.
We then interpret the world in light of these patterns.
And pay attention to what we want to be consciously aware of at any one time. Seeing patterns lightens your mental load. And FILTERS out what you don’t need to know. From the flow of information available to us we filter out what is relevant or important.
I prefer to term it how you pay attention to the world.
What I notice is influenced by my intention or need at the time. And it’s the same for you, too.
For example, if you are tiling your bathroom and have a need to buy tiles you’ll suddenly notice tile shops on every corner.
If you want to become pregnant, pregnant women are everywhere.
The minute you purchase your new car, you drive off the forecourt of the dealership and notice three of the same make and model when you are driving home.
In addition to paying attention to what is important to us at the time, we also process information through several other filters.
These include, but are not limited to:
our memories or past experiences
our preferred language – whether we have a preference for paying attention to the world visually, auditorially or kinaesthetically
our beliefs and values – what we believe to be true and what is important to us
our attitudes to events, people and situations
As a result of being passed through these filters, what we experience and how we make sense of the information we receive is to give it MEANING.
We make an internal representation of that, we have a physiological response and we have an emotional response to what is going on around us.
And as a RESULT of that, we then react or respond with some kind of BEHAVIOUR.
The key thing to note here is that several people can have the same experience – be in the same situation and they will behave differently as a result BECAUSE every person has their own way of experiencing REALITY.
And for every person THEIR version of REALITY is TRUE. Based on their past experiences, beliefs and values.
Here’s an example in action:
You haven’t had much luck with men. You’ve had several relationships that haven’t worked out well. You’re beginning to wonder if there are any “decent” men out there. This is something you regularly lament with your friends / sister / mother about. “The good ones are all taken or gay” you say.
You have just started dating someone new called “Dave”. Dave is going on a sailing trip today with some friends who invited him months ago. As you’re only newly dating, you’re not going along.
You send Dave a text message saying “Hey Dave, hope you’re having a great day, looks like it’s perfect weather for sailing”.
A few minutes go by. No response.
An hour passes. No response.
Three hours pass. No response.
It’s now 8pm in the evening and you’ve still not heard from Dave.
What could you choose to think / feel about this situation as the day goes by?
1. That’s strange, he usually texts me straight back.
2. He’s obviously having a good time with his friends.
3. He doesn’t care about me.
4. You text Dave again “It’s over”
5. All men are bastards (the good ones are taken or gay)
OR
1. Dave usually texts me straight back. I guess he’s having a great time with his friends. I look forward to hearing about it when he calls me later.
What happened? Dave left his phone at home. What’s the impact on your relationship with him?
You can choose to think, react and respond to people and situations in ways that serve you and in ways that do not.
This leads us nicely into our first Mindset Hack.
Mindset Hack #1 I am in charge of my mind and therefore I am in charge of my results.
This one is interesting to get your head around, because as we’ve just seen, your mind isn’t just about what you think about.
It’s also about how your REACTION and RESPONSES to the way you think about or INTERPRET external events creates the BEHAVIOUR (positive or negative) that you engage in as a result.
And these reactions, responses and behaviours can HELP you or HINDER you in your quest to achieve the outcomes you desire.
The way that you choose to think about or interpret everything is a choice.
It may not be a conscious choice, but you can start to become aware of how you are reacting to situations and experiences and what happens as a result of those reactions.
Are you getting or achieving what you want? Or not?
Because if you are not getting the results you desire, you can decide to make a change. You can start to pay attention to and make a note of your reactions, responses and outcomes by using the Thoughts into Action Worksheet.
Understanding what you choose to BELIEVE about specific situations is also key to making your intended outcomes a reality for you.
Because when you want to MAKE IT HAPPEN, taking inspired action towards an intended outcome AND having the belief that you can make it happen is key.
To achieve a desired outcome, you need to BELIEVE three things:
1. It is possible to achieve it
2. You are able to achieve it
3. You deserve to achieve it
We look at beliefs – how to uncover them and how to change them – in a lot more depth in the She Makes it Happen Program.
As a starting point, you may like to select one of your goals or desired outcomes and answer the 3 questions:
1. Do I believe it is possible to achieve x?
2. Am I able to achieve x?
3. Do I deserve to achieve x?
And see what comes up for you.
Meantime, remember to say to yourself: I am in charge of my mind and therefore my results!
Stay tuned for Mindset Hack #2 tomorrow
And remember to share your comments below or over in the She Makes it Happen! with Lara Young Facebook Group.
With all my best wishes
Lara Young Business Coach
PS: If you would like access to the video version of this blog post, plus access to the worksheets, click here.