In today’s world of distractions, shortcuts and quick fixes, we have lost our focus and appreciation for the art of taking time to do things well.
We are all looking for a quick fix to solve our pressing problems.
But, our brains, bodies and emotions don’t work well with quick fixes. They end up getting depleted and depressed, creating more problems for us in the longer term.
When we take the time to develop deep expertise in the area of our mindset, the lasting quality and effects can be seen in improved resilience, better relationships, deeper insights and clearer focus and attention.
I call this the “Conscious Consistency” method to mastering your mindset. Learn more about the importance of Mastering Your Mindset here
But, where do you start?
Here are 12 Secrets to Master Mindset:
One: Kick-Start Your Day with Positive Affirmations
What you focus on expands, so pay attention to the positive right from the start!
Have you ever woken up late, got anxious and panicked and then felt like nothing good happened the rest of the day?
This is likely because you started out the day with a negative emotion.
Instead of letting this dominate your day, start your day with positive affirmations.
Talk to yourself, even if you feel silly, with statements like, “I’m going to be awesome today." or "Whatever happens today, I've got this.”
Two: Focus on the Positive, No Matter How Small
Almost without fail we are going to experience negative events during our days —there’s no such thing as a perfect day.
When this happens, try to focus on the benefits, no matter how slight or unimportant they seem.
Three: Set Boundaries
You cannot get your priority work done if you are in a constant state of reaction.
You have to protect your priority work time by blocking out your diary, turning off your phone and closing down your email.
And, probably most important: you have to protect your creative energy for these tasks by avoiding the office “Negative “Nelly’s”
Four: Take Ownership Over Your Attitude
Learn to interrupt those moments of quiet “disquiet” and replace them with the courage to take action in spite of your negative feelings.
Five: Turn Failures into Lessons
You aren’t perfect. You’re going to make mistakes and experience failure in multiple contexts, at multiple jobs and with multiple people. Instead of focusing on how you failed, think about what you’re going to do next time.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist says it perfectly: "Your attitude owns you if you do not own it!"
Six: Embrace Your Imperfections
Learning to acknowledge and embrace your imperfections will allow you to move forward rather than staying stuck.
Hiding from your growth opportunities means you’ll never overcome them.
Seven: Learn to Reframe Criticism as Something Positive
You will learn much more from constructive criticism than praise.
So, dig deep to find the lessons in other’s feedback.
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Eight: Change your Perspective
Creating a revitalised mindset means learning to take a step back and in order to see things from different perspectives. Read my article about the unexpected link between flying and problem solving that I discovered on a trip to Townsville
Nine: Make Time for Your Mistakes
Learning something quickly does not necessarily mean that you have also learnt it well.
Learning something ‘properly’ sometimes takes longer and you need to make time for your mistakes to happen.
Ten: Make Challenges Your New Best Friend
Life is a bit like climbing a mountain: in order to climb a mountain, you must be prepared and ready to overcome a myriad of challenges in order to get to the top.
Along the way you may risk your life, but it’s all about learning to take positive action time and time again.
No matter how far you may fall, you have to continue to get back up.
Resilience, agility and achieving your goals are just some of your rewards. Read more about the courage it takes to develop resilience here.
Eleven: Learn to Value the Experience Rather than the Result
You have heard the term, “life is a journey enjoy the ride”
Learning to value the experience in every new situation will allow us to enjoy the journey so much more. So often we think we have to be the best in a specific area and in the process of trying to hit goals, deadlines and be the best, we burn out and lose our passion for the process.
If you focus on the experience rather than the end result, you will have a lot more fun and you might, unwittingly, find something which you are actually good at – even if that’s not the point.
Twelve: Allow Yourself to Dream
Every new adventure, or achievement, begins with a dream.
Allow yourself to dream.
Do not place limitations on these dreams.
Your dreams are part of your creative self. If you embrace them, you will identify new opportunities for growth.
When you identify these opportunities, try them out.
Ending Off:
Learning these 12 Secrets to Master Mindset is just a starting point to change.
As you begin to develop mastery over your mindset, you will notice that life starts to slow down and you are able to appreciate the wonderful mystery of the seemingly mundane.
And when you start to live in this way, you may realize that mastery is not even the goal!
To develop and learn to master your mindset will depend on your willingness and commitment to change your most powerful beliefs so that you can become a new, improved version of yourself.
All it takes is a moment of decision.
Are you ready to master yours?
If so, check out our Master Your Mindset Quiz which will give you insight into where you are on your mindset journey and what to do next...
Until next time, I'll
See you at top!
Ready to Transform your leadership?
Set up a free discovery call with me and let's create an action plan tailored to your needs
