Your Mindset Determines Everything
Last week, I read an article about the British Royal Marines and how they approach each situation they encounter. What was fascinating about this was that everything the Royal Marines do is based on training and mindset.
And that got me thinking about the role mindset has in our lives. If you think back to everything you have been successful at and remember how you achieved it, you will see that it was down to mindset. Either you were in no doubt you would succeed, or you were determined to make it happen.
Likewise, if you look back at your failures and compare how you felt about things, you will notice you were not confident or doubted your abilities.
This begins with the day. If you start the day excited and ready for the day, you are more likely to have a great day. On the other hand, if you begin dreading going to work, your day will be miserable.
This is why so many people hate Mondays. But Monday is just another day. There are seven of them, and they all have twenty-four hours. We have phrases such as; ‘Monday blues,” or in Korea, it’s called “Monday sickness”, yet what’s so different about a Monday? It’s the start of a new week, we go back to work, and whether we enjoy the day or not is purely mindset. Start the day with dread, and of course, the day will be dreadful. But, start the day with enthusiasm, and you are going to have a much more positive day.
Your mindset has such a powerful effect on your life. It’s not just about positive thinking, either. Being flexible and willing to change your approach if your first attempt did not achieve the results you wanted is all mindset. The willingness to adapt and change is all in your mind. If you think you cannot adjust and change, that will be your reality. If you accept the old saying: “if at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again”, you will eventually find success. It might take you longer than you anticipated, but that determination not to quit will ultimately lead you to the right avenue.
Unfortunately, mindset has a negative friend called your comfort zone. Your comfort zone will do everything it can to keep you where you are. So, if all your colleagues at work say the same negative thing on a Monday morning, your comfort zone will never let you express an alternative view. Change is uncomfortable, so we stay firmly in our comfort zone even though we know if we want to achieve our goals and experience new things, we must step outside that comfort zone, and to achieve that, we need the help of our mindset.
Starting the day telling yourself you will enjoy the day regardless of what and not accept any negativity engages your mindset. The good thing about mindset is that it is more potent than your comfort zone. You just need to harness its power.
I use mindset when I don’t want to exercise. It could be a cold, wet, windy day, yet it coincides with a run day. Every bone in my body tells me to stay inside, keep warm, and not go outside. If I engage my mindset and tell myself that going outside for that run will be exhilarating — feeling the rain run down my face and that cold icy wind in my face will wake me up and energise me — changes my mindset. I have a steely determination to get out and run.
And the truth is, the best runs I’ve ever had were on these cold, wet, windy days. It’s not the actual run; it’s the wonderful feeling I have when I return home and jump in the shower, knowing I did not give in to my comfort zone and did the hard thing.
So, how do you engage a positive mindset? The simplest way is to stand up and move. When you are sat down, your physiology is in a negative state. You’re hunched over. You need to stand up tall, move around and pretty soon, your more positive mindset will take over, and you’re ready to go.
The great thing about being a human being is we have choice. We can choose to be pessimistic about the day or decide to make it a positive day, and that all comes down to our mindset about the day. It’s a simple trick, yet an incredible one to use.
This is why I separate my objectives for the day (and why I call them my objectives, not tasks). When I see two or three tasks that are labelled as my objectives for the day, I am much more determined to make sure I complete those tasks. If those tasks were hidden in a list of other, less critical tasks, I would just dread starting the day. There would be no energy to complete them. In a way, I am hacking my mindset.
So, as you go through the week, experiment using your mindset to turn dark, depressing days into more positive, energising days. It’s a simple shift that will move you closer to your goals and ultimately a lot more happiness.
Thank you for reading my stories! 😊
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