5 Practices to Shift Your Mindset
Last night we went out for a meal with the family, which is rare these days because one, we're usually wiped by Sunday night and just all want to stay in; and two, usually someone has youth ensemble, theater, or a game. We went to an Asian street food place and gorged on okonomiyaki, spicy noodles, and curry rice. And laughed, talked about football (to which I contributed zero thoughts), recapped our days, and enjoyed talking face-to-face (instead of texting).
But then on the way home, my son fell quiet and his face got that worried look. I asked, "hey bud, what's wrong"?
"Nothing", he said.
"It's just that it's Sunday night and I have to wake up early for school tomorrow."
He actually enjoys school, it's the getting up and at'em at 6:15am that he dreads.
Me, too. And "Sunday Scaries" don't get better as we get older, am I right!?
There's stuff we have to do. The daily muck, dealing with tasks, working through difficulties, things you don't want to do. You know there will be drama, annoyances, hard work, things that test you. You might be dealing with not feeling your best, you're discouraged or disappointed, or have a slew of assignments and tests coming up, plus a review at work, or ... or ... or. It's a range of "adulting" that is better just swept into a cardboard box and forgotten. Where is the easy button for all this?
But what if...
You gave those swirling thoughts a rest for a moment. What if instead of giving in to the negative spiral you connect to your inner still voice? That light inside that you get to choose on a Sunday night or Monday morning?
I said, "In science class you're going to get to see if the wolf spider ate the house spider in your eco tank!" and "I'm sure everyone will be talking about the Bengals winning their first game of the season" (that, I knew, ha). He brightened.
Maybe all it takes is to connect to one thing you're looking forward to. It can be one thought that gives a domino effect to stop that tidal wave of scaries.
Yes, the good news is: you can design your attitude. See, your inner self hungers to feel in your power, at peace, resilient, adaptable, connected, and GOOD. It's a hunger to improve, feel confident and competent, to contribute, make an impact. Sometimes it's easier to doubt our abilities, to stay on the couch.
When you ask what you're hungry for - - you connect to what you want, rather than what you don't want. It gives you reasons to show up, do the work, care for others, make the phone calls. Pay attention to this burning desire. Stay hungry.
It all comes down to a mindset shift. In an age when we're so easily distracted, everyone and everything is competing for our attention, our connection to ourselves gets blurred. We stop asking what we truly want. We stop feeling it!
You’ve met “those” people...
- they believe life is never fair
- something is always happening to them. (I.e., How could she do that to me.)
- they believe they’re just not good enough, and that’s why they didn’t get X, Y or Z.
But you’ve probably also met other people who:
- view challenge as an opportunity
- use adversity to change the world
- believe they’ll find a way and they can grow their skills and abilities.
The exact same event could happen to these two people (even with similar experiences or abilities) and the way they move forward in their life will be completely different.
The difference?
Your mindset! And guess what? You can choose and design it.
Tap into your inner wisdom, connect to the hunger, and create the intention of how you want to see and experience life. Here are 5 practices to shift your mindset by Vinita Bansal, the founder of TechTello and author of Upgrade Your Mindset: How to Overcome Limiting Beliefs and Tap Your Potential!
- Recognize possibilities, not limits
- Focus on learning, not proving
- Succeed together, not alone
- Be a creator, not a victim
- Act proactively, not reactively
We made a worksheet that teases out each of these points, which is part of the Mindset chapter of the Thrive Professional Development and Entrepreneurship Program.
Download it now, banish those Sunday Scaries, and start to master your mindset!
Cheering for you!
