Mindset For Success Includes Commitment to Change
Success in business and in life depends on our thought process and our behavior.
Until I was a business owner, I battled a mindset of pessimism disguised as realism. I convinced myself that I wasn't really negative, just pointing out the realities of what would happen if I took a risk. Then I wouldn't take a risk. Which shows just how wrong I was in my thinking.
At one time I viewed all optimistic people as unrealistic and living with their heads in the clouds. They were Pollyannas and were welcome to their thinking, even if I thought it was wrong.
Then, tired of not succeeding and tired of feeling stuck in life and working at jobs that were causing me enough stress that I was getting physically ill, I began watching optimistic people. I listened when they spoke of:
- blessings from tragedies
- how tomorrow will be a better day
- being grateful for pain because it made them appreciate those days when there was no pain
I began to see that an optimistic person wasn't all fluff. Instead, they were seeing things from a different perspective. They weren't denying the tragedy or pain, but accepting it as it was while having faith that it would pass.
Commitment to Change
A year before I opened my business, I spent some time with a friend who is a successful business owner and consultant. She helped me see how important it was that I be committed to changing my perception of Risk vs. Security, of Failure vs. Success. I needed to be committed to changing myself so that I could succeed in business. This meant that I would need to learn new skills, primarily public speaking and business networking both online and offline. It meant that I had to be prepared to learn how to deal with the peaks and valleys of owning a business. I told her I understood the challenge and that I was committed.
I began to seek out people who were optimistic and successful. And I learned from them.
Grow Because You Know
Now I believe that the person with a mindset for success is positive, looks outside the box, and is willing to make mistakes. They follow through and don’t give up when things become challenging.
They think bigger and bolder.
They do away with the self-sabotaging patterns of behavior of narrow focus and being unable to see the bigger picture.
A person with a success mindset takes the time to expand their understanding and think bigger in any situation.
They do not only ask questions, they ask better questions.
Asking better questions gives you a different perspective about the situations you find yourself in.
These questions include:
- What have I learned from this going through this experience?
- What would I do differently if given another chance?
- How will changing my response help me get what I want?
- What are the potential benefits in this situation?
I learned to ask these questions. As I began developing a success mindset, I treated the process as an experiment. I knew that change doesn’t happen overnight, that it’s a process.
I began to grow mentally because when challenged by a situation I met it head on, rather than walk away in defeat.
I began to grow spiritually and emotionally because I had to rely on faith, on connecting with other people and on trust in my personal relationships.
I began to grow financially because I was willing to commit to changing my mindset.
If you're just beginning your journey of changing your mindset, I encourage you to stick with your commitment to change. It isn't easy, nor do you really want it to be. Because, really, if you think about it, just how much would you value your success if you didn't have to work for it?
