“My goal is not to be better than anyone else, but to be better than I used to be.” — Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
If there is anything to truly grasp at the end of the day it should be this – time is an opportunity and it is an opportunity we do not get back. We frequently hear high school students, college students and interviewees say they want to ‘be successful,’ but do they truly know where they should start? The good news is – the answer starts with you and your mindset!
Opportunity. Growth. Positivity.
Everyday starts the same: the sun comes up, the world comes alive, and you get out of bed. What happens after all of this is completely up to you and your mindset. Instead of saying, “I have to go…” say, I GET to go to work, I GET to go to the gym, and I GET to go to school! It’s a new opportunity for growth, to be curious, to embrace the mistakes you made yesterday and make a better today! Positivity goes a long way and negativity just takes up too much time.
Decisions and Goals
Everything we do results in an outcome, whether good or bad, but how we deal with these outcomes is crucial. Take time to consider scenarios such as, “If this, then what?” Understand that when you think of the worst-case scenario, sometimes the solution is simply saying, ‘no’. Take a risk and there will be a reward in the end. Turn your fear into excitement and consider the long-term goals of where you want to be – envision your bigger picture. Ask yourself, “Does this fit in my end goal?” Realize that you get to make the executive decisions in your life; you are your own CEO of your life!
Be More!
Some days creating a successful mindset requires breaking the rules, the molds, the traditional approaches, and stepping outside of the box. Many people describe it as a ‘gut feeling.’ Follow your gut feeling if it corresponds with your bigger picture. But, be sure to understand the difference between a ‘gut feeling’ and becoming too emotional in a situation. If emotions start to set in, take a step back for a few days and revisit the situation with a clear head.
A Stronger You
Some of the best ways to improve is to ask for feedback about yourself, your attitude, your work and your work ethic. This does not mean you do not have confidence in yourself – actually quite the opposite effect. Asking for feedback shows you are looking to improve yourself and are working towards becoming the best you have to offer. That does not mean you are changing who you are, but taking one more step to be successful. Learn to take feedback as both positive and negative constructive criticism. Some comments will bother you, but remember it is all about the bigger picture. Eventually as time passes and you continue to work on yourself, you will be able to ‘catch yourself,’ or ‘correct yourself.’ That shows you are improving yourself and the people around you will notice and applaud you and your growth!
More Tips
Not everyday will be a success when redeveloping a new mindset. Try falling into daily habits provided by Lifehack.org:
- Create a personal system for tracking your accomplishments, goals, and routines
- Small steps everyday gets you one step closer to becoming successful
- Capture any and all information that will help you
- Walking down the street and have a thought – write it down in your notes on your phone
- Make to do lists the night before
- Be sure to prioritize your list and achievable
- Take on the most dreaded task first; the rest of the day will be a breeze
And Remember
Everyday is an opportunity for growth. Feed good words to yourself and celebrate your successes for the day, no matter how small – a couple small steps are better than none. Try to make every situation positive in some way; you may even need to apply mental filters to help. Failures are a part of the process, it is how you learn and grow. These failures turn to lessons, lessons turn into experiences, experiences turn into knowledge, and knowledge turns into wisdom. Start everyday, or close to everyday, with high energy, grateful for opportunities that will arise, envision the bigger picture with purpose, and see how creating a mindset of success will change your life.
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” — Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.
By: Kendahl Schlueter
Sources: Lifehack.org, Forbes.com, and Entrepreneur.com