Summary:
“It depends on your mindset.” That’s something I hear a lot. What exactly is mindset? In this article, I will explain it to you and give you some unique techniques to elevate your mindset from a fixed mindset to a mindset where there are more opportunities to grow.
Voor Nederlands, klik hier.
I often talk about mindset in my articles, but I have never written a blog about it. In my opinion, so much has already been said and written about this subject. Yet, it is the basis of how we deal with events in our lives—time to go back to that base again.
What is Mindset?
According to the Webster dictionary, the definition of mindset is a “fixed mental attitude formed by experience, education, prejudice, etc.”
Last week I heard an alternative definition of mindset:
“Mindset is what happens between an event and a reaction.”
—Thijs Lindhout
Your mindset is your way of thinking and how you react to a particular event or task that you have to do. That reaction depends on how you see the world, your values, beliefs, mental state, or how you feel at a given moment. If you are tired or hungry (the latter often happens to me), you react differently than if you are fit and have just eaten. It’s harder to elevate your mindset when things aren’t going well.
The default is often the fixed mindset, and the challenge is to elevate to a growth mindset. This helps you get out of certain behavior patterns and thus experience more of the world, see more possibilities, and grow.
How do you elevate your mindset? Below I have some personal tips for you to elevate your mindset when things go wrong.
Be conscious
Elevating your mindset is all about being conscious of the current situation. When a particular event occurs, know that you have a choice of how to respond to it.
Last weekend the counter was completely full of dishes. One of my sons washed his hands, and when he turned to get a towel, he accidentally knocked a jug off the counter. Obviously, it broke. So this is an event where I, as a father, choose how to respond to this. I can get angry with my son and tell him to be more careful. I projected this event onto myself by saying that it would be much better to put the jug somewhere else than the edge. The result? It made us laugh, and we had a nice lunch at the table. Undoubtedly there will be music at your home or at work.
Focus
“The week before my blog deadline, things started to gnaw. “What am I going to write about in the article?” There are then plenty of doubts and objections (reasons for postponement). Fortunately, I have a strong discipline when it comes to writing articles.
I recently read in Lise Bourbeau’s book “Heal your Wounds & find your true Self” (reading tip!) that discipline can turn so that you become rigid because, for example, you are afraid of breaking a promise (commitment). As a result, you can get overworked. Discipline is fine, but it is much more fulfilling when you focus on the goal. When I focus on my purpose, my WHY (to facilitate so that others can uplift themselves and experience more joy and love), I automatically feel more enthusiasm to write and publish this article. My mindset is higher than a few minutes ago.
Help or give
An easy method to elevate your mindset is to help others. You can do this by simply opening a door for someone or offering help in some other way. You can also give others time and attention by meeting them for a (virtual) cup of (good) coffee or tea. I still regularly have a caffè Sosepso.
I always get a lot happier when I help others. In fact, others also become happier, and this way, you can elevate the mindset of others!
Think positive
When things go wrong, I encourage you to think back to a nice positive moment. Something that touched you and that made you happy. I keep these kinds of moments or compliments in my photo album or make a short note of it in a separate booklet. Then I can quickly find it again if things are not going well. I also imagine how I feel (relieved & happy) when this article is finished or how it can help you elevate your mindset.
Read this article on positive thoughts or optimism. Or try 1 of these 100 ways to experience more joy and happiness.
Try this
One of the most powerful techniques I know to elevate my mindset is to chant this ancient mantra a few times. That can be out loud or softly for yourself. Worries and fears then disappear, I am aware of my potential, and it opens me up to an endless pool of creativity to take on a certain challenge.
More hacks?
I also have a lot of other techniques to elevate my mindset: sports, singing, dancing, calling a good friend (to ask why we are friends …), being grateful, giving a compliment, taking an ice bath, playing, reading, smiling, write, go to a coach or follow training myself, breathe consciously, focus myself on a certain intention and act accordingly or … clean my office!
Looking for a different mindset?
Discover your WHY so that you can more easily elevate your own mindset. Your WHY is your unique and positive contribution to the world and its impact. Contact me today for a free meeting or for more information about your WHY or other ways to sustainably elevate your mindset so that you can grow.
How do you elevate your mindset? Let me know in the comment field below. The other readers of this article and I am looking forward to reading from you!
Thank you for reading up to here & sharing this article with your colleagues, friends, or family. And please share this article with your network on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn by pressing the buttons below so that they can also benefit from this article about elevating your mindset. You are welcome to copy parts of this blog if you state the source.
Have you seen an error in this article? Let me know! I am grateful!
