MINDSET OF A SURVIVOR

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right”. These famous words by Henry Ford simply and clearly states how mindset can determine the outcome of our actions.

If your brain believes whatever you tell it repeatedly, then you have to be very careful in filtering your thoughts. If your mind is the biggest influencer for your actions and the one that primarily decides how you are going to react to any given situation, then you MUST make sure that your mind is your best ally. All these will depend on your mindset. It will make the difference between your success or your failure.

The word mindset became very famous when renowned Stanford University psychologist, Dr. Carol S. Dweck released her bestselling book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Here she clearly discussed the two types of mindset: the growth and the fixed mindset. Though the concept of mentally conditioning oneself is not new. That our thoughts govern our actions is a concept that has been there for ages. Mindset, as Merriam Webster defines, is a mental attitude or inclination. The first known use of the word mindset is in 1909, though we have Dr. Dweck to thank for in giving us other ways of looking at it.

Our mindset is very important as this is the biggest factor that decides our actions. One quote goes, “Circumstances do not define you, but your actions do.” If we think this through, we go back to mindset. Our actions are guided by our thoughts, how we handle a certain situation largely depends on our beliefs. These held beliefs make up our mindset. With this information, we can then work towards developing a mindset that makes us open to change, that motivates and energizes us, a mindset that helps us to achieve our desired results which then leads to self-fulfillment and happiness. This is the growth mindset. It is like having a dear friend who is there to cheer you up and support you, to rationalize and reason with you, to make sure that you are not limiting yourself and you are moving towards growth and improvement.

It is also scientifically proven that the brain is very trainable. Your brain will believe what you tell it repeatedly. Yes, you can brainwash yourself into growth, success and even happiness. So it is better that you take control of your thoughts because if not then other people and other negative sources will do the brainwashing for you. You can have a growth mentality which believes that your capabilities and qualities are things you can develop through your efforts.

You take full accountability for your actions and you are open to the idea that if something does not work then the power to change and bounce back starts from you. When you have a growth mindset you see failures or setbacks not as the end of it all but challenges to overcome and another step to take you towards your goal.

So how do you train your mind to be your greatest ally and have the mindset that works for you? Here are some 5 simple ways:

1.Filter your sources of energy.

Energy is contagious, both positive and negative alike. Our everyday lives are
bombarded by different sources of energy from sun up to sun down. Whether we like it or not, the energy we allow into our life space greatly affects us. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are being robbed of that good energy we worked so hard to have. If you are working towards growth then why allow negative sources of energy to pollute your mind and your life space? Nothing good grows in a polluted environment. Even the simplest negative thought could kill your dreams and throw your biggest efforts out of the window. Make sure you protect your mind from people, things and situations that only dampen your drive and put you off track. Take control. As they say, you are where your attention is. Make sure that attention is focused on where you want to go.

2.Fuel your drive.

To train your mind to think better, you need to engage in things and activities that make you feel better. To start training or retraining your brain in making it your best ally, treat it well and it will return the favor. Think of the things that make you feel good, even the simplest things like getting up early, dressing up and putting on your favorite dress. Or maybe calling a loved one just to say hello or playing I Will Survive in full volume and singing your heart out. Do anything that energizes you, recharge, because what you can accomplish will depend on the level of your energy and drive, fuel it constantly.

3. Transform your thoughts into actions.

It is very important to have a positive state of mind. When you are open to change and ready to grow, there is less confusion as you clear away unnecessary thoughts. Your vision becomes clearer, you focus better on what you want to achieve. But then it should not stop there. They say that the difference between people who make it and those who don’t is usually the execution. When we think of doing something, it only takes a few seconds before your untrained-and-not-yet-your-best-ally mind kills that thought. This is beautifully laid out in Mel Robbins’ book, The 5 Second Rule. But of course, if you have to do something really important, then make sure you have prepared enough before the execution. Be warned though, don’t strive for perfection before you act on something. When you wait for everything to be ready and perfect before starting, chances are you’ll never start and your thoughts will remain just thoughts.

When we complete even the smallest actions, we take one step closer to our target and we feel better. When we feel better, we tend to be more open and positive.

4. Keep learning and be forever curious.

People who are open-minded and are positive thinkers have one secret: They never stop learning. You might feel helpless and hopeless, that is just a normal reaction to something unknown and to a sudden change. Your full system is resisting the change. It is helpful to know that the difficult situation you are in is not the very first case in history and that you are not the only one who has experienced this difficulty. To help you put things in perspective, you can start reading biographies of successful personalities, like Bill Gates, who was a university drop-out, or Steve Jobs, who started in his garage or even the most famous NBA player, Michael Jordan, who in college, was not even considered qualified for the NBA. Only from being curious and learning from the experiences of others will you be enlightened and hopefully inspired. Wanting something is not enough, you need to work hard for it, bouncing back failure after failure and never giving up – then and only then success is attainable.

You might think, sure these are super successful people what’s the use of comparing myself to them? To transform that into a positive thought, let this famous quote by Tim Hiller remind you of something important: “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle, or your middle to someone else’s end…” Just keep moving towards your goal. Those successful people started from zero, and they did everything not to stay with zero

5. Learn and unlearn. Train and Retrain.

Understanding how our thoughts condition us positively and negatively is key to peak performance. We have to be aware that our present thoughts determine the actions we will take that will affect our future. The good news is that we can learn new things and we can also unlearn old habits, Neuroscience backs this claim up. The book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza, explains scientific concepts, in layman’s terms, on how to train or retrain our brains. With practice and determination, we can end our self-defeating behaviors and learn new habits that work for us instead of against us. In order for this to work, you have to be diligent and persistent: practice, practice, practice until your brain registers the positive thought and it becomes automatic and available when you need it.

The world is thrown into uncertainty and we are forced to make drastic changes that no one has been prepared for. Most often than not, these are painful changes, and we have to dance to this new music whether we are ready or not. We need to adapt and find ways in order cope with all the new overwhelming challenges. Now, more than ever, developing and embracing a growth mindset is vital not only to survive but as well as to thrive. In times like these, in whatever you plan to do, you need an ally that will make sure you are inspired, driven and acting towards your desired results, and that you are resilient and persistent enough to make sure that whatever you set your heart on, will happen. It is high time to make your mind your greatest ally for survival.