I'm a big believer in the power of your mindset over your success and happiness in work and life. A positive mindset has pulled me through a bunch of hard times and a negative mindset has dragged me through the mud even when things were going pretty darn well for me.
Positivity
I went through a tough time when I was feeling pretty crappy about some things in my life, and I was surrounded by people feeling pretty much the same. It was affecting me quite a bit - I find it difficult to do anything if I don't enjoy it and I was not enjoying myself. But I couldn't control what was going on around me, so I decided to change my attitude about it. I literally put the old saying to practice and turned my frown upside down. It worked surprisingly well. My family, who knew what was going on, were amazed. Obstacles started looking like challenges, the silver linings of the grey clouds over my head were appearing, and even those around me were starting to feel better as well. That bit of positivity - as tough as it was to maintain - went a long way and eventually, I faked it till I made it.
Growth
There was a great article in HBR about a "growth mindset" vs. a "fixed mindset." What I loved about the "growth mindset" is that it's about seeing opportunities, not being afraid to fail, collaborating to accomplish big things with a team, and constant learning. A "fixed mindset" goes along with all the other things I've mentioned I hate in relation to micromanagement. A "fixed mindset" emphasizes innate talent over learning ability, and a zero-sum view of the world (if I win, you lose). You end up not seeing or taking opportunities because of the greater risk of failing.
Change
One of the best and most challenging things about my job is that it's constantly changing. We value experiments and don't hold on too tight to the way things are in deciding what to do next. This makes us more able to take advantage of new opportunities and grow the company at a crazy rate. But change is hard. Change can make you feel unstable, and at some point you need some stability to feel safe and sure of your world. But I've learned to change my mindset about change. I think of my relation to change as my relation to roller coasters. I used to hate roller coasters. The unexpected drops and fast turns would make me sick. Now I can't get enough of them. The difference? My attitude about the constant change. Roller coasters no longer pulled me in different unwanted directions, but rather they were a fun ride, letting me jump and dive and spin around. It became something I wanted to do, rather than something I was getting dragged along with.
Confidence
Confidence is a mindset. If you know some very confident people, you may attest to the fact that it has little to do with actual ability or experience. It has to do with a mindset about their abilities. And confidence is key to taking opportunities and standing your ground to sticking to your ideas. Without confidence, you are at the whim of others rather than driving your own future.
Commitment
I'm fortunate enough that when I choose my mindset, I stick to it. It may be difficult to make that choice, but once I'm in, I'm in. And it has great consequences, whichever mindset I choose. If it's a positive one, great, all's well and good and I'm happy again. If it's a negative one, that's also great because I'll be unhappy enough to do something about it and make some changes.
The question is, can you identify when you need to change your mindset, and can you commit to a new, more productive one?
Flickr photo by tza
