24 Aug 2020

Don’t Let Your Mindset Hold You Back

“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” – Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking

At The Growth Coach, there’s one word that’s more important than the rest. It’s not strategy, money, success, growth or leadership. It’s something far more important.

Mindset.

And like Peale said back before he passed in 1993, being in the right headspace and having a glass-half-full perspective on the challenges you’re facing can help you overcome fear, find success and build something great. Even the darkest days have silver linings.

While we work mostly with business owners and company leaders, mindset is something everyone should consider. When was the last time you thought about approaching your manager about a promotion or a raise and then changed your mind? Have you been thinking about applying for a new job, but haven’t? Have you thought about opening your own business only to convince yourself that now isn’t the right time? Be honest with yourself for a minute… is it fear that’s holding you back?

If so – and we bet it is, even if you don’t want to admit it – then it’s time to learn about combating those fears with the right mindset.

First of all, focus on the good. As they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. From the minute your alarm clock goes off, you choose how you approach the day, even if you know it’s going to be a tough one. When you find yourself pulled down by the darkness, find the light and cling to it. For example, getting a root canal can really bring down your day, but if you think about how you are preserving the health of your smile – and maybe even taking the time to realize they are playing your favorite song on the radio in the office – you can get through that appointment with a positive outlook. The same can be true for your business. Find the things about your situation that are good and focus on them as you push forward.

No one is perfect. No one. Ever. We all make mistakes. Hopefully most of those mistakes are small and fixable, but every mistake can be a learning opportunity. This can be tricky because, while it’s important not to dwell on your mistakes and throw a pity party, it is important to analyze what you did wrong, how you can move forward and how you can use that mistake to do it better next time. Learning from your mistakes takes a little self-reflection and humility. If you’re struggling to make it right, we’d recommend talking to a mentor or coach.

If you spend your days dwelling on the past or focusing only on your five-year plan, you’re going to have blindspots. You can use the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of why living in the present is critical. Consider for a moment that you had a great dine-in restaurant but it was just breaking even. If you are only thinking about the past, your desire to preserve your mission or super-serve your current customers may have help you from realizing you needed to set up curbside pickup or consider a delivery service until weeks after the initial closures. Likewise, if you’re only concerning yourself with becoming the next five-star restaurant, chances are good that you were slow to react and temporarily change your menu as needed to accommodate takeout. Living in the present allows you to be proactive and flexible as you seize opportunities and meet challenges.

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