Genuinely successful people measure themselves by what they can do – not what they have.
Mindset is a set of attitudes and beliefs that govern all of our perceptions and behaviors. If we are not consciously shaping and molding our mindset, events and other people influence it without our discrimination.
Are you willing to trust such a precious asset as your mind to chance?
The basis of a success mindset is the confidence that you will ultimately triumph. Contrast this with a scarcity mindset based on fear of immediate and future loss. Which mindset do you lean towards? As you become more aware of your mindset, you create the choice point to make a conscious decision to change. If you want to gain more confidence, keep a consistent focus on what you can create and give. This perspective gives you the direct experience of empowerment and success that overcomes fear.
To make the difference between a success and scarcity mindset more apparent, consider the following visual:
With a scarcity mindset, you walk into a room and see a delicious apple pie cut into eight slices sitting on a table. You want a piece of that pie. At the same time, you notice there are ten other people in the room craving a slice of that very same pie. You realize that a couple of people are going to miss out. You hope you are not one of them. Your thought is, “I’ve got to get my slice of the pie!” You focus on being on the winning side of what you see as a win-lose zero-sum game with no other option.
When you operate with a success mindset, there are still eight slices of apple pie and ten other people, but you don’t have fear. Why? Because beyond that one pie on the table, you have the broader vision to see bags of flour, sugar and all the other ingredients needed to make 100 more pies. If you don’t get a slice of that particular pie right now, you can create the opportunity (favorable circumstances) to make more pie. You can utilize something within your control; your time, attention, focus, knowledge, investment, or access to other resources, to make it happen. This sense of personal agency benefits you and sets a positive example for others.
In a success mindset, you transform the fear of loss into the confidence of gain with positive character actions that you know will reward you in the end. With a success mindset, you are less fearful and more optimistic and content with yourself and your life.
A success mindset is a happy mindset. Happiness has an advantage in business and life. An HBR article titled “Happiness Leads to Profits” based on the book The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor details these eye-opening statistics: happiness increases sales by 37%, productivity 31% and accuracy of tasks 19%.
How can you create a success mindset?
- Realize that fear is the weak and vulnerable feeling that results from a belief in shame (not good enough), scarcity (lack) or loss (victimhood). Fear is the result of measuring ourselves by outward circumstances (business environment, other people’s perspectives, community events) that we can’t control.
- Realize that confidence is the stable and robust feeling that results from a belief in creativity and giving. Confidence is the result of measuring ourselves by our inner resources, not outward accomplishments or possessions which can be taken away or dismissed. Since creation and giving are always our choices, we are in control of the measure.
- To strengthen a success mindset, ask yourself, what can you create or give in any area of your life? For the most significant transformation, pick an area where you feel either bored or lacking. What ideas, opportunities, power/influence, products and services could you create? Where can you give time, attention, focus, care, help, advice, money and other resources?
Are you ready to move from scarcity to a success mindset? Here are the three steps to change:
- Get honest about your fear and accept it with a smile. There is no positive outcome with self-criticism.
- Find a way to create or give in this area. What decisive action can you take right now that is within your control?
- Repeat often. Just as you build strong muscles with consistent workouts, you create a new mindset with repetition. Commit to a 90-day trial period to assess how it is working.
Your day to day experience of your life, your work and the relationships intertwined between the two, are the direct result of your mindset. Before you look to make changes in the world around you, observe your mindset. Notice the perspective from which you view the world. Then ask yourself, “If I changed that, how might the world be different for me?”
Jo-Aynne von Born,
Certified Professional Coach
Authentic Success for Leaders, Executives, Business Professionals
Team Coaching and Workshops
