It’s all about MINDSET

The biggest hurdle for most people in achieving their goals is MINDSET.

I was reminded of this last week when I attended a three-day online webinar for authors. Many of us tend to think “small”. If you aim low, you’ll probably hit the mark. It was definitely food for thought, and quite possibly true in my own case.

Define your goals and your reasons for doing what you’re doing. (In my case, writing.) Have a clear understanding of your own definition of success. I’m not talking about some “voodoo” pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking. I don’t believe in that, BUT I do think one’s expectations play a huge role in whether we move forward to achieve them.

Much of the information at the webinar was a review for me, but that doesn’t mean I’ve managed to put it all into practice. It’s important to be reminded and to be spurred on to take action. I have work to do – lots of it! However, getting bogged down in too many tasks is also a matter of mindset. Take each step one at a time. Don’t expect to accomplish everything all at once. 

We were encouraged to work with others. To find strength in community, working together, and being a giver. I loved the analogy of the Redwood forest. They are huge trees and would need unimaginably huge roots if they were to stand alone. However, their roots are interconnected with the other Redwoods in the forest. It’s what keeps them strong and sturdy. You stand strong when you stand with many. 

We were also encouraged to say “Yes” to more opportunities. Sometimes we’re afraid to say yes because we feel stretched for time or are worried about spending all our time doing for others and not focusing on our own goals. To be a giver, we have to start saying “Yes” but that doesn’t mean we take on everything thrown our way. When we say “Yes,” we must add the word “and”. YES, I’ll do XYZ, promote your book (or whatever), AND you can do XYZ for me and promote my book – etc.

It reminded me of an IMPROV exercise I used to use in my Drama classes called “Yes AND…” The rule was, that the actors in a scene always had to BUY INTO whatever their improv partners presented and they always had to ADD to the scene. So, if one person said, “Let’s go out for pizza,” the other person would say, “Yes, I’ll call for an Uber,” or “Yes, but make sure you don’t order anchovies!” It didn’t really matter, as long as they agreed and then added information. They could not simply say, “Yes” without adding more. (They could use the word “No” but only if they added information and kept the scene going. For example, “No, let’s order Chinese instead.”) But I digress… The point is, saying “YES” works best when you add the “AND”.

Sometimes it can feel discouraging when you are doing everything you know how to do and still aren’t getting the results. But tenacity and sticking to it are other important mindsets.

My takeaway? Keep working hard. Reassess what I’m doing on occasion. Set goals. Look for ways to be a giver. Once I’ve done all of that, it’s a matter of releasing it to God’s care. In the end, obedience to His call is really the most important mindset of all.