mindset
Are you a victim, a pessimist, an optimist, a realist, or a competitor?
Are you curious or judgmental?
Do you have a fixed or a growth mindset?
What kind of inputs are you feeding your mind on a daily basis?
Frequently pondering these questions has tremendously helped me to evolve in the way I think and view the world, which led me to progressively gain more awareness of my choices, make more intentional decisions, and ultimately change my actions and behavior in transformative ways.
Seeking to have greater perspective and challenging myself to be more open-minded over the years has continually proved to serve me and allowed me to positively shift the trajectory of my life in ways I never imagined.
Understanding one always has the freedom to respond to everyday life circumstances productively, rather than unconsciously react to them in a destructive manner, was fundamental in the change I have been able to experience within myself, slowly transforming my entire life as a result.
Feeling lost and having reached a very low point in my early twenties, gave me the opportunity to zoom out, try to look at my life from a 10,000-foot view and assess where I needed to make changes. Taking ownership of my circumstances rather than feeling sorry for myself, deciding to turn my life around for the better, and then acting on it was truly pivotal. Not knowing where to begin and trying to figure out how to start implementing new habits, I came across a YouTube channel called Become Elite. In one of the first videos I watched, the host of the channel - Matt Sheldon - mentioned a concept that resonated and became a huge source of inspiration for me. It was the following: Even though you’re not a professional, start acting and behaving like a professional, and eventually you’ll become one. This created a radical shift in my mind. It deeply triggered my curiosity, and I asked myself, “What’s the highest level of soccer I could reach if I started behaving like a pro today?” I immediately acted the next day and unknowingly initiated an impactful journey of self-discovery by means of continually seeking to develop my mindset.
LEVELS OF MInDSET
On the “Chasing Excellence” podcast I once heard about the notion of the Mindset Hierarchy, and I found it quite instructive and fascinating. It really encouraged me to become more aware of the way I respond to daily adversities - from the minor inconveniences to the more serious difficulties - and try to improve. In the long run this has allowed me to mitigate stress, have a better outlook, confront challenges calmly and more productively, and make more intentional decisions.
From lowest to highest, the different levels of mindset include:
VICTIM
Tends to always blame external factors or other people for one’s misfortune.
Doesn’t take ownership over one’s actions.
Constantly feels self-pity and fails to recognize there are more serious problems than one’s own.
Inclined to be self-centered.
PESSIMIST
Has the tendency to always complain.
Assigns extra meaning to adverse moments and creates unnecessary drama.
Believes negative outcomes are the norm and that it’s pointless to seek progress.
Prone to have low self-confidence.
OPTIMIST
Often story-tells to make undesirable circumstances seem unrealistically better.
Persistently has positive thoughts.
Has a hopeful and confident attitude towards the future.
Always chooses to see the bright side of any kind of problem.
REALIST
Accepts unfortunate turn of events for what they truly are, without passing any useless judgement.
Is likely to remain level-headed, rather than get frustrated and thrown off balance.
Has a greater sense of awareness and sees problems objectively.
Understands that there are positive and negative outcomes and can respond more productively.
COMPETITOR
Continually seeks out challenges, for they enable one to improve and evolve as an individual.
Acknowledges adverse circumstances are opportunities to develop one’s character.
Faces tough situations with gratitude and recognizes they have a greater purpose.
Is inclined to focus on growth through a process rather than results.
By remaining cognizant of the levels of mindset, I have realized one gravitates toward all different levels in any given context. But most importantly, I have gotten immense value from trying to have a better perception of where I am most of the time, where I want to be, and then doing the work to close the gap.
WHAT DOES THE VOICE INSIDE YOUR HEAD SAY WHEN THINGS DON’T GO AS YOU WANTED OR PLANNED? ARE YOU AWARE OF IT? CAN YOU UPGRADE YOUR DEFAULT MINDSET?
ARE YOU CURIOUS OR JUDGEMENTAL?
Striving not to judge myself or others and trying to cultivate curiosity instead, has been a practice I believe enabled me to put my mind, hence my energy into a more constructive frame.
First, learning not to judge myself for my mistakes or for who I am was fundamental in healing, improving my self-esteem, becoming more confident in my gifts and abilities, and fostering internal peace. This in turn allowed me to build courage and become more curious about ways I could improve the quality of my life. I committed to endeavors that pushed me outside my comfort zone and facilitated invaluable growth.
Second, realizing judgement of other people or circumstances is nothing but futile and never leads to anything fruitful, was key in developing more open-mindedness. I have found avoiding criticism, condemnation or complaint, and rather wondering about the reason people behave the way they do, nurtures more sympathy, tolerance, and kindness.
“GOD HIMSELF, SIR, DOES NOT PROPOSE TO JUDGE MAN UNTIL THE END OF HIS DAYS. WHY SHOULD YOU AND I?”
— Dr. Samuel Johnson
Knowing the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset is a concept I found quite valuable. Ever since learning about it, I have made a conscious effort to cultivate habits that enable me to grow in all areas of my life and not remain stagnant. Having this perspective allowed me to realize how much of a fixed mentality I have had, especially around the time in my life - in my early twenties - when I became complacent and stopped seeking progress. This led me to live an unfulfilling life not reflective of my true self.
Thinking about the transformation I have experienced in myself, and therefore in my life in the last several years, I concluded it’s mostly attributable to building enough courage to get uncomfortable, seek new experiences, and commit to audacious challenges I set for myself.
I discovered developing a growth mindset is an active practice that one must seek daily, and it requires awareness followed by intentional effort. In my case (and I believe it’s the same for most people) I recognize the mind has fixed tendencies as a default, as adopting the associated behaviors is always the easiest. Therefore, it is important to be honest with oneself, consistently assess one’s actions, and be willing to do the hard work that stimulates growth and positive change.
What kind of inputs are you feeding your mind?
By watching vloggers on YouTube documenting their journeys to achieve set goals, I was able to gain a lot of inspiration to seek change in my own life and follow their example. In doing so, I have experienced the massive value of placing one’s attention on educational content and then putting it into action. Furthermore, I came to truly appreciate the power of consistently feeding one’s mind with positive and more productive material, while limiting energy spent on passive distractions that aren’t quite enriching.
Ever since I began using YouTube more intentionally - as a learning tool rather than for entertainment - I have also gotten into the habit of listening to podcasts and reading books, which I feel has remarkably enhanced the quality of my life. These are instructional resources that have significantly served me and helped me gain knowledge of practical tactics I have implemented in my day-to-day life to facilitate growth.
Moreover, spending quality time in solitude and stillness, praying, practicing gratitude, meditating, as well as journaling are strategies I have incorporated in my daily routine over time and have reaped tremendous benefits. I have been able to mitigate stress and anxiety, evolve my thinking patterns in ways I never expected, increase mental clarity to make sounder decisions, build courage to handle tough moments better, and ultimately live more deliberately.
