15 Mindset Shifts That Will Change Your Life
Your mindset is made up of all the established beliefs
and attitudes you default to internally.
A change in mindset is difficult
because you have spent your entire life
drilling false beliefs into your brain.
Changing your mindset only works if it is backed up by a change in actions.
Here are 15 mindset shifts that will change your life.
1. From “I have to do this” to “I get to do this”
Approaching tasks from a perspective of gratitude
and empathy is a major attitude shift.
You get to do what you do for a living; it is a privilege.
The more honest you are with yourself,
the more you realize how easy you actually have it.
If you feel like your life is hard, zoom out.
When you change your perspective to “I get to do this,”
you will find that the task wasn’t actually
as hard as you made it out to be.
2. From “Life is hard” to “Life can be easy and exciting”
Many people are taught that life is hard
and requires enduring punishment to succeed.
While discipline is necessary,
it should be focused on exponential growth.
If hard work were the only requirement for success,
manual laborers would be the richest people in the world.
Whatever you do, there is a smarter and easier way to do it.
It is supposed to be hard in the beginning,
but if it is still hard after a while, you are doing it wrong.
3. From “I will never” to “How can I”
Declarative beliefs like “I will never be rich”
or “I could never afford that” leave no room for movement.
If you have already established that something will not happen,
there is no interest in trying.
The biggest asymmetric upside in life is taking action
when others do not.
Switching to a “how can I make this happen”
attitude opens up your mind to identifying a plan.
Average people have wishes; successful people have plans.
4. From “I need to know everything” to “I just need to start”
Many people wait for the perfect time
or for external forces to align before taking action.
Only 3% of the population takes action on their goals,
while everyone else settles for mediocrity.
The biggest difference between those who win
and everyone else is that the winners choose to play
the game in the first place.
You don’t need to know everything; you just need to start.
5. From “Wanting something” to “Figuring out why you want something”
At the core of everything you do is a deep reason.
Use the “Rule of Three Whys Minimum” to find it:
- Why do you want a Ferrari? Because I want to feel successful.
- Why do you want to feel successful? Because I want people to see how well I’m doing.
- Why do you want people to know how well you’re doing? Because deep down, I’m looking for the approval of others to make myself feel good.
Questioning your reasons helps you know yourself
and alters your decision-making process in the best possible way.
6. From “Everything is fixed” to “Everything is negotiable or flexible”
Thinking destiny is pre-written takes away the fun of being alive
and shifts responsibility away from you.
You have the power to alter reality at your whim.
Reality is negotiable.
You have free agency to negotiate money, life, love, and everything else.
Do not settle for the first thing the world puts in front of you.
7. From “Another obstacle” to “Another challenge to see if I really want it”
Everything worth having is hard to get,
so you will naturally face challenges.
Obstacles are life’s way of figuring out who deserves the reward.
When you hit a roadblock,
you must decide if you really want it or if you are ready to quit.
If you want it, you will find a way; if not,
you will use the obstacle as an excuse.
Being challenged is inevitable, but being defeated is optional.
8. From “Things happen to me” to “I make things happen”
Everything you have is the result
of thousands of decisions and indecisions.
Shifting from a victim mentality to a “master of the universe”
mentality changes everything.
You must take ownership and responsibility
for what happens in your life.
If you want different outcomes, you must take different actions.
9. From “Defaulting to no” to “Ask and wait for the answer”
Many adults default to “no” as an answer to the things they want,
often due to their upbringing.
Stop saying no to yourself.
Roll the dice in your favor: ask for a raise,
ask someone on a date, or apply for that job.
At least half the time, the answer will surprisingly be yes.
10. From “I wish things were different” to “What’s one small thing I can do today?”
You are what you do every day.
Everything in your life is the result of your daily actions.
Find one small thing that gets you slightly closer
to your ideal scenario and do it consistently.
For example, if you want back pain to go away,
wake up 5 minutes earlier to stretch.
Focus on one thing, start small, do it consistently,
and see what happens.
11. From “Sunk cost” to “Let’s start over”
Many people remain overly invested in situations
they hate just because they have already spent
a lot of time, money, or energy on them.
Do not cling to a mistake just
because you spent a long time making it.
Check yourself and identify what you are doing
out of a sense of sunk cost, and be willing to start over.
12. From “This needs to be perfect” to “This needs to be done”
There comes a point where a 1% improvement
in quality requires substantial resources.
Your goal is to find the sweet spot
where something is good enough to get the job done.
A clunky, incomplete,
but finished version will always beat waiting for perfection.
Version one will almost always suck,
but version two will have clear areas for improvement.
13. From “It’s already been done” to “I can do it too”
People often fail to execute their ideas
because they feel they are not original enough.
The world is big enough for everyone,
but very few take their place in it.
You do not need to be a once-in-a-generation miracle to push
through the noise. There is plenty of space for you to succeed.
14. From “It’s either yes or no” to “There’s always a creative option”
Life is not black and white. Disregarding an entire opportunity
because it isn’t a perfect match is a mistake.
“Take it or leave it” is not a strong negotiation tactic.
Ask yourself what you actually want to achieve
and find the easiest way to accommodate it.
There is always a creative way to structure a deal or solve a problem.
15. From “It’s impossible” to “There might be a way”
You cannot say something is impossible
when other people have already done it.
Hiding behind impossibility means focusing only on the outcome
and ignoring the process.
Equip yourself with the right mindset to take advantage
of the abundant opportunities available to you.
Bonus: Do Not Allow Disturbances in Your Airspace for 6 Months
Put the noise and shiny objects on hold.
Lock yourself in and pursue that one goal that could change
your life for just six months.
You cannot allow anyone in your airspace because even the
slightest impact could divert you from your course.
In air navigation, the 1-in-60 rule states that for every
one degree a plane veers off course,
it misses its target by one mile for every 60 miles flown.
The further you travel, the further you are from your destination.
Mindset shifts act as the corrections that keep you on track.
