We know that there are skill areas needed for business success such as marketing, accounting, and customer service, among others. Sometimes less noticed is the need to bring your mind into shape as well. Doing so can take you to the next level in your business. There are three critical mind mastery skill areas on which to focus:
1. Adaptability. This is your ability to manage change in your life and business. It is obvious that the more adaptable and flexible we are, the more likely we are to succeed. However, we often do not view ourselves as able to do so, often siding with the belief "we are how we are". This is a fixed (versus growth) mindset leading us to believe we can't change and that we know and are all that we can become. I have spoken about this mindset duality in other posts. Fortunately, neuroscience has shown us that we are far more influenced by our environments than we might have thought. This includes the persons with whom we associate, activities on which we work, and our thoughts. Changing those thoughts physically changes our brains. Also, your mindset about change will affect and be influenced by those around you to include employees. An employee with a fixed mindset likely will not fit well with a group of changed oriented, growth mindset individuals.
2. Management of Limiting Thoughts. Controlling our inner thoughts of self-doubt is manageable but not simple. Self-doubt is one the major reasons limiting the success of entrepreneurs and business owners. Your overly critical inner voice really is trying to keep you safe, a very human motive. However, it keeps you back and never is really true. Is it really true that "I'm not good at sales", "I always mismanage people", and "I never take advantage of opportunities"? No, but you can change negative inner voices when you first identify them, then challenge them, and finally replace them with more adaptive thoughts. Until then, you will hold yourself back. You can retrain your brain with more adaptive and successful inner voices. Some people do this with well targeted positive affirmations much like a pilot light ignites successful operation of an appliance.
3. Rebalance of focus. Decision making is critical to all our successes and running a business. The successful businessperson balances their attentional focus between the logical, thinking side of their brain, and the more emotional, feeling side. When these two sides are in relative balance, we make better decisions for ourselves and our businesses. This is the left brain/right brain distinction but reality is more complex. Suffice it to say for now that the breadth and direction of your attentional style combined with relevant interpersonal characteristics influence the type of manager you are. For now, take stock of yourself, get feedback from others about your degree of balance, and consider what adjustments to make to your benefit.
For additional information and available assistance, go to the website www.successandmindset.com for further information. Your mindset either helps you win or takes you out in the game of life and business. Remember, change your thoughts, change your results.