Make your mindset a superpower
Photo credit: Jason Hiner

Make your mindset a superpower

Mindset matters. And cultivating a stronger mindset is a superpower that can supercharge your effectiveness in anything you do.

We all have a natural human tendency to relax, put things on autopilot, and lose focus. If we achieve something once, we tend to think it will be easier next time. If we reach success, we can fall into the trap of assuming we'll always be successful.

But the law of entropy is universal — when left alone, virtually everything devolves into chaos and disorder. Gardens that are tended grow in beauty and symmetry. Untended gardens get choked by weeds. Which leads us to a great quote for changing our mindset.

"Success is not owed to you. It is only leased. And rent is due every day."

I first came across a version of this quote from Dr. Antonio Harrison, BCBA-D ("Coach Doc") in a Supernatural workout on the Meta #Quest3. I later learned that its origin comes a slightly different version of the quote from a Rory Vaden, MBA CSP CPAE book.

My version of the quote is essentially a mashup of the two. And I love it. I reminds me of a couple pivotal moments earlier my career journey.

The first was a period of time when the company I was working for at the time was the subject of an endless series of buyout rumors over a period of a couple years. As a result, we all felt like we were constantly standing on unstable ground. At the time my colleague Larry Dignan shared a great piece of wisdom that one of his mentors had given him.

"Treat every day like an audition." You're either auditioning to keep your current job or you're auditioning for a future job — with the next owner or with a new company.

A decade later, I was with an organization that it was in the middle of a giant reorg and I was talking about it with the head of our business unit, Mark Larkin — whom I've always deeply admired for his purposefulness and empathy. We were both a little unclear about the long-term picture of the leadership team and what that would mean for me. In that uncertain moment, I remember telling Mark that I understood that as long as I was creating enough value, I was confident there would be a place for me. And if not, then I'd go find something else to do and it would be okay.

Lastly, in my study of U.S. history — with all its contradictions and mythologies — the thing that has always stood out to me the most was one line from George Washington. It's easy to forget that during the war for independence, Washington didn't fully believe the Americans could win until the very end. Throughout the war, he regularly staged his favorite play, Cato, for the troops and there's one pre-eminent line in it that sums up the whole message of the story, and Washington was know to quote it.

"We can't guarantee success, but we can do something better. We can deserve it."

So, to sum all of this up in something actionable for all of us:

Set your intentions. Make consistent effort. Find ways to create value. Be disciplined and patient. And be open to the fact that success may look a little different than what you imagined. Those are things we can all control. And that mindset can be your superpower.

Lester M.

CEO & Founder | Award Winning Performance Marketer | Occasional Copywriter

3 个月

facts!

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