The Mindset War: Recognize change is hard, preparing for the future is a must, and apathy is a slow death

What do companies like Kodak, Blockbuster, Polaroid, Toys R Us, Tower Records, Borders, Compaq, and Pan American Airways (Pan Am) all have in common? They are largely unrecognizable, forgotten companies today.

Although in different industries for the most part, they were largely organizations who underestimated the need to be more vigilant in remaining innovative while future-proofing their businesses.

Human beings must be the same way.

No one wants to have any death-bed fears of regret while living in survival mode the majority of their lives because of not being prepared for change. Never learning new skills while not adapting with the times, never future-proofing their own lives as best they can from financial stress and control of their time.

However, avoiding the above scenarios is not always an easy thing to do.

The mind can play tricks on you better than any professional magician can, if you are not focused on doing three things:

1. Taking control of your mindset to recognize that change is hard

2. Being flexible while adapting to change and preparing for the future

3. Avoiding apathy at all costs

The most important way to do that?

Don’t rely on external forces. Not on the company you work for. Not your parents. Not your friends. Not your colleagues or business partners.

Like those forgotten companies who failed to innovate, resulting in business failure, not applying those aforementioned three principles to your individual philosophy can send you on a path to a slow and suffering death.

Mindset Adjustment

We are living in a time where things are moving and changing at a faster pace never seen before. Continuous learning of technology, social media engagement, and communication skills are not nice-to-haves, but a must in order to thrive in the current climate while preparing for the future.

We are also living in a time where there is a leadership crisis.

While there are many organizational leaders doing great things, others are failing at meeting some of the basic expectations of the people who drive their company’s mission and vision, with mindsets seemingly leftover from the era of the industrial revolution.

? A time when time clocks controlled how many hours you spent at work each day

? Where the top-down mentality and structure of those in the ivory tower looking down on those below was prevalent

? Where those with decision-making power were the farthest away from those doing the actual work

If you work as an entrepreneur with corporate clients, or for a company that still operates this way, you will notice a huge gap between leaders and workers that is shaping the way they feel and act in the workplace.

That’s why the sooner you realize this one fact, the sooner you will start to see some positive changes within your career journey: You cannot wait for leaders to change into the leaders you want who are truly focused on the well-being of their workers, while they are still clearly only focused on the bottom line.

It’s incumbent upon you as an individual to take the necessary steps to ensure you have control over your future and personal bottom line.

Preparing for the future

My stepmother worked for Pan Am as a flight attendant back in the day when they were the top tier airline in the world, pioneering air travel before eventually filing for bankruptcy. After years on the top, the company shut down without warning, offering no severance pay, no unused-vacation pay, and ending healthcare coverage immediately.

Although I didn’t know everything that was going on at the time, I do remember how angry and confused she was. She eventually had enough seniority, skills and job interview savvy to transfer over to Delta Airlines.

But some of her colleagues never recovered from losing their jobs.

That was a harsh reminder that their futures as individual workers rested largely in their own hands, if only they had not entrusted their future to the company that was once the golden child of the airline industry, creating an illusion of safety and comfort.

Nothing has changed today as far as that goes.

Companies since then have come and gone, dealing those workers who were unprepared an especially hard blow. All the more reason to ensure you keep up with the essential skills you need to stay relevant and valuable to the marketplace. Network with others in your field and learn from them.

Become “recession-proof” in a sense.

Assess other opportunities that may align with your skillset, interests, and values. where your success and time is not dictated by someone else, but guided by your wants and needs.

Address the Lie Detection and Apathy in the Room

Charles Ponzi, an Italian immigrant, made a fortune off of lying to people. In fact, he was so good at deception that the government named a type of fraud after him—the Ponzi scheme.

But the greatest master of deception is often your own mind, with whispers of doubt creeping into your thoughts whenever you start something new or tackle a new challenge.

It happens so often it almost seems natural.

"The strongest and most dangerous enemy you will ever face is a negative attitude. Learn to recognize when it is trying to invade your body and mind, then simply refuse it entry." – John Newcombe

Experiencing occasional moments of boredom or lack of focus at work is also entirely natural; not every minute of work is bound to be enjoyable. However, when left unaddressed, apathy can become a subtle and harmful trait. It has the potential to erode both your well-being and contentment, and its repercussions extend beyond personal boundaries, influencing those around you through the development of detrimental habits.

? Counting down the hours and minutes until you can leave the office or shut off your computer for the day.

? Avoiding coworkers and peers while withdrawing internally, failing to contribute to meetings.

? Having a lack of interest in your work and any outcome.

? Having excessive fatigue while ignoring your health, hobbies, skills, and routines.

It’s important you create boundaries for yourself by organizing your day by a list of tasks you have to get done by a certain time, then commit to doing them, checking them off as they get completed.

Consider learning a new skill or starting a new project that makes you feel more energized. Network with others in your field, establishing relationships and a growing support system over time, another form of injecting new energy into your life and daily routine.

Be kind to yourself, while operating on your own timeline as you keep your commitments and grow through learning and relationships.

Before long, the war within you will be won, as you are better prepared for the future battles to come your way.