What are you thinking about?

At the core of this question is the idea that (what) and (how) we think in the present have a significant influence on our future. 

Our mindset (HOW) shapes our perception and reaction to our experiences. In many cases, this perception tends to have a greater influence than truth. If we believe that we can overcome anything then we continue to search for solutions while if we believe we are defeated or victimized we tend to rather sulk, regardless if you are justified or not some mindsets just produce a better overall outcome. Here are some good ones:

• Thinking from abundance, not scarcity
• Taking a victor stance not that of a victim
• Being teachable, expecting to learn from others over expecting yourself to have all the answers

Our daily anecdotal experiences and memory provide a flood of information and our conscious mind (System 2) utilize only part of that what is available. Even worse we are biologically inclined to be lazy thinkers (Principle of Least Effort) and react instinctively towards short-term gains, not long-term objectives. 

This brings us to (WHAT) are you spending your thinking time on? This idea has been around for a while but it is less mystical (The Secret / Positive Thinking) than some might claim, if you focus intentionally on some parts then the other things will have less of an impact on you (See Change Blindness as an example).

Have you ever had someone call out a mannerism of someone else that then start bothering you where it never did before? The more you try to ignore it the worse it gets, guess what you are focusing on it and therefore it will be more prominent. Luckily it also works in the positive. As an example, focusing on positive traits will help you build much better relationships even with overwhelming differences.

Same with goals, adjust the frequency of reviewing them to ensure they influence choices. Often revisit short term goals while periodically revisit annual and life goals while evaluating them against each other for an optimal balance to meet the needs of the present but concurrently work towards larger long term objectives. Make time to think and be intentional about what you focus on during this time.

Hopefully, these are not completely foreign concepts, as we start 2021 let's remind ourselves to build healthy mindsets and focus on the right things.