When the ‘Why’ is clear, the ‘How’ is easy !!!

Most people simply want things and don't take time to dig into their reasons why they want them. In most cases this is why the vast majority of people fail to achieve their goals and give up.

Studies have shown that mindset is not just a minor personality quirk. It creates our whole mental worldview and determines whether we become optimistic or pessimistic. It shapes our goals and attitudes toward work and relationships, and it ultimately predicts whether we will fulfill our potential.

Everyone has one of two basic mindsets:

• One mindset is open to growth and learning, believing one can always do better.
• The closed mindset is entrenched in the belief that natural talents and abilities predetermine success.

People with open mindsets believe they can always learn more, do more, and improve. They are confident, yet humble enough to work harder to expand their potential and knowledge. They accept criticism as important feedback, not as a personal insult. An open mindset can be developed and nurtured within high trust environments, where individuals can trust that the feedback they are receiving is being offered with the best intention for their development. Exceptional people have a special talent for identifying their own strengths and weaknesses. They have open minds and are willing to take in feedback about their own deficiencies so they can improve themselves and their organizational performance.

People with closed mindsets believe their talents rather than hard work will lead them to succeed. They constantly seek validation of their worth and want to be right, instead of demonstrating an interest in accepting feedback and a willingness to make changes or adjustments. They tend to gather only the information that supports their views, and they’re more concerned with appearing superior and right. As a result, they easily distort information that supports their self-image.

Many managers and executives have benefited from learning to recognize when their fixed-mindset “persona” shows up and what it says to make them feel threatened or defensive. Most importantly, over time they have learned to talk back to it, persuading it to collaborate with them as they pursue challenging goals. It’s hard work, but individuals can gain a lot by deepening their understanding of growth-mindset concepts and the processes for putting them into practice. It gives them a richer sense of who they are, what they stand for, and how they want to move forward.

A “fixed mindset” assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static given which we can’t change in any meaningful way, and success is the affirmation of that inherent intelligence, an assessment of how those givens measure up against an equally fixed standard; striving for success and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled. A “growth mindset,” on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities. Out of these two mindsets, which we manifest from a very early age, springs a great deal of our behavior, our relationship with success and failure in both professional and personal contexts, and ultimately our capacity for happiness.

The growth mindset leads us to believing that intelligence and personality can be developed rather than being immutably engrained traits. The vie?profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value. Believing that your qualities are carved in stone — the fixed mindset?— creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn’t do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characteristics. The growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way — in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments — everyone can change and grow through application and experience.

At the heart of what makes the “growth mindset” so winsome, is that it creates a passion for learning rather than a hunger for approval. Its hallmark is the conviction that human qualities like intelligence and creativity, and even relational capacities like love and friendship, can be cultivated through effort and deliberate practice. Not only are people with this mindset not discouraged by failure, but they don’t actually see themselves as failing in those situations — they see themselves as learning.

There is an excellent book from the Famous author and TED Talk speaker , Simon Sinek book "Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" is a thought-provoking exploration of the power of purpose in leadership and business. Published in 2009, the book has become a bestseller and is widely regarded as a must-read for anyone looking to lead with purpose and inspire others.

The central premise of the book is that great leaders and organizations start with "why" they do what they do, rather than simply focusing on "what" they do or "how" they do it. Sinek argues that the "why" of a business - its purpose, cause or belief - is what sets it apart and drives long-term success. By focusing on their "why," organizations can inspire their employees, customers and wider communities to get behind them and work towards a common goal.

Sinek uses several real-life examples to illustrate his ideas, including Apple, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright brothers. He shows how these leaders and organizations started with their "why" and used it to inspire others, despite facing significant obstacles and challenges. Through their example, Sinek demonstrates that a clear sense of purpose can help organizations to succeed, even in the most difficult circumstances.

One of the key takeaways from "Start with Why" is that people are not motivated by what a company does, but by why it does it. Sinek argues that the most successful organizations have a powerful "why" that connects with people at an emotional level, inspiring them to take action and become ambassadors for the cause. By focusing on their "why," organizations can create a strong and loyal following of people who are committed to their success.

Whether you're a business leader, an entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to make a difference, "Start with Why" is an essential read that will help you to understand the power of purpose and how you can harness it to inspire others. It provides a roadmap for anyone looking to lead with impact and create positive change in their community, region, nation or, indeed, world

The core of Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” is his discovery of The Golden Circle. There are three parts of The Golden Circle: Why, How, and What ?

• Why:?Very?few people or companies can clearly articulate why they do what they do. This isn’t about running a profitable company—that’s a result. Why is all about your purpose. Why does your company exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?
• How:?Some people and companies know how they do what they do. Whether you call them a ‘’differentiating value proposition’’ or a ‘’unique selling proposition,’’ HOWs are often given to explain how something is different or better.
• What:?Every single company on the planet knows what they do. This is true no matter how big or small the company is, or no matter what industry they belong to. Everyone can easily describe the products or services their company sells or the job function they have within the company.

When we start with “Why”, we go from the inside out of the circle. “Why” is the reason to buy and the “Whats” merely represent the tangible products as a proof of that belief. “Whats” are the reasons we can point to rationalize why we so much like a company over another.

Simon Sinek cites the example of Apple. In his opinion, Apple is technically no different from its competitors. But Apple communicates from the “Why.” Apple’s “Why” is to challenge the status quo and empower the individual. And their challenging the status quo is a pattern repeating in all they say and do, which is the reason why people perceive Apple as authentic.

By allowing ourselves to build an understanding of the reasons why we do something (and conversely, if we aren't doing something, asking the question ”why not”?) we believe that we can all inspire each other to reach for our goals and dreams.

If you're someone who is currently asking yourself these questions or have a business idea that you’d like to move forward, then speak to the team at Purple Shoots and find out how we could help you to make this a reality.

Time to ask yourself… Why not?

When you’re up against the world, competing with everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.

Now let’s think about how we do business. We’re always competing against someone else. Better quality. More features. Better service. We’re always comparing ourselves to the competition. And no one wants to help us.

What if we showed up to work every single day to be better than ourselves? For no better reason than to want to leave the organization in a better state than we found it?

All organizations start with “Why”, but only the great ones keep their “Why” clear year after year. Those who forget “Why” they were founded show up to the race every day to outdo someone else instead of outdoing themselves.

You are your best competition.