MSS #050: Boosting Your Productivity and Happiness - A Mindset Shift

MSS #50: Boosting Your Productivity and Happiness - A Mindset Shift

MSS #050: Boosting Your Productivity and Happiness - A Mindset Shift.

23 Dec, 2023

Read time: 4.4 minutes

In a hurry? Cut straight to ”Transform Your Mindset - If you choose to” - reduced read time 1.9 minutes

In today's edition of Saturday Solace, we're diving deep into a mindset shift that can turbocharge your productivity and bring more joy into your life.

So, fasten your seatbelts because we're about to embark on a transformative journey.

The Power of Mindset Shift

I often see posts stating you must have a growth mindset or some other type of mindset. I don’t disagree, what bothers me is these posts give no idea how to get this mindset.

The cynical part of me thinks “fantastic, can I purchase a growth mindset at my local supermarket?”

In fact, such posts can sometimes make things worse, as the reader might feel if they have not got the ‘recommended’ mindset, then they are some how not at the same level as others – please do not feel like this.

Many talk about the power of mindset, but let's break it down into actionable steps that can truly make a difference. It's not just a concept; it's a game-changer.

Priming our minds – why?

There are countless scientific studies that show how we prime our minds, has a big impact on how we show up and perform. I have included a summary of a few such studies at the end if you are interested.

In essence what thoughts and environment you surround yourself with, sets your mind up to respond in a similar way to those surroundings and thoughts.

For example, if you think about the last time, you performed really well in a negotiation. This will improve your confidence for an upcoming negotiation.

Equally if you read a book about good negotiation skills, watch a video about it or talk to a colleague that is great at negotiation – your brain takes this as an instruction that you want more of this and will support you to achieve that outcome via mechanisms like the Reticular Activating System (subject of a previous newsletter).

The RAS will search all your memories and experiences for relevant information to support your “request” and will filter or new information you receive for anything relevant.

Priming our minds – how?

Here are a few of the ways you can prime your mind.

• Watching videos showing you how.

• Reading about how you want to show up.

• Recalling a time, you performed at your best.

• Visualising yourself doing a great job of what it is you want to be better at.

• Remembering seeing someone else doing a great job – in your mind enjoy that as if it was you.

• Giving gratitude in your mind as if you have just demonstrated you being at your best.

• TOP SECRET – I have another powerful way of doing this, which outstrips the others, but I only share in workshops and 121 coaching sessions, more for practical reasons.

Be careful who you surround yourself with. A piece of Harvard research showed that for every one negative person in a meeting, you need 5 positive people to balance the effect of the one negative person!

Transform Your Mindset – if you choose to.

In this edition, we'll explore seven actionable steps to transform your mindset, boost productivity, and infuse more happiness into your daily life.

Step 1: Embrace the Morning Ritual

Picture this: You wake up, and the first thing you do is set a positive intention for the day. You feel a sense of purpose and energy that propels you forward.

You are crystal clear what you will achieve today and how well you will perform doing this.

Step 2: Harness the 5-Minute Rule

Imagine handling tasks that you used to procrastinate on in just five minutes. That weight lifted off your shoulders, that's what we're aiming for.

Imagining events is proven to get your mind ready and even changes neural pathways to benefit you to achieve what you are imagining.

Step 3: The Power of "No"

Imagine the freedom of saying "no" when necessary, preserving your time and energy for what truly matters. Training your brain to be focused will have a big impact on performance.

Step 4: Unleash Your Creativity

Picture yourself tapping into your inner creativity effortlessly, generating fresh ideas and solutions.

If you are working on a particular challenge imagine the feeling of having a great solution, how wonderful that feels. This gives your unconscious mind the “Instruction” to silently start working on a solution for me. This is the origin of the saying “let me sleep on it”.

Step 5: Mastering the Art of Focus

Imagine a world where you are laser-focused, accomplishing tasks efficiently, and feeling in control of your time. Imagine you have all the time you need, to do what you need to do, to achieve your goals.

This is a wonderful way to prime the mind. The opposite to this is telling yourself you are so busy! Your unconscious mind will take that as an instruction – very much a case of “be careful what you wish for”.

Such sayings are born from eon’s of peoples experiences, realising how our minds work.

Step 6: Gratitude Rewires Your Brain

Picture the joy of practicing gratitude daily, rewiring your brain for positivity, and attracting more happiness into your life.

Gratitude is proven with brain scans to increase the ability of the brain to problem solve better and reduces the reaction of the fight and flight fear systems.

Step 7: Self-Compassion, Your Ultimate Superpower

Imagine treating yourself with kindness and understanding, even on challenging days. Self-compassion is your superpower.

Most of us are so tough on ourselves. The unconscious brain takes this as an instruction and impacts our performance.

Being kinder to yourself is a gamechanger on not only reducing stress and supporting wellbeing, but also you performance.

Why This Matters

Now, you might be wondering why this mindset shift is crucial. It's simple: it's about unleashing your full potential, finding fulfilment, and living a life that aligns with your values. This isn't just about productivity; it's about your overall well-being.

Join the Conversation:

Which of these mindset shifts resonates with you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments. Let's ignite a discussion on how these strategies can impact our lives positively.

Imagine waking up tomorrow, implementing these seven steps, and feeling a renewed sense of purpose and happiness. It's within your reach.

What's your go-to strategy for boosting productivity and happiness? Share your insights in the comments below and inspire others on their journey.

Final Thought:

As we embark on this journey of mindset transformation, remember, you have the power to shape your reality. Embrace these steps and watch how your life blossoms into a masterpiece of productivity and happiness.

Meet Your Fellow Travelers on This Journey:

1. Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft: Bill Gates has openly discussed the importance of mindset in his success journey, emphasizing continuous learning and growth.

2. Oprah Winfrey, Media Mogul: Oprah attributes her success to her mindset, particularly her commitment to self-improvement and positive thinking.

3. Elon Musk, Visionary Entrepreneur: Elon Musk's mindset revolves around relentless innovation and pushing boundaries, proving that mindset can drive groundbreaking achievements.

4. Arianna Huffington, Founder of Thrive Global: Arianna advocates for a balanced mindset, promoting well-being and productivity as interconnected.

5. Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group: Richard Branson's adventurous mindset led to his entrepreneurial success, proving that a positive attitude can conquer challenges.

6. Angela Duckworth, Psychologist and Author: Angela Duckworth's grit mindset theory shows how perseverance and passion are key to achieving long-term goals.

7. Simon Sinek, Leadership Expert: Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" mindset has inspired leaders worldwide to find purpose in their actions.

Examples of Mindset experiments.

Here’s a quick summary of mindset experiments. There are many others that show the power of imagination over how we perform mentally and physically.

Mindset – "The Florida Effect" by John Bargh

Setting: Participants, unaware of the true purpose, were asked to unscramble sentences.

Summary: One group received sentences with words related to the elderly (e.g., "Florida," "old," "lonely"). After the task, these participants walked significantly slower when exiting the room, influenced by the subliminal priming of aging.

Mindset – "Power Posing" by Amy Cuddy

Setting: Participants adopted high-power or low-power poses for two minutes.

Summary with Data: High-power posers showed a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol.

levels, demonstrating physiological changes correlating with increased feelings of power. demonstrating the impact of body language on mindset.

Mindset – "The Pygmalion Effect" by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson

Setting: Teachers were told certain students were likely to show significant academic growth.

Summary with Data: The randomly selected 'growth' students showed a 10-15 IQ points increase over the academic year, significantly more than their peers, influenced by teacher expectations.

Summary:

In summary, your mindset is the compass guiding your journey to productivity and happiness.

By implementing these seven steps, you're not just improving your work life; you're enhancing your overall well-being. Join the conversation, and let's embark on this transformative journey together.

Remember, you have the power to shape your reality. Embrace this mindset shift and watch as your life unfolds into a masterpiece of productivity and happiness.

Stay tuned for next week's Saturday Solace as I continue to unlock the secrets to a more fulfilling life.

See you next week. If you haven't already, follow me on LinkedIn and hit the bell for daily posts on tips, insights and techniques.

Want more? 

When you're ready, 3 ways I can help you:

1. Build self confidence and resilience fast - £48 training course

2. Work with me 121 - start with a FREE 15 minutes exploration session.

Lets have an open chat and explore how I can help you and what is troubling you.

If we both think we can work together and I have what you need we can go from there.

3. Workshops and Speaking - I run workshops and speak. Book me to help your team increase their productivity.

Nuclear Powered Resilience – learn one golden habit that gives incredible inner strength, comfort and support, that keeps growing by instilling Unconditional Love in your mind.

7 guiding principles to better thinking – what trips up our thinking and how to create different habitual responses.

What they should have taught you at school – awareness of how we think and how to get better results.

Vitamin C for the mind – how to feel and have more control in life, with simple techniques built into a habit.

Happy habits – simple habits to make you feel happier everyday.

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, really hope this helped. Contact me if you think I can help you further at [email protected].

Happy thinking.