Category: All

Out of the comfort zone - guaranteed to work with the 4-zone model

Posted on by Mariana-A
Get out of your comfort zone. Have you heard this phrase before? Maybe said it yourself a time or two? I admit it, in my Keynotes and Books I have often called for this, sustainable changes by following the motto “Get out of your comfort zone”. But what sounds so simple in theory is often quite difficult to implement in everyday life. In this article, I would therefore like to introduce you to the 4-zone model of change, which will make it easier for you to leave your comfort zone, enter unknown territory and thus grow as a person in the long term. 
 

Get out of your comfort zone - what you can learn from (your) children

The perfect role models for regularly leaving your comfort zone are (your) children. With infectious curiosity, they regularly try out all kinds of different things. Test their own limits. Leave their comfort zone. And when they are confronted with the inevitable failures, they don't complain about it, but try it out in a different way. 
 
Yes, you could almost think that children invented the advice “Get out of your comfort zone”. Because they are true masters in dealing with any kind of change. Don't you find it fascinating how much joy young people take in new experiences and feel almost magically attracted to the unknown? You would never expect children to say things like „We've never done it like this before„, „That never works“ or „I'd rather not try, it could go wrong“. Instead, like human chameleons, they can adapt to almost any new situation, let their imagination and creativity guide them and learn almost any sport, musical instrument or even new languages within a few weeks.
 

In love with the unknown - desire for growth and development

Unfortunately, most children are bombarded with the same messages over and over again by a wide variety of caregivers by the time they reach their teenage years: „Adapt„, „You must finally become sensible„, „An end to eternal daydreaming“ or „Now the serious side of life begins“ are just a few of them. And before you know it, the former abundance of lightness is lost and replaced by supposed reason, skepticism and a convulsive adherence to the status quo. 
 
Without ever wanting to, you have become a conformist, mediocre and, above all, functional member of society who has lost any form of fun, joy or satisfaction. I don't know about you, but I find that tragic. Fortunately, it doesn't have to come to that. If the phrase “Get out of your comfort zone” is not just lip service for you, but a philosophy that guides all your thoughts and actions. When you fall in love with the unknown every single day. 
 
When you enjoy the butterflies in your stomach when you think about the possibilities of the future. When you stop sitting on your comfy couch hoping that your situation will somehow improve and instead take action. When you go out into life and start pursuing your goals and dreams with passion. Woody Allen once aptly stated that the 80% of the Success is to just show up. So show up as often as possible. The more you give in to your desire for new impressions, experiences and stimuli in your life, the greater the likelihood that you will achieve extraordinary things.
 

Longing for new horizons as the key to change

Just imagine what would have happened if people like Marco Polo, Roald Amundsen or Christopher Columbus had not followed their spirit of discovery, but had waited in a safe harbor for a guarantee that they would definitely reach their destinations. They would never have reached China, the South Pole or America. The same applies to the invention of the light bulb, the printing press or the iPhone, all of which changed the world. Because Thomas Edison, Johannes Gutenberg and Steve Jobs shared the longing for innovation, for new paths and the permanent questioning of existing conventions. And they did not rest on their laurels, but rather maintained a willingness to constantly question their own achievements.
 
The longing for new horizons as a success factor is therefore so essential, because today's exceptional is tomorrow's good and the mediocre the day after tomorrow. I remember exactly how I thought in 2008 that with the iPhone 3G I was holding such a brilliant product in my hands that it couldn't get any better. How wrong you can be, because when I compare it with the current model, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it seems to me like a smartphone from the Stone Age. It's similar with us humans, because we are like plants in this respect. If we can't grow, we don't stop at the current stage of development, we die. Not overnight, of course, but gradually. 
 
And this process is much more insidious. It's like the famous parable of the frog. If you try to put it in a pot of boiling water, it jumps out immediately. If, on the other hand, you put it in cold water and heat it only gradually, it will not notice the increase in temperature. Until at some point it is too late. Even if this metaphor is a myth, the statement behind it is true for many people. Because if you don't regularly expose yourself to new stimuli, challenging experiences and unknown situations, your personal comfort zone will become increasingly cozy over time and dullness, mediocrity and arbitrariness will spread.

Beyond the comfort zone: the 4-zone model of change

But what actually happens as soon as you give in to the longing for Shift give in and dare to embrace uncertainty? You will gradually move through a process that will take you through four different zones and reward you with personal growth at the end. The following illustration provides an overview.
 
The 4-zone model of change

 

Out of the comfort zone: Phase 1 - The comfort zone

We all know this zone. Here, everything is known, familiar and, above all, very comfortable. You do what you always do, avoid any risks and have everything under control at all times. Routines and standard procedures characterize everyday life and most behaviors run on autopilot mode. However, the absence of any challenges creates a major problem. No growth takes place in the comfort zone, as you only fall back on known and proven methods. 
 
Life in the comfort zone is not particularly exciting, but the lack of variety is compensated for by a pronounced feel-good factor. In the short term, there is nothing wrong with this at all. But if you don't just want to function and live as you please, then you have to grow in the long term. Because growth is a basic human need and the basis for a life characterized by meaning, satisfaction and fulfillment. Here is a great idea that I wish you would never forget:
 
Your quality of life depends on the amount of growth you can live comfortably with in the long term.
 
True life always begins outside your comfort zone. As soon as you dare to overcome your limits, head for new horizons and set sail on a stormy voyage. But before you can reap the rewards of this courageous step, there is unfortunately another zone waiting for you that most people fail to reach.
 

Out of the comfort zone: Phase 2 - The fear zone

Beyond the comfort zone, the unknown lurks. The fear zone begins, and the crocodile brain (you can find out exactly what it is in my book “The mindset revolution” in detail) tries with all its might to persuade you to turn back. Because you are suddenly exposed to new situations that you have never experienced before, you start to doubt, look for excuses and would prefer to give up immediately. 
 
No wonder, because so much can go wrong, won't work the first time and a familiar inner voice will constantly remind you how little self-confidence you have in this zone. You will often feel overwhelmed because so many new impressions are coming at you. Your most important task is therefore to resist the temptations of the resistance triggered by the crocodile brain and instead consciously take the path of small steps. To embrace uncertainty and transform it into personal growth. And to repeat this as often as necessary until the first signs of success appear.
 

Out of the comfort zone: Phase 3 - The learning zone

As soon as this happens, you are in the learning zone. Here too, most things are still new, while the old rules no longer apply. However, your curiosity is already so pronounced that your problem-solving skills are gradually increasing, which in turn boosts your self-confidence. Through the sum of the many small successes, you have set in motion a self-reinforcing positive spiral that enables you to acquire new knowledge, new skills and new abilities. 
 
New opportunities and possibilities suddenly seem to appear of their own accord, opening up further opportunities for you to try out your newly acquired skills straight away. Of course, not everything always works immediately in the learning zone and you have to take most of the steps very consciously, but the more often you face up to the challenges, the sooner you will make the transition to the decisive final phase.
 

Out of the comfort zone: Phase 4 - The growth zone

Change is most fun when it is accompanied by purpose, fulfillment and, in particular, balance. And this is exactly what happens in the growth zone. Your self-confidence has now increased enormously, so that you dare to do things that you would never have dared to dream of before. Full of joy and ease, you throw yourself into solving problems, try out new ideas immediately and develop into a role model for those around you. Your new abilities, skills and characteristics have now become second nature to you and help you to achieve your goals and dreams as unconscious automatisms.
 
But something else, much more important, happens as soon as you start to spend a lot of your time in the growth zone. Almost as if by magic, the boundaries of both your comfort zone and your fear zone shift. On the one hand, the comfort zone expands. No wonder, because what seemed completely unthinkable and beyond known rules and standards some time ago has now become a lived reality. 
 
At the same time, the fear zone is also shrinking, because many situations in which you would have reacted with trembling knees and a pounding heart in the past have now become a perfect opportunity for you to grow as a person and gain new experiences. Will the doubt, uncertainty and fear ever disappear completely? Of course not. And that's a good thing, as they are the perfect indicator that you are about to do something extraordinary. Or in other words:
 
The changes you are most afraid of are the ones that bring the biggest breakthroughs for you.
 

Out of the comfort zone - into change

 
Dear readers, I very much hope that I have succeeded in triggering your longing for new ideas, new paths and new behaviors with this article. That I was able to make you want to renounce the comfort of the status quo and fall in love with the unknown. That it has become natural for you to regularly leave your comfort zone. It is very worthwhile not only to understand the 4-zone model of change, but to internalize it.
 
Because the more you grow as a person, the greater the degree of fulfillment, meaning and satisfaction. Always remember: your quality of life depends on the amount of growth you can live comfortably with in the long term. But before you rush straight off, a quick tip, because of course the right balance is also important here.
 
Why? Not everything that is new is automatically good. And not everything that is old is automatically bad. Dealing with necessary changes in a balanced way is therefore a bit like the famous ride on the razor's edge or the tightrope act in the circus. Only if you find the right balance between old and new will you be able to enjoy the wonderful effects of the growth zone. 
 
On the one hand, this means appreciating what has proven its worth. What is good. What you consciously want to preserve. And on the other hand, you should always be prepared to regularly question processes, conditions and especially yourself. And then radically change them. In this way, you get that magical cocktail of tradition and modernity, of preservation and daring, and of firm and stable Values and flexible behavior.

The UnChange Mindset Model - change beyond the self-optimization mania

Posted on by Mariana-A
Das UnChange Mindset ist ein Modell, dass die traditionelle Mindset Definition erweitert, und den Umgang mit Change management, Transformationsprozessen und jeglicher Form von Shift auf eine gesunde und balancierte Basis stellt. In diesem Artikel möchte ich Ihnen das UnChange Mindset ausführlich vorstellen.
 

Mindset – Die traditionelle Definition

Ich gebe es offen zu: Ich bin ein riesiger Mindset Fan. Ich benutze den Begriff so häufig, dass meine Fokussierung auf den Erfolgsfaktor innere Haltung mittlerweile sogar schon auf meine Familie abfärbt. So teilte mir meine zehnjährige Tochter vor ihrer letzten Mathearbeit mit: „Das Lernen der Formeln ist gar nicht so wichtig, Papa. Das Mindset ist viel entscheidender.“ Aber was genau verbirgt sich eigentlich hinter diesem Begriff, der sich immer mehr verbreitet und mittlerweile sogar an den Grundschulen dieser Republik angekommen zu sein scheint?
 
Die wohl bekannteste Forschungsarbeit zum Thema Mindset geht auf die amerikanische Verhaltensforscherin Dr. Carol Dweck zurück, die in ihrem Buch Mindset – Changing the way you think to fulfil your Potential von einem Fixed Mindset und einem Growth Mindset spricht. Beim Fixed Mindset (starr, unflexibel) gehen Menschen laut Dweck davon aus, dass ihre Talente, Fähigkeiten und Denkweisen fixe Eigenschaften sind, die entweder vorhanden oder auch nicht vorhanden, auf keinen Fall jedoch veränderbar sind. Beim Growth Mindset (Wachstum, Entwicklung) hingegen sind die Menschen überzeugt, dass die beschriebenen Faktoren veränderbar und ausbaufähig sind, wenn man ausreichend trainiert, lernt und an sich arbeitet.
 
Auf Deutsch ist der aus dem Englischen stammende Begriff Mindset schwer zu übersetzen, denn für das englische Wort „Mind“ gibt es leider kein entsprechendes Synonym. Im allgemeinen Sprachgebrauch wird es daher oft mit Einstellung, Haltung, Mentalität oder Denkweise verwendet, während das Onlinelexikon Wikipedia das Mindset als „[…] eine vorherrschende psychische Persönlichkeitseigenschaft (Prädisposition) im Sinne eines Denk- und Verhaltensmusters einer Person oder sozialen Gruppe“ definiert.
 

Warum Iron Man seinen Erfolg dem Mindset zu verdanken hat

Für mich geht diese Definition allerdings noch nicht weit genug, und ich möchte Ihnen daher gerne meine traditionelle Mindset Definition verraten: 
 
Das Mindset basiert auf unserer Identität und ist die Summe unserer Werte, Überzeugungen, Erfahrungen, Fähigkeiten, Persönlichkeitseigenschaften, Gewohnheiten, Entscheidungsstrategien und unserer generellen Attitüde dem Leben gegenüber. Es ist weniger das, was wir tagtäglich tun, sondern vor allem die Art und Weise, wie wir es machen und der Purpose (emotionaler Grund), also das warum und wofür.
 
Dieser Satz klingt Ihnen zu kompliziert? Wie wäre es dann mit folgender Metapher:
 
Ihr Mindset ist für Sie, was die künstliche Intelligenz Jarvis für Iron Man ist.
 
Können Sie sich noch erinnern? In den erfolgreichen Marvel Filmen hatte der von Robert Downey Jr. gespielte Milliardär Tony Stark eine von ihm programmierte künstliche Intelligenz als Assistenten, mit dem er mittels Sprachbefehlen kommunizieren konnte. Wann immer er eine Information benötigte, verschiedene Handlungsoptionen abwägen musste oder vor einer schwierigen Entscheidung stand, startete Jarvis einige Rechenoperationen, durchforstete seine Datenbank und versorgte Tony Stark nach wenigen Millisekunden mit dem gewünschten Wissen, bestimmten Zahlen, Daten und Fakten oder einem auf Erfolgswahrscheinlichkeiten basierenden Ratschlag.
 

Das Mindset beeinflusst Ihr Leben in jeder einzelnen Sekunde

Mit Ihrem Mindset verhält es sich sehr ähnlich. Nur dass Sie Ihre mentale Software nicht bewusst programmiert haben, sondern dass sich Ihre innere Datenbank im Laufe der Jahre durch die Anhäufung und Vertiefung von Wissen, Fähigkeiten, Values, Gewohnheiten, Erfahrungen und den verschiedensten Überzeugungen von ganz alleine immer mehr vergrößert hat. Vor jeder Decision, vor jeder Handlung und auch vor jedem einzelnen Gedanken kommt es zu einem Abgleich mit den Daten der Vergangenheit, bevor das Programm dann unbewusst und zuverlässig abgespult wird.
 
Ihr Mindset ist wie eine von Ihnen programmierte Software, die automatisiert im Hintergrund abläuft, Sie unterstützt, berät und Sie immer wieder an das erinnert, was wirklich wichtig ist.
 
Das Mindset bestimmt Ihre generelle Sicht auf die Welt, beeinflusst sämtliche Ihrer Verhaltensstrategien und wirkt wie ein stets funktionierendes inneres GPS-System, das Sie sicher durch die verschiedensten Abenteuer des Alltags navigiert. Die Qualität Ihres Mindsets bestimmt also Ihre generelle Lebensqualität. Bedeutet dies nun, dass Sie einfach nur Ihr aktuelles Mindset etwas aufpeppen und in eine positive Richtung shiften müssen, und schon klappt es mit dem Success? Wenn Sie meinen bisherigen Ausführungen gefolgt sind, dann ahnen Sie die Antwort sicher schon, oder?
 
Denn natürlich ist dies nicht der Fall. Ich möchte Sie an etwas wichtiges erinnern: Sie sind okay so, wie Sie sind. Und auch ihr aktuelles Mindset ist zu diesem Zeitpunkt im Leben genau richtig. Das Einzige, was es zu tun gibt, ist die nächste Entwicklungsstufe einzuläuten. Und das tun Sie, indem Sie die Vorsilbe „Un“ zu Ihrer inneren Haltung hinzufügen.
 

Veränderung mal „Un“ders

Es war ein wunderschöner Tag im Sommer 2015. Die Sonne brennt mir ins Gesicht, und nachdem ich mir gerade die verschiedensten Sehenswürdigkeiten in Washington D.C. angesehen hatte, befinde ich mich auf dem Rückweg zu meinem Hotel in Georgetown. Während ich die Atmosphäre dieses beeindruckenden Stadtteils auf mich wirken lasse, drehen sich meine Gedanken nur um ein Thema.
 
Wenige Stunden zuvor hatte ich auf einer Konferenz den Worten meines Kollegen Scott Stratten gelauscht, und stolperte in seinem Vortag über den Begriff UnMarketing.⁠ Die dahinterstehende Philosophie war so genial, dass sie mir nicht mehr aus dem Kopf gehen wollte: Marketing zu betreiben, ohne Marketing zu betreiben.
 
Und ich kann Ihre gedankliche Verwirrung beim Lesen dieser Aussage fast schon spüren. Tatsächlich steckt dahinter eine sehr sinnvolle Logik. Denn warum scheitert Marketing so häufig? Weil Kunden von den üblichen Werkzeugen wie künstlicher Verknappung (nur noch heute), unglaubwürdiger Angebote (nur 29 € statt 1.999 €) oder lebensfremder Versprechungen (schreiben Sie Ihren Bestseller mit nur acht Stunden Arbeit) schlicht und einfach genervt sind.
 
Sobald man aber auf diesen Ansatz verzichtet und sich auf den nachhaltigen Aufbau von Beziehungen zu seiner Zielgruppe konzentriert, dann kaufen die Menschen irgendwann von ganz alleine und vor allem gerne. Weil man zu einer starken Marke geworden ist, der man vertraut, und die sich über eine Pull-Strategie zur Nummer 1 in den Köpfen ihrer Kunden etabliert hat.
 
Das gleiche Prinzip kennen Sie möglicherweise auch von sogenannten UnConferences. Anders als bei klassischen Konferenzen gibt es hier keine dauerhafte Frontalbeschallung, sondern nur einen groben Rahmen, der dann von den Teilnehmerinnen aktiv gefüllt werden kann. Ein wirklich geniales Format.  ⁠ 
 

Das Prinzip des UnChange Mindsets

Und als ich gerade die berühmte Georgetown University passierte, hatte ich einen ganz persönlichen Heureka-Moment, aus dem ein Gedanke entsprang, der mich seitdem nicht mehr loslassen sollte: Wenn dieses Prinzip beim Marketing und bei Konferenzen nachweislich funktioniert, muss es sich doch auch auf das Thema Shift übertragen lassen. Daraus resultierte eine alles entscheidende Frage: Wie könnte erfolgreiche Veränderung ohne die typischen Nebenwirkungen wie Druck, Überforderung und den Drang zum Self-optimization mania gelingen? Das UnChange Mindset Modell war geboren.
 
Denn wäre es nicht wundervoll, wenn Change nicht automatisch mit negativen Emotionen, sondern einem Gefühl von Leichtigkeit einhergehen könnte? Wäre es nicht schön, wenn man die positiven Auswirkungen wie persönliches Wachstum, eine erfolgreiche Karriere und ein generell erfülltes Leben erreichen könnte, ohne permanent den Status Quo bekämpfen zu müssen? Wäre es nicht viel besser, wenn man sich nicht auf das unbedingte Erreichen konkreter Resultate verkrampfen müsste, sondern stattdessen den Weg dorthin genießen könnte?
 
Auf der Suche nach möglichen Antworten recherchierte ich wissenschaftliche Artikel, analysierte die einschlägige Literatur und studierte insbesondere die Mindsets meiner erfolgreichen Kunden. Als Keynote Speaker und Change Berater habe ich das große Privileg, mit Unternehmen jeglicher Größenordnungen auf der ganzen Welt zusammenarbeiten zu dürfen. Und es hat mich schon immer fasziniert, warum manche Menschen, Teams oder ganze Organisationen Veränderungen scheinbar mühelos meistern, während andere sich mit aller Gewalt an der Vergangenheit festklammern, weil alles Neue unmittelbar als Bedrohung wahrgenommen wird.
 
Eines ist mir während meiner Forschungen schnell klar geworden. Die bewährten Change Modelle und Methoden aus der Persönlichkeitsentwicklung klingen zwar durch die Bank weg gut, führen aber selten zu den gewünschten Ergebnissen. Und dies hat einen wichtigen Grund. Sie fokussieren sich ausschließlich auf das Verhalten und blenden gleichzeitig die mentalen Prozesse, die inneren Motive und die psychologischen Faktoren weitestgehend aus.
 
Egal, ob es sich um Veränderungen im persönlichen Alltag oder im beruflichen Kontext handelt, nicht irgendwelche Werkzeuge, Prozesse oder Skills bestimmen darüber, ob man erfolgreich ist oder scheitert. Natürlich sind diese wichtig und bilden immer die Grundlage, aber wenn wir uns das große Bild anschauen, dann ist der entscheidende Faktor immer das Mindset. Die Statistiken bestätigen diese Einschätzung.
 
In der vom World Economic Forum regelmäßig durchgeführten Studie der Top 15 Future Skills befinden sich unter den zehn wichtigsten Fähigkeiten mit Programmieren und der Nutzung neuer Technologien nur zwei sogenannte Hardskills. Die restlichen acht (darunter die Top 3 Innovatives Denken, lebenslanges Lernen und Problemlösungskompetenz) sind alle den mentalen Faktoren zuzuordnen. Es kommt nicht so sehr darauf an, was, sondern insbesondere wie and warum wir etwas tun oder nicht tun.
 

Das UnChange Mindset Modell

Und genau an dieser Stelle kommt das UnChange Mindset Modell ins Spiel, das Ihnen einen erfolgreichen Umgang mit Veränderungen ermöglicht, während es gleichsam die üblichen Nebenwirkungen eliminiert. Dabei handelt es sich um eine besondere Form von Attitude, bei der die Vorsilbe „Un“ genau wie beim UnMarketing oder den UnConferences für einen radikal anderen Ansatz eines bekannten Formats steht. 
 
„Das UnChange Mindset ist eine besondere Form der inneren Haltung, die auf sieben Erfolgsfaktoren basiert, und mit der richtigen Balance aus Stabilität und Flexibilität dafür sorgt, dass Veränderungen erfolgreich gemeistert werden können, indem die Faktoren Druck, Überforderung und Stress eliminiert und durch Leichtigkeit und Selbstvertrauen ersetzt werden.
 
Das Upgrade zum UnChange Mindset gelingt Ihnen, sobald Sie sich an die Prämisse erinnern, dass es nichts zu optimieren gibt. Wenn Sie diese Tatsache ein und für alle Mal verinnerlichen, dann sorgt die daraus resultierende Überzeugung dafür, dass Sie sich voll und ganz auf Ihre Ziele und Träume im Leben konzentrieren können. Und damit über die so wichtige Balance zwischen Neu und Alt, zwischen Erfolgshunger und Durchschnaufen, sowie zwischen Wagen und Bewahren verfügen.  
 

Der UnChange Mindset Baum

Die perfekte Metapher hierfür ist ein Baum. Dieser soll sinnbildlich für Ihr UnChange Mindset stehen. Damit aus der jungen Pflanze einmal ein majestätisches Exemplar werden kann, bedarf es vor allem eines nähr- und mineralstoffreichen Mutterbodens, um bestmögliches Wachstum zu ermöglichen. Je älter der Baum dann wird, desto größer werden die einzelnen Wurzeln, die sich immer tiefer im Boden verankern.
 
Dies sind die sieben UnChange Mindset Erfolgsfaktoren, die dem Stamm den notwendigen Halt verleihen, damit die einzelnen Äste maximal flexibel und biegsam agieren können. In unserer Metapher handelt es sich dabei um Ihr tägliches Verhalten, Ihre Gedanken, Ihre Entscheidungen und Ihre Gewohnheiten. 
 
Genau so entsteht nachhaltige Veränderung. Nur wenn die Wurzeln Ihrem Mindset-Baum die notwendige Kraft geben, können die Äste bei Sonnenschein wachsen, sich aber auch in heftigen Stürmen, Regengüssen oder Gewittern biegen, anpassen und im Wind neigen. Die Balance aus Stabilität und Flexibilität lässt Ihr UnChange Mindset sich immer weiterentwickeln, wodurch ein inneres Feuer entfacht wird, das sich im Außen in einer unbändigen Gestaltungslust widerspiegelt.
 
Und last but not least können Sie gar nicht anders, als hierauf die entsprechenden Taten folgen zu lassen. Und zwar in genau der richtigen Mischung aus Einsatz und Entspannung, aus Wagen und Bewahren, sowie aus Vollgas geben und Durchatmen. Genau diese Menschlichkeit unterscheidet Sie von den kalten Maschinen, und wird in den kommenden Jahren zu Ihrem größten Faustpfand werden.
 
In der folgenden Abbildung finden Sie eine grafische Zusammenfassung des UnChange Mindset Modells:
 
unchange mindset baum
 
Die sieben Erfolgsfaktoren des UnChange Mindset Modells geben Ihnen als Wurzeln Stabilität, Orientierung und Kraft. Und gleichzeitig besitzen Ihr Verhalten, Ihre Entscheidungen und Ihre Denkmuster als Äste über die notwendige Flexibilität, um mit den unterschiedlichsten Herausforderungen in Form von Stürmen oder Gewittern umgehen zu können.
 
Diese besondere Kombination eliminiert den üblichen Druck, das Gefühl der Überforderung und die häufig im Selbstoptimierungswahn mündende Tendenz zu viel auf einmal verändern zu wollen. Wenn sich das UnChange Mindset in Balance befindet, dann bekämpfen Sie nämlich nicht länger den Status Quo, sondern machen sich voller Leichtigkeit auf den Weg in die Richtung Ihrer Ziele. Und spüren dabei ein tiefsitzendes Urvertrauen, dass Sie diese irgendwann auch erreichen werden. Und sollten Sie unterwegs feststellen, dass ein Ziel nicht mehr aktuell bzw. ein anderes attraktiver geworden ist, dann sind Sie jederzeit in der Lage, eine Kurskorrektur vorzunehmen.
 

Das UnChange Mindset: Veränderung mit Leichtigkeit

Gestatten Sie mir an dieser Stelle bitte noch zwei Anmerkungen zum UnChange Mindset. Wenn ich fortlaufend von Leichtigkeit spreche, dann ist damit keinesfalls gemeint, dass Sie sich bequem auf Ihrem Sofa oder in der Hängematte zurücklehnen können. Ganz im Gegenteil. Erfolg in sämtlichen Lebensbereichen fällt niemals vom Himmel und erfordert immer auch eine Portion der guten alten harten Arbeit. Ich meine mit Leichtigkeit vor allem das Gegenteil von verkrampft sein. 
 
Diesen einmaligen Zustand, wenn Sie geistig und körperlich vollkommen locker, entspannt und insgesamt im Flow sind. Weiterhin führt die Anwendung des UnChange Mindset Modells auch nicht dazu, dass ab sofort nur noch eitel Sonnenschein herrscht. Sie werden auch weiterhin mit den unterschiedlichsten Problemen zu kämpfen haben. Der Wind wird Ihnen mit voller Kraft von vorne ins Gesicht wehen, unvorhergesehene Hindernisse werden auftauchen und einschneidende Krisen müssen gemeistert werden. Der entscheidende Unterschied wird aber darin liegen, wie Sie damit umgehen und wie selbstverständlich Sie entsprechende Lösungen finden werden. Der Unterschied liegt in der Nutzung und Anwendung des UnChange Mindset Modells. 

Preventing and breaking through unconscious self-sabotage

Posted on by Mariana-A
Kennen Sie den größten Feind des Success? Es ist die unbewusste Selbstsabotage, mit der wir alle mehr oder weniger intensiv zu kämpfen haben. Sie tritt immer dann auf, wenn unsere unbewussten Muster im Gegensatz zu den bewussten Zielen und Vorhaben stehen. In diesem Artikel wollen wir uns anschauen, wie die unbewusste Selbstsabotage entsteht und natürlich auch, wie man sie duchbricht.
 

Unbewusste Botschaften prägen das Mindset

Ich war nie ein guter Schüler. Spätestens ab der 8. Klasse habe ich mich mehr oder weniger durgewurschtelt. Und hätte ich nicht einige Paradefächer gehabt, so hätte mir mein komplettes Desinteresse an Mathe, Physik und Chemie wohl notentechnisch das Genick gebrochen. Aber erst heute, viele Jahre und eine große Portion Lebenserfahrung später weiß ich, warum die Schule und ich nie beste Freunde wurden. Es lag an der Struktur, den Zielen und den Botschaften, die mir bewusst oder unbewusst über meine gesamte Kindheit eingetrichtert wurden. 
 
Vielleicht kommen Ihnen einige davon ja bekannt vor: Sitz still. Bereite Dich gut auf die nächste Prüfung vor. Pass Dich an. Mach Deine Hausaufgaben. Hinterfrage nicht. Befolge die Anweisungen der Lehrer. Lerne auswendig. Schreib in Deinem Heft nicht über den Rand. Mach nicht mehr als nötig. Regeln sind wichtiger als Kreativität. Halte Dich im Hintergrund. Das Kollektiv ist wichtiger als der Einzelne. Vermeide Risiken. Tue das, was alle tun. Schlag Dir die Träumereien aus dem Kopf. Tu das, was alle tun. Und last but not least natürlich der bekannte Klassiker Gute Noten sind wichtiger als etwas zu verstehen.
 

Wertschätzung versus Versagerbotschaften

Das Ergebnis? Das Schulsystem hat meine Kreativität und meinen Entdeckergeist gekillt. Und weil auch heute immer noch die Methoden aus den 1980er Jahren Bestand haben, sind Millionen von Kindern zwar echte Experten im Auswendiglernen und Bestehen von Klausuren, verfügen jedoch über so gut wie keine Problemlösungskompetenz. Natürlich ist dies nicht die Schuld der Lehrer, denn viele Lehrkräfte sind super engagiert und richtig toll. Leider haben sie mit genau den gleichen Hindernissen zu kämpfen, denn die Institution Schule mag keine kreativen Pädagogen. 
 
Stattdessen mag sie starre Lehrpläne. Fixe Strukturen. Und auf keinen Fall eine Abweichung von der Norm. Der Status Quo des Bildungssystems führt dann dazu, dass die einzige Fähigkeit, die unsere Kinder nach ihrem Abschluss perfekt beherrschen, „gut in der Schule sein“ ist. Doch welche Relevanz hat das Auswendiglernen von Fakten, die man innerhalb von wenigen Sekunden googeln könnte? Wie wichtig ist das Wiederkäuen von Antworten, welche die fragenden Lehrkräfte schon längst kennen? 
 
Richtig, im wahren Leben sind vollkommen andere Kompetenzen gefragt. Weder Astrid Lindgren, Elon Musk, Arianna Huffington oder irgendeine andere außergewöhnliche Persönlichkeit hat ihren Erfolg der Ausbildung an einer Schule zu verdanken. Denn wir leben schon lange nicht mehr in der Industriegesellschaft, wo Schulen vor allem konforme Arbeiter hervorbringen sollten, die dann fleißig und zuverlässig ihren Dienst an den Fließbändern der Fabriken absolvieren sollten. Gut in der Schule zu sein ist beim Aufbau eines StartUps, in der Guidance eines Unternehmens oder der Entwicklung von zukunftsorientierten Ideen leider genau so irrelevant wie wenn Sie eine absolute Expertin im Bowling wären.
 

Unbewusste Selbstsabotage verhindern: Das Mindset ist der Schlüssel

Auch im Studium wird es nicht etwa besser. Die Themen und Inhalte mögen zwar komplexer sein, aber trotzdem geht es in erster Linie immer noch um das Auswendiglernen von prüfungsrelevanten Informationen. Die praktische Anwendung des Wissens in unterschiedlichen Kontexten spielt hingegen so gut wie keine Rolle. Es war ein prägender Moment in meinem Leben, als ich direkt nach meinem Uni-Abschluss zum ersten Mal eine neue Perspektive eingenommen habe. Weil ich begriff, dass mir die Prägungen, Botschaften und Suggestionen des Bildungssystems für meine Zukunft nur im Wege stehen würden. 
 
Und ehe ich mich versah, stand ich vor der wohl schwierigsten Shift of my life so far. I had to learn to unlearn everything I had grown up with. What had been drilled into me at school for years. I had to discard the messages from the past and redefine who I wanted to be. What I believe in. And which Mindset should drive me. There is a direct connection between the results in our lives and our current mindset, which you can imagine as follows.
 
Mindset Modell deutsch
 
However the Mindset aussieht, mit dem Sie zurzeit durchs Leben gehen, es ist die einzigartige Kombination Ihrer Identität, Ihren wichtigsten Values und Ihren tiefsten Beliefs. Diese besondere Mischung bestimmt nicht nur Ihre generelle Weltsicht, sondern auch Ihre Fähigkeiten, Ihr Verhalten, Ihre Entscheidungsstrategien und am Ende des Tages eben auch Ihre Ergebnisse. Oder kurz und knackig auf den Punkt gebracht:
 
Your behavior is always a direct reflection of your mindset.
 

Ihr Mindset beeinflusst das gesamte Leben. Immer. Überall.

Sie können sich auf intellektueller Ebene noch so sehr wünschen, eine erfolgreiche Unternehmerin zu sein, finanzielle Freiheit zu erlangen oder endlich den Partner fürs Leben zu finden. Wenn Ihr Mindset auf einer diesen Träumen entgegengesetzten Identity und damit einhergehenden Glaubenssätzen basiert, dann werden Sie alles dafür tun, dass die Realität sich Ihren Überzeugungen angleicht. Dies liegt an einem universellen Zusammenhang, wenn es um Veränderungen im Leben geht.
 
The more a behavior attacks our current mindset, the more we will unconsciously do everything we can to postpone or even completely prevent this behavior.
 
Please note that this process takes place completely unconsciously, even if you are rationally guided by your Targets are convinced. Nevertheless, people are true artists at unconsciously sabotaging all these consciously expressed intentions in order to preserve their own identity and the convictions that go with it.
 

Glaubenssätze als Quelle für unbewusste Selbstsabotage

Statt Überzeugungen können Sie gerne auch Glaubenssätze oder Beliefs sagen. Gemeint sind damit die vermeintlichen Fakten und Zusammenhänge, von denen Sie glauben, dass sie wahr sind, sowie die generellen Prinzipien, wie das Leben funktioniert, was alles möglich ist oder wer Sie als Persönlichkeit sind bzw. sein könnten. Ein paar Beispiele gefällig? 
 
Hier kommt eine unvollständige Auswahl von ein paar Klassikern:
 
  • Schuster bleib bei Deinen Leisten.
  • Ich bin nicht gut genug.
  • Geld verdirbt den Charakter.
  • Rechne lieber mit dem Schlechtesten, dann wirst Du nicht enttäuscht.
  • Erst die Arbeit, dann das Vergnügen.
  • Das Leben ist kein Zuckerschlecken.
  • Die Menschheit wird immer schlechter.
  • Ich ziehe den Misserfolg magisch an.
  • Das geht nicht so einfach.
  • Um Erfolg zu haben, muss man die Ellenbogen ausfahren.
  • Ich bin an allem schuld.
  • Dafür fehlt mir die Zeit.
  • Das mag bei anderen klappen, bei mir ist das anders.
  • Or my absolute favorite: change has to be hard for it to work.
 
Ich bin mir sicher, dass Sie beim Lesen direkt noch weitere Beispiele im Kopf hatten, nicht wahr? Dann lassen Sie uns jetzt zum wohl wichtigsten Charakteristikum von Glaubenssätzen kommen. Diese entstehen nämlich nicht aus dem Nichts und sind auf einmal da. Ganz im Gegenteil. Glaubenssätze kommen immer von Außen. Kennen Sie ein Baby, das als Rassist geboren wurde? Kennen Sie einen kleinen Jungen, der mit diskriminierenden Vorurteilen durchs Leben geht? Oder kennen Sie ein Mädchen, dass ihre ausländische Freundin im Kindergarten ausgrenzt, weil sie davon überzeugt ist, dass diese ihr später mal den Job wegnehmen wird? 
 
Sehen Sie, ich auch nicht. Sämtliche Überzeugungen (die positiven wie die negativen) lernen wir erst im Laufe der Zeit von wichtigen Bezugspersonen aus unserem sozialen Umfeld. Ob wir es wollen oder nicht, wir übernehmen die Weltsicht unserer Eltern, Verwandten und später unserer Lehrer. Anfangs sind diese Glaubenssätze noch ganz klein und zart. Aber je mehr wir diese bestätigt sehen, desto mehr verfestigen sich diese. Bis sie irgendwann tief in unserem Unterbewusstsein verankert sind, und dort zuverlässig ihre Wirkung entfalten.
 

Die Summe der Glaubenssätze beeinflusst das Mindset

By the time we are teenagers at the latest, we have developed a mindset that serves as a compass for our lives. We have learned what is good and what is bad. What to do and what not to do. What place fate has assigned us and what our future will look like. And since the mass of messages we have been bombarded with has tended to be negative, the mass of our beliefs is correspondingly limiting. The result: despite our best intentions, we sabotage ourselves and struggle with the constant feeling that we are running into a glass wall. Because our behavior is always a reflection of our mindset. And what is even more insidious is that we are completely unaware of all this.
 
„Okay Ilja, wenn mein Mindset ganz automatisch meine Fähigkeiten, mein Verhalten und meine Entscheidungen beeinflusst, dann muss ich ja eigentlich nur mein Mindset positiv verändern und schon führen mich meine unbewussten Programme wie von selbst näher an meine Ziele und Träume, oder?“ Gut, dass Sie fragen. Meine Antwort kommt im Radio Eriwan Stil und lautet: Im Prinzip ja. Denn die große Herausforderung lauert im unscheinbaren Wort eigentlich. Es funktioniert nicht per Fingerschnipp und braucht eine gewisse Zeit. Wie Sie in der Abbildung erkennen können, ist die einzige Möglichkeit, Ihr Mindset dauerhaft durch Ihre Gedanken, Ihre Entscheidungen und Ihr Verhalten zu verändern nämlich bewusstes Lernen. 
 

Unbewusste Selbstsabotage verhindern

Der grundsätzliche Prozess, um unbewusste Selbstsabotage zu verhindern, ist überraschend einfach. Es gilt, ein limitierendes Muster zu identifizieren und aus dem Unterbewusstsein an die bewusste Oberfläche zu befördern. Dort können wir es dann mit einer förderlichen Alternative ersetzen, und es wieder zu einem unbewussten Automatismus werden lassen, der dann seinen positiven Dienst für uns erledigt. Klingt erst einmal einfach, nicht wahr? Ist es auch. Wie so häufig steht das Wort einfach aber vor allem für nicht kompliziert und nicht für leicht. Denn unbewusste Muster können extrem hartnäckig sein und es braucht eine große Portion Disziplin, Commitment und Durchhaltevermögen, um eine negative Gewohnheit in eine positive zu transformieren.
 
Of course, I know that these values don't sound particularly sexy in times when everyone just wants to live in the moment and have all their needs met immediately. But not only is it worthwhile, it can also be a lot of fun. If you look at the illustration, you can see the 4-step process at a glance.
 
glaubenssätze auflösen
 
 

Unbewusste Selbstsabotage: Das Wenn-Dann-Schema

Bevor wir uns die einzelnen Stufen anschauen, ist es wichtig, dass wir uns noch einmal detailliert das Prinzip von unbewussten Automatismen anschauen. Diese funktionieren nämlich immer gleich. Stellen Sie sich dazu vor, dass Sie ein Computerprogramm schreiben, dem folgender Algorithmus zugrunde liegt: Immer, wenn X passiert, dann reagiere mit Y. Ein klassisches Reiz-Reaktions-Schema. Im Kontext menschlichen Verhaltens ist X ein bestimmter Trigger, der eine emotionale Reaktion hervorruft, uns an eine bestimmte Erfahrung erinnert oder einen Zustand auslöst. Als Trigger können dabei Bilder, Wörter, Geräusche, Gerüche, Geschmäcker oder Tonfälle dienen. Wird ein solcher Trigger ausgelöst, spult unser Unterbewusstsein automatisch das gelernte Programm ab. Hier einige konkrete Beispiele:
 
  • Sie nehmen den Duft von frischem Kuchen wahr, und erinnern sich sofort an eine schöne Situation aus Ihrer Kindheit.
  • Ihr Lebenspartner reagiert auf einen Vorschlag mit einem typischen Gesichtsausdruck, und Sie fühlen sich automatisch unsicher.
  • Sie hören Ihr Lieblingslied im Auto und sind wie von selbst motiviert.
  • Sie blicken auf Ihr überfülltes Emailpostfach und beginnen sofort damit, sich mit sinnlosem Surfen auf Social Media abzulenken.
  • Ihr Chef gibt benutzt einen bestimmen Tonfall und Sie fühlen sich unsicher.
  • Vor einer Präsentation blicken Sie in die Gesichter Ihrer Zuhörer und Ihr Herz fängt an, schneller zu schlagen.
  • You're driving down the highway hungry and spot the glowing M of a large fast food chain. Although you want to eat healthily, you pull off at the exit and order a double cheeseburger with fries and a milkshake (you know, I got this example from a friend)
 

Lernen, zu verlernen in vier Stufen

In each of these examples, the respective trigger ensures that an automatic program is unwound. Your subconscious doesn't care whether it's something positive or negative. Only one thing is important: when X happens, it reacts with Y. This leads to a crucial insight. If we are dissatisfied with Y, then we have to start with X.
 

Stufe 1: Bewusstheit

Jeden Tag läuft Ihr Unterbewusstsein auf Hochtouren. Sie denken, entscheiden und handeln. Das Problem dabei: Das Ganze läuft so automatisiert ab, dass es für Sie so normal geworden ist, dass Sie es gar nicht mehr mitbekommen. Das Ziel dieses Schritts ist es, diesen unbewussten Loop zu durchtrennen, und unbewusste Muster an die bewusste Oberfläche zu holen. Gehen Sie hierfür mit einem hohen Grad an Achtsamkeit durchs Leben. Nehmen Sie wahr, welche Trigger bei Ihnen welches Verhalten auslösen. Welche Gedanken Sie in welchen Situationen denken. Welche Strategie Ihre Decisions determined. And which patterns you can recognize in your behaviour. At first, this will seem like an almost impossible task. No wonder, because where your everyday life was on autopilot not long ago, you are now taking the wheel into your own hands. But mindfulness can also be trained. And the more consciously you become of the many processes that were previously completely unconscious, the easier step two will be for you.
 

Stufe 2: Verlernen

Je achtsamer Sie durchs Leben gehen, desto mehr unbewusste Muster werden Sie wahrnehmen, die für Sie eher limitierend als förderlich sind. Wählen Sie sich nun eines dieser Muster aus, das Sie gerne verändern möchten. Achten Sie für einige Tage ganz genau drauf, welche Strategien hinter dem Verhalten stecken. Wie genau läuft das Muster ab? Was genau tun Sie und in welcher Reihenfolge tun Sie es? Welche Sinne sind involviert? Und am allerwichtigsten: Durch welchen Trigger wird das Verhalten ausgelöst? Denn es gilt das gelernte Programm „Wenn X passiert, dann reagiere mit Y“ so bewusst wie möglich zu unterbrechen und im nächsten Schritt umzuprogrammieren.
 

Stufe 3: Lernen

Nun ist es Zeit für eine Entscheidung. Welches alternative Verhalten möchten Sie anstelle des alten als unbewussten Automatismus etablieren? Es reicht leider nicht, wenn Sie sich nur von einer negativen Gewohnheit verabschieden. Ohne positive Alternative ist dieser Versuch zum Scheitern verurteilt. Warum? Weil nach der Verbannung des Verhaltens zunächst ein Vakuum entsteht. Immer wenn der Trigger X ausgelöst wird, sucht das „Programm“ verzweifelt nach der gewohnten Reaktion Y. Bieten Sie an dieser Stelle keine Alternative an, so wird nach kurzer Zeit wieder auf das alte Verhalten zurückgegriffen. Es ist nicht ausreichend, nur zu entscheiden, dass Sie bspw. kein Fastfood mehr essen wollen, Sie benötigen auch die entsprechende neue Wahlmöglichkeit. Der Algorithmus könnte dann so aussehen: „Immer, wenn ich das leuchtende M an der Autobahn entdecke, atme ich tief durch, trinke einen Schluck Wasser und genieße einen Proteinriegel.
 

Stufe 4: Gewohnheit

Abschließend gilt es nun, aus der gewählten Shift einen neuen – und förderlichen – Automatismus zu machen. Je bewusster Sie den Trigger mit dem neuen Verhalten verbinden, desto erfolgreicher wird die Transformation verlaufen. Wie James Clear in seinem Bestseller Atomic Habits beschreibt, dauert es im Schnitt 66 Tage, um eine neue Gewohnheit zu etablieren. Warum also nicht ein Projekt starten, dass genau so lange dauert? Wichtig sind dabei zwei Faktoren. Erstens, das bewusste Einbauen des neuen Verhaltens in Ihren Alltag. Und zweitens die Regelmäßigkeit. Denn je häufiger das neue Programm abgespult wird, desto eher hat es die Chance, wieder ins Unterbewusstsein zu sinken, und von dann an dort als Automatismus seine positive Wirkung zu erzielen.
 

In diesen Bereichen lauert die unbewusste Selbstsabotage

Auf diese Weise haben Sie eine wundervolle Methode an der Hand, limitierende Muster zu verlernen, neue Gewohnheiten zu etablieren und so schrittweise Ihre persönlichen Eisberge zu durchbrechen. Sie benötigen noch etwas Inspiration, in welchen Bereichen es sich lohnt, zu lernen, wie man unbewusste Automatismen verlernt? Here we go:
 
  • Limiting beliefs
  • Poor decision-making strategies
  • Negative thought patterns
  • Unnecessary assumptions
  • Impulsive behavior
  • Emotional reactions
  • Unfounded prejudices
  • The tendency to look for excuses as to why something doesn't work
  • The focus on problems
  • Excessive doubting
  • The tendency to justify oneself
  • The urge for perfectionism
  • The stories you tell yourself every day
 
Ich wünsche Ihnen gleichsam Freude und Erfolg beim Entdecken und Durchbrechen Ihrer unbewussten Selbstsabotage Muster. Doch achten Sie darauf, dass Sie nicht zu viel auf einmal wollen. Ein Automatismus zurzeit ist nicht nur mehr als ausreichend, sondern Sie erhöhen auch die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer nachhaltigen Veränderung.
 

Self-optimization mania - the biggest enemy of sustainable change

Posted on by Mariana-A
The biggest obstacle to happiness, Success and satisfaction in life is the self-optimization mania. This phenomenon is the reason why a lot of open, innovative and positive people have great difficulty in actively shaping their future. Even though they have understood that Changes are as much a part of life as the air we breathe, and that a lack of mental growth inevitably leads to dreariness, dissatisfaction and frustration. 
 
Do you also belong to this category? Then you may be struggling with a largely ignored problem. I'm talking about the tendency to want to change too much. Yes, you read that right. Even if Change is a wonderful thing, it is important, as always in life, to find the right balance. Or as the doctor puts it Paracelsus as early as the 15th century: „All things are poison, and nothing is without poison. Only the dose makes a thing not a poison.“
 

An end to the self-optimization mania

If you overdo it with the changes, this leads to a phenomenon known as self-optimization mania with a precision reminiscent of Swiss clockwork. The ever-increasing pressure to fight the status quo with all your might. And this is accompanied by an almost compulsive urge for supposed improvement, new stimuli and permanent restlessness. 
 
The results of this state are even more dangerous than the well-known resistance to change. Driven by an inner dissatisfaction, you become your biggest critic, try out new ways at random and overdo it with the optimization of supposed weak points. Until the formerly positive approach turns into a self-reinforcing negative spiral characterized by fear, pressure and a tendency towards actionism. It doesn't matter whether something makes sense or not, the main thing is that something has changed.
 

Why the urge for self-optimization is so treacherous

But that is not enough. This process, which is both gradual and unconscious, inevitably leads to a lack of energy, permanent stress and excessive demands. And ultimately leads to you being much unhappier than all the vested interests, status quo defenders and those clinging to the past put together. And this despite doing everything on a conscious level to achieve the exact opposite. 
 
Various empirical studies prove the negative effects of constant pressure to change on our psyche and general health, but common sense also suggests the same conclusion. Don't you know people who have simply overdone it with change over time? Who have changed their behavior, their communication, their Beliefs, have optimized their work processes and their supposed weaknesses for so long that they no longer have any rough edges because they are completely polished? In their self-optimization mania, these people have not even noticed that they have long since passed the tipping point at which their originally positive Changes have taken on a life of their own.
 

The tipping point of change

What do I mean by that? That fundamentally good qualities can become counterproductive or even destructive at a certain point. Let me give you a few examples. Would you agree that love is a beautiful thing? Okay, that was a rhetorical question. But what happens when you overdo it, when you love obsessively? Then this actually positive quality eventually leads to obsession and burdensome clinginess. Desirable thriftiness turns into stinginess if it is constantly exaggerated. Skepticism becomes paranoia. And openness can easily tip over into arbitrariness at some point. I could go on and on, but I think it's clear what I'm getting at, isn't it?
 
To illustrate the tipping point in the context of change, let's look at the typical daily routine of a fictional person who wants nothing more than to lead a successful and happy life. To make it a little more vivid, let's call this person Uwe, who recently quit his well-paid job as an IT administrator in a large corporation to follow his passion and start his own business. Uwe is not yet able to formulate exactly what his business model looks like, but he has a clear sense that it is the business of his heart.
 

An (almost) true story about the self-optimization mania

Driven by the popular messages on social media, the advice in books and the calendar sayings in relevant YouTube videos, Uwe has made it his mission not to leave his personal development to chance. That's why he gets up at 5 o'clock in the morning. Why is that? It's quite simple. Uwe is a member of the famous 5am Club.⁠ While others are still asleep, Uwe is already working on personal development. Even though he is actually a night person. 
 
Tired and sleepy, he starts the day with an hour in the gym, where he prepares himself for the day with an intensive EMS workout and a new yoga technique. After a cold shower, a meditation session is on the agenda, followed by filling out the success journal. Uwe then has breakfast at 7 o'clock. However, as he tracks his calories precisely with an app, instead of bread rolls with Nutella he only has a Bullet Proof Coffee, because someone once told Uwe that this is the true breakfast for champions.
 
Hungry but determined, he then visualizes his Goals for the day, which he has written down using the SMART formula. However, as this alone is not enough, he supports the process with appropriate affirmations, which he recites in front of the mirror and concludes with his personal power pose.⁠ He has used the Eisenhower matrix to set his to-do list for the morning, and to ensure he is as productive as possible, he uses the Pomodoro technique to make the most of his limited time. During the few breaks he takes, he always finds inspiration on Instagram, where he follows the crème de la crème of the motivational industry, who regularly provide him with quotes that remind him how important it is to be an eagle and definitely not a chicken.
 
Uwe's stomach is starting to growl really loudly, because because he follows the philosophy of intermittent fasting, he is only allowed to eat solid food between 12 noon and 8 pm. But as winners know that carbohydrates make you tired, he enjoys a green smoothie from his three-week juice diet, which he has just bought for several hundred euros. 
 
On his way to a networking appointment (he is always open to synergies), Uwe doesn't waste his time, but instead listens to a podcast by a guru he admires (at 2.7x speed, of course), who reminds him again and again that you will only get anywhere if you are prepared to go the extra mile. Since he still has some time before the appointment, he practices the Wim Hof breathing technique, which enables him to deal with his stressful everyday life as an entrepreneur in spe even more efficiently.
 
After an afternoon that was as exhausting as it was fruitless, Uwe doesn't call it a day, because he is an eagle after all. Instead, he logs into the weekly Inner Circle Call of his exclusive winner mastermind group, which is offered by his guru and of which he has recently become a member for an annual fee of just 35 thousand euros. 
 
Uwe is now struggling to pay his rent on time, but the guru assured him that he would never get anywhere if he didn't invest in his personal development. After the meeting, he still has no idea how to make more money, but he has bought the coach's brand new online course, which was only available that evening at a special price of €2,999.
 
To round off the day, Uwe treats himself to a session with his brand new Mind Spa app before quickly reaching for his success diary shortly after midnight to summarize the day in writing. But he has to hurry, because in just a few hours it will be 5 a.m. again and the stress will start all over again.
 

The pressure for self-optimization is omnipresent

Yes, I admit that I have exaggerated some things to make things clearer. But doesn't all this sound a little familiar to you? Many people feel the same way as Uwe. Regardless of their current life situation. It affects the student just as much as the solopreneur, the manager, the sales representative or the single father. No wonder, because the world is turning faster and faster, and the pace, intensity and unpredictability of external changes and global crises have increased massively in recent years. 
 
Algorithms determine our everyday lives, there is a suitable software for every problem today and a not exactly small number of jobs will be taken over by artificial intelligence or machines in the future. More and more people instinctively sense that we are at a decisive turning point in history. And this development has led to buzzwords such as Change management, transformation and personal development have become omnipresent. Because the realization has taken hold that you can either jump on the bandwagon of change or find yourself lonely and abandoned on the platform at some point.
 

I'm not a machine after all: Exaggerated self-optimization

This is where exaggerated self-optimization comes into play. As gratifying as it may seem at first glance that actively dealing with change is becoming an ever greater priority, the concrete results of these efforts are often fatal. This is because the traditional seminars, programs, training courses and books dedicated to the topic are all based on a fundamental premise: The way things have been done up to now is unfortunately no longer sufficient. What is needed are new ideas, new approaches and, above all, one thing: the development of one's own personality through continuous change.
 
But what do the subsequent efforts usually look like? Open any self-help book and you will always find the same messages communicated more or less subtly:
 
You are missing something.
You are not good enough.
You have an urgent need for optimization.
 
Models, techniques and tools are then proposed as solutions, all of which lead to a flawless, extraordinary and, above all, perfect future. And the promises sound quite tempting. Everyone can live their dream, have a well-paid job, be fit and healthy, have happy relationships, be financially secure and free from worries. If only, yes, if only you followed the experts' instructions perfectly and down to the last detail. 
 

The treacherous messages of self-help books

Of course, the catch in this approach is immediately obvious. We humans are simply not perfect. We have our weaknesses, we are not always as disciplined as we would like to be and our Motivation is in the cellar from time to time. And when imperfect people strive for a perfect state, disaster is inevitable.
 
Triggered by the suggestions of the „You are missing something, you are not good enough and you are in urgent need of optimization“ you get caught up in self-optimization mania. You desperately try to reduce your own weak points. To fight the status quo with all your might. To rebuild your own personality. Leaving nothing to chance and controlling, monitoring and optimizing every single detail of your life. Driven by tools, methods and regular reminders of the need for optimization, you gradually develop into a human lab rat that is so busy trying to eliminate the supposed deficiency that at some point you lose sight of the actual reason why you started all this effort in the first place: To lead a fulfilled and contented life worthy of the name.
 

Out of the self-optimization mania - into balance

Hand on heart, with all the changes in your everyday life, the twenty-third professional change process in five years and the numerous crises that we have to deal with more and more frequently, haven't you already thought: „I've had enough now, I'm not a machine“? If so, I would like to invite you to say goodbye to the self-optimization mania, to give in to the Mindset revolution and embark on a completely new path as a change rebel. 

 
I have set myself the goal of breaking this negative spiral and channeling the immense power of change back in a healthy and fulfilling direction. To convey a modern approach to change that meets the challenges of the present and succeeds in taking the future by the horns. Without coercion. Without pressure. But with the right balance of ease, fulfillment and the desire to shape your own life. I have explained exactly how to do this in my brand new book “The mindset revolution” described.

What is personal development?

Posted on by Mariana-A
What is personal development? You have probably already asked yourself this question. No wonder, because the topic is a popular, much-discussed and often controversial one. For some, it is the holy grail for getting as far as possible in your personal life and job, while others see it more as a dubious method used by dubious gurus to take their customers' hard-earned money out of their pockets.
 
So let me give you my opinion right at the beginning of the article: I think personal development is essential if you want to lead a life that is characterized by Self-determination, satisfaction and Success is marked. And we will now take a detailed look at how this works.
 

What is personal development?

Personality encompasses all of a person's characteristics such as strengths, weaknesses, talents and abilities, Values, Beliefs, experience, self-confidence, the accumulated knowledge, as well as the general Mindset, with which you go through life. If you want the (positive) Shift If you do not leave these characteristics to chance, but instead control them in a targeted manner, this is known as personality development. Or to put it in a nutshell: the conscious control of personal development with intention is referred to as personality development.
 

Personal development as a source of happiness and satisfaction

In my seminars, coaching sessions and consultations, I almost always ask my clients one question: „What is your most important Goal for the next twelve months?“ And the answer, which I hear as often as all the others put together, breaks my heart every time: „I want to be happy and content.“ Wondering what's wrong with that? It's not the wish itself, of course, because what could be better than experiencing genuine happiness and deep contentment?. 
 
The tragedy of this supposed goal is something completely different. It is the assumption that happiness and satisfaction are states that depend on external factors. The internal pattern is based on the following pattern: once I have achieved my goal (finished my studies, completed my further training, been promoted, moved house, bought a new car, started my business, become a mother, etc.), then I can finally be happy and satisfied. 
 
Do you recognize the error in thinking? Happiness and contentment are never dependent on external circumstances. You can't buy these states, they don't develop over time and they don't fall from the sky over time. If you were to retain just one idea from this article, it would fill my heart with joy if it were this sentence: Happiness and contentment are a decision that we have to make anew every day.
 

The big mistake that prevents personal development

Have I shaken your convictions too much with this sentence? If so, then I'm delighted. Because if you are one of those people whose most important goal is to be happy and content, then it's time for a rethink. Let me repeat it once again: happiness and contentment are a Decision, that you have to make anew every day. These conditions do not arise at some point as a result of external events, but arise deep within you. 
 
By being grateful, enjoying the little things in life and savoring every single moment. Do you want to be happy? Wonderful, then be happy. And not in twelve months' time, but today. Right now. Right now. Do you want to lead a happy life? Then make the decision to do so. Where you are right now, with the external circumstances that currently exist. Don't wait for a At some point, because this almost always results in a Never.
 

Personal development: the growth ladder model

The most important thing to be happy and content is to make a decision. The rest will follow by itself as soon as you begin to embark on the journey of personal development. And we are already in the middle of a model that has shaken up my business, my everyday life and also my life, and will hopefully have the same effect on you. I am talking about the growth staircase, which I have visualized for you in the following illustration.
 
Personal development: the growth ladder model
 

 

Personality development stages

The idea behind it is very simple. The bottom left-hand circle represents the status quo, the person you are today and the life you are currently leading. The top right-hand circle symbolizes your future, your visions and represents the person you want to be in the future. And that brings us to the huge mistake that many people make: Assuming that the path between today and our destination is a straight line. 
 
But that's simply not how life works. It's more like a fast-paced rollercoaster ride, with highs and lows, successes and defeats, rapid changes of direction, steep climbs, adrenaline-inducing loops, but above all a huge portion of fun. I have tried to visualize this hussar ride with the zigzag line.
 
In reality, this would look even more complex, more like a mighty ball of wool, after all, we often have to overcome obstacles on our way, make new attempts or deal with failures. Do you agree?
 
But that is by no means all. Because within the zigzag line, the very special (and always individual) process that we call personality development emerges. This process takes place in stages, which I have labeled circles one to six in the illustration. The idea behind this is that we go through different stages of development over time, which reflect our current status in terms of knowledge, skills, experience and insights.
 
Each individual stage has its own special features and very specific learning tasks. Once we have mastered these, we grow as a person and climb to the next personality level, where we then have to master the next learning tasks. Until we finally arrive at our destination. Or realize along the way that another goal is much more attractive or relevant. 
 

Personal development as a sequence of learning tasks

Whatever you want to achieve in life, with every goal, every vision and every dream, the growth staircase is waiting for you to climb it. And I know what's going through your mind right now, but no, there are no shortcuts, no elevator or other ways to reach the top right circle faster. 
 
And that's a good thing, because each individual stage is a milestone that is worth enjoying and savoring to the full. Above all, however, you need to master the challenges in order to tackle the next stage of your personal development.
 
For this reason, it is not worth comparing yourself with people who have been where you want to be for ten years. These people are many steps ahead of you and you have yet to successfully complete them. These people are struggling with their own learning tasks and challenges.
 
And it is precisely for this reason that the famous sentence Fake it 'til you make it What nonsense. After all, what's the point of pretending you're already at level six if you're currently busy mastering the tasks at level one! Enjoy your current stage of development and be pleased that the journey itself is the real goal. Each stage has its positive and negative characteristics. At each stage there are people who enter your life, while others leave it again. And at each stage, fate presents you with tasks that need to be mastered. Until the game starts all over again at the next stage. True to the motto: Once you have found the answer, life changes the question.
 

What is personal development? A conclusion

And almost imperceptibly, the circle of thought that we opened at the beginning of the article comes full circle. Because in times of permanent Shift, In a world of increasing complexity and constant uncertainty, a radically human approach with a full focus on the success factor of personality will be the key to a life of self-determination, personal breakthroughs and fulfilling freedom. 
 
It doesn't matter where you are today. As long as you are prepared to climb the growth ladder step by step and enjoy the resulting rollercoaster ride, you will be more than prepared for the challenges of the coming years. I can't tell you exactly what our future will look like. But I have decided to put my personal stamp on it and actively shape it. And in a radically human way. The philosopher and poet Dante Alighieri put it like this: „One waits until the times change. The other tackles it head on and takes action.“ I made my decision many years ago. What is yours? 

Making change easy - how change management succeeds

Posted on by Mariana-A

For many years, my company's claim has been: Making change simple. I love the ambiguity of the phrase simply, because depending on whether your emphasis is on the word simply or make, it has a completely different meaning. But what exactly is hidden behind the philosophy of making change simple? This is precisely the question we want to address in detail in this article. Would you like us to get started right away?

Change is what you make of it


Imagine for a moment that you were living in a of my lectures are sitting in the audience. Hopefully you have already laughed a lot and heard me announce an experiment in which a glass of water plays the main role, which I hold up in the air with an outstretched arm. The following thought may immediately cross your mind: „Oh, here comes the old hat, whether the glass is half full or half empty.“ 

But that's not the point at all. I'm results-oriented and I'm only interested in whether the water quenches my thirst. Instead, I'll ask you another question: „If I hold the glass this way, how heavy do you think it is?“ After hearing your answer, I get to the real point. „You know what, the absolute weight doesn't matter at all. The only thing that matters is how long I stay in that position. If I only hold the glass for a short time, it's not a problem. If I held it for an hour, my arm would start to shake at some point and I'd have really bad sore muscles tomorrow. And if I held it like that all day, I wouldn't be able to think about anything else, I'd be in a lot of pain and my arm would be paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change. But the longer I hold it, the heavier it gets.“

Make change easy: Focus is key


Every day, we find ourselves in dozens of situations in which we are confronted with a wide variety of Changes are confronted with. And it makes a huge difference how you deal with it. Whether you think: „Oh no, that's definitely not going to work.“ Or whether you opt for the alternative: „Oh yes, let's tackle it.“ Whether you hold on to the glass with all your might or put it down again in time. But whenever the Decision is particularly challenging, it springs into action with regularity. 

That nasty little voice in your head that appears in the form of a little devil on your shoulder and explains to you in great detail and seductively why your plan is not a particularly good idea, what can go wrong and why it's best not to try it at all. You know those doubts, worries and fears that come with change? That was a rhetorical question, of course, because we all have them. And it's good that they are there because they have an important function. They protect us from making too much of a fool of ourselves. 

But as with the glass of water, it's all about how you handle it. If you only have a little doubt, that's perfectly okay. But if you carry your doubts around with you for longer, they will eventually turn into worries. And if you worry all day long, you will become anxious. And fear paralyzes. So the message of the metaphor is simple. Successful change does not depend on the problems you are confronted with, but solely on how you react to them. 

Because whatever challenge you face, you alone decide how long you hold on to your glass and when you put it down again. I would like you to internalize this insight right from the start: Change is not what happens around you. It is how you deal with it. It is your Attitude.

In moments of doubt, it is even more important. When everything goes perfectly, everyone can shine. We all know plenty of fair-weather captains. But how good are you when things don't go as they should? Do you moan about how hard you have it and how unfair the world is? Or do you decide to make the best of it, say yes to Au and actively change? Even if the situation seems difficult, you usually can't change the external circumstances. 

Why excuses prevent sustainable change


The only thing you can influence is how you react to it and when you put your metaphorical glass down again. To help you do this successfully, this article will give you some ideas and impulses to help you create a Mindset that you can use to make change easy, even under difficult conditions. 

Of course, I am very aware that I will also have to contend with different variations of the nasty little voice in your head. Because whenever it comes to simple solutions, the little devil on your shoulder likes to say things like „I've heard it before“, „I've already tried it“ or „That may work for others, but it definitely won't work for me.“ If you should catch yourself thinking one of these or similar thoughts in the course of reading, please remind yourself to put the glass down again in good time. I know what you're thinking: „But Ilya, it doesn't happen that often with me.“ But this search for excuses and reasons why something doesn't work, disguised as an innocent inner voice, appears on all kinds of faces. And many people have told themselves their own excuses so often that they no longer realize how much their own resistance to change is already pronounced.

Too much change at once: the phenomenon of change fatigue


Added to this is a growing fatigue with change. When I recently told an entrepreneur friend of mine that I had another book about successful Shift he frowned and remarked critically: „Oh come on, everything there is to say about change has already been said.“ And you know what? He wasn't entirely wrong. 

Each of us has probably read dozens of books on this topic, internalized metaphors about mice, penguins or icebergs, learned strategies for time management, happiness or Motivation and nodded my head vigorously as I read it. But which of this wealth of information did you actually put into practice? In seminars, lectures and team-building measures, you have learned how change works in theory. You put your hand to your chin and laughed heartily when the seminar leader pointed out to you that he had said nose loud and clear (if you don't know what I'm talking about now, you were lucky and probably haven't sat in one of the typical, but mostly interchangeable change training sessions). 

You have felt what it feels like when you fold your hands and change the thumb on top. And you probably know many more theoretical exercises that you have done to familiarize yourself with the topic of Shift approach. But as a participant in one of my own seminars recently said to me: „Change? I've already tried that. It was far too complicated for me.“

The great dilemma of successful change


And that's the crux of the matter. Because there is a crucial difference between knowing and being able to do. Between thinking complicated and doing simple. And this difference leads to a major dilemma. On the one hand, the rate of change is increasing rapidly. At work, at home, on the road, simply everywhere. Sometimes we are surrounded by so many unexpected challenges that we don't know exactly which one we should tackle first. 

At the same time, theoretical knowledge on how to deal with change is exploding. The amount of information available is increasing exponentially. No matter what know-how you need today, knowledge is usually just a mouse click away. And it doesn't matter what it is, there are detailed experience reports on really every subject area and you can draw on the entire swarm intelligence of humanity. Try it out. If you enter the search term „How can you...?“ in Google, you will get 1.7 billion hits. There's nothing you can't learn on the Internet. So everything should be perfect, right? Situation recognized, problem solved, hook on.

However, the increasing knowledge is by no means a relief, but has become a major hurdle for many. Because before it can even be implemented, all the energy is used to sort through the flood of information and find the needle in the haystack with which to implement the philosophy of “making change easy”. The result: the notorious procrastination. 

Simple does not mean easy, but „not complex“


You put off a planned change until you have resigned yourself to the fact that „it's just complicated“ and that you can't change anything after all. Don't you know this from people in your personal environment? Maybe even from yourself? I am always amazed at how complicated some people make dealing with change. They analyze the problem down to the last detail, develop multi-stage implementation plans or study all the research findings of the last twenty years. 

But the more complicated a path is, the less likely it is that you will actually follow it. And because you have heard so often how difficult and complex change is, at some point you believe it yourself and have found a wonderfully plausible excuse as to why you can't change after all. However, if you make dealing with your own challenges a complicated matter, failure is almost inevitable. 

When I was a department store manager, a new change program was presented at almost every management meeting. They had one thing in common: great titles, usually over 200 PowerPoint slides and 7 stages of change, each of which had 9 sub-steps that we were supposed to work through in 3 phases. During one of these conferences, I once sat next to a colleague from the Ruhr region. While everyone else was slumped in their seats, he still looked really enthusiastic, even on slide 175. So I asked him: „You always nod so knowingly, do you know how to implement that?“ And he said: „Nah, far too complicated, but it looks so good“. I don't know about you, but I find it's hard to get excited about a change that's complicated. And it's impossible to get other people excited about something that you can't get excited about yourself.

The foundations of successful change


But if it doesn't work that way, how does successful change work? The bottom line is always the same, simple principles and a large portion of common sense. But don't you know people who can't find the solution to their problem because they are so busy looking for complicated excuses as to why they can't change? I wish you had been there one day when Mrs. T. sat in my office for a coaching session. I looked her in the eye for a long time and then said: „Mrs. T., you are thirty-eight years old, a successful businesswoman and, according to your own statement, you have already undergone 152 hours of therapy. Yet you still don't feel able to give a presentation in your company?“

She blushed slightly and replied: „Oh, Mr. Grzeskowitz, it's just complicated. I've tried so many things, but I always get big red spots on my throat, my mouth gets dry and I start to stutter.“ I nodded and then asked the question of all questions: „I see, Mrs. T. Are you ready to change something?“ Her answer said it all: „You know, Mr. Grzeskowitz, I would actually like to change. But it's not that easy. If you want, we can give it a try.“ 

So I wanted to. But I sensed that she didn't really want to. Nevertheless, we worked intensively together and managed to solve her problem in just one session. After just ninety minutes, she was able to speak freely in front of a group. Without red spots. Without a dry mouth. And without stuttering. But if you now think that Mrs. T. broke out in jubilation because of this, then you are mistaken. Instead, she kept saying: „It can't be that simple. No, there's no way it can be that easy. It certainly won't last long.“ 
And she was right. Because exactly three weeks later, the phone rings. It's Mrs. T.. And with a certain satisfaction in her voice, she announces: „Well, Mr. Grzeskowitz, you know what? I had to present the quarterly figures to the sales force today. I could barely get a word out and the red marks are back. Ha, I told you right away that change isn't that easy!“

Change is always as easy as you make it


Why was that? I have no idea, maybe she enjoyed the attention or loved being able to tell others about her problem (this is a big hobby of many people). But as much as I would have liked Mrs. T. to change, she just didn't want to and preferred to stay in her cozy comfort zone. She was so fixated on the need for a complex solution that she hadn't even considered the obvious simplicity. But think back to your own changes that you have mastered sustainably in the past. What was the common denominator? That's right, it was always simple solutions and approaches that produced the best results.

You can see how easy it can be by looking at a form of change that probably all of us are familiar with. I'm talking about smoking. More specifically, quitting. It's always the same pattern there. While some are successful by simple means, others struggle every day anew with a supposedly complicated problem. Have you ever successfully quit smoking? Do you know anyone who has managed it? 

I used to smoke myself. As a coach, I have also carried out many smoking cessation programs and given dozens of seminars on this topic. My experience can be summarized simply. The bottom line is that there are only ever two categories of smokers. There are those who have doubts from the outset as to whether they can really make it. Those who worry about withdrawal symptoms, weight gain and side effects. Who then quit for a few days, but start again at the first opportunity. Who tell themselves so often how complicated it is until they believe it themselves. And then don't change, but continue to smoke. And of course moan about how much they would like to stop if it wasn't so complicated.

But how do the millions of ex-smokers who have successfully managed to change do it? Are you ready for the hard truth? Here it is. You've made a decision and quit smoking. Just like that. From one day to the next. From one moment to the next. Some people need a little help in the form of coaching, a seminar or a book. But then you simply quit and are a non-smoker from one moment to the next. 

I can already hear the objections of the little devil on your shoulder: „But Ilya, that might be so easy if you only smoke a little. After all, I smoke a whole pack a day.“ I'm sorry, but it doesn't matter how much you smoke. Even heavy smokers stop smoking by simply quitting. It takes longer for the body to detox, but the principle is the same. However, many people have been told so often how difficult and complicated change is that they no longer have the idea that the best solution is still the simple one.

Make a real decision for change


I became very aware of this one summer when I watched my then four-year-old daughter Emma discover a large carton of water ice on the top shelf of our fridge. In case you don't know what I'm talking about, these are those artificial water sticks with woodruff, cola or lemon flavor that you put in the fridge and then turn into ice. 

In any case, my daughter was completely crazy about these things. But she had a problem. She wasn't tall enough and couldn't reach them. What do you think she did now? That's right, she moved heaven and hell to get to the ice cream. In the end, she stood on a wobbly construction made from a chair, two cushions and a saucepan. And when she proudly raised her trophy in the air, I felt that the effort had been worth it. She had brought about the change because she really wanted the ice cream. She would have done anything to get it. And it just happened. I didn't have to tell her beforehand: „Watch out Emma, this is a really complicated problem, you should prepare yourself well. There's a revolutionary change model that a professor at the University of Tübingen has developed. But be sure to take a personality test beforehand so that you can find out what type of change agent you are. And be sure to attend a behavioral training course where you learn the best angle to open the fridge.“ 

She didn't need all that. She just did it. Because she motivated and had found a simple way to achieve her goal. And this leads to an important insight: whether you are getting an ice cream from the top shelf of the fridge, quitting smoking or facing a completely different challenge. Simply making change happen.

Change becomes easy when you make change easy.


Albert Einstein once said: „Make things as simple as possible. But not simpler.“ In this article, I would like to remind you that successful change is always based on simple ideas and solutions. But allow me to make one crucial point. Even though I so often emphasize the word simple, I don't mean easy, effortless or without any effort at all. Quite the opposite. Fate can be pretty tough and challenges you every day to see if you really mean it. 

Life is not a pony farm. It is often unfair, often hurtful and not always fair. If you want to change under these circumstances, you can't do it without doing something about it. Success doesn't happen by itself. And I know that there are hundreds of books and many seminar leaders who promise you that you only have to wish hard enough for change and it will fall from the sky. But if that were the case, why are so many people sitting at home on the couch in their sweatpants, having already watched „The Secret“ eight times, sending ten wishes an hour to the universe, and wondering why they still have a mediocre job, why they've been single for years, and why the Ferrari they ordered from the universe is still a rickety Opel Corsa in the garage?

Because success is always a combination of hard work and first-class quality. Because it doesn't work without action and implementation. Because change is simple, but by no means easy. Therefore, one thing is particularly important to me: that you take your life into your own hands and actively change. Because if, like the famous ostrich with its head in the sand, you trust that everything will work out, then at some point you could find yourself in a situation where you are changed by external circumstances. And these changes will most likely not be in line with your values, goals and dreams, but with those of other people. And that might not be the best prospect for the future, is it?

Self-determination is the new security

Posted on by Mariana-A
Self-determination is a Value, which is no longer considered particularly sexy or desirable in this day and age. The masses have become too accustomed to a world in which other people, organizations and authorities plan, manage and control their entire lives. But placing one's own future in the hands of others is not an option in the VUKA World is completely the wrong approach. Instead, self-determination is becoming the new security. And let's take a closer look at exactly why this is the case.
 

Self-determined living: Be like water, my friend

In my experience, people can be divided into two general categories. They are either team sea or team mountains. What about you, have you ever asked yourself whether your heart feels most at home on the summit of a majestic mountain or on the endless beach of a rough ocean? I myself don't have to hesitate for a second to answer that question. I am Team Sea. 
 
Maybe it's because, as a child, I used to sit on the stones in my home town of Travemünde (a district of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck) like Tony Buddenbrook (every famous scene from the novel „The Buddenbrooks“ by Thomas Mann (who, like me, was also born in Lübeck), and impressed by the vastness of the horizon, I dreamed of faraway countries and traveling by boat. Even though I love the breathtaking scenery of the mountains, nowhere do I feel as free as by the sea. 
 
I could gaze at the crashing waves for hours while the unique salty smell fills my nose and the screeching of seagulls fills my ears. And every time I find myself by an ocean anywhere in the world, I can't help but think of what is probably the most famous quote in the world. of the martial artist and actor Bruce Lee (You can watch the interview with Bruce Lee here as video view):
 
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” 
 
My German translation is as follows: “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. If you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup. If you put water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. If you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or destroy. Be like water, my friend.”
 

Self-determination as a response to fear and uncertainty

Of course, this metaphor was primarily intended for use in martial arts. If you don't confront your opponent with a rigid strategy, but can adapt flexibly, then the chances of success are much higher. And perfection is achieved when you are like water. Because you simply cannot grasp this element. At the same time, however, it is also able to make its way through impenetrable terrain and defeat seemingly overpowering opponents.
 
Over the last few months, I've been thinking about Bruce Lee and his metaphor of water almost every day. The world has changed massively, and not just since the global pandemic. Many people's everyday lives are characterized by a gnawing fear of the future, priorities have shifted and the vast majority of the population shares the increasingly intense feeling of being hopelessly at the mercy of the whims of fate.
 
And as is the case with drastic Changes As is the case nowadays, we try to overcome this uncertainty by clinging to familiar things, by organizing our everyday lives around routines and by taking as few risks as possible. As absurd as it may sound, the more uncertain the external circumstances are, the more important a feeling of inner security becomes for us.
 

Security is the result of self-determination

But where can this security still be found today? A job as a civil servant in the administration? Of course, you get your salary paid into your account on time every month for the rest of your life. But at what price, when your days are characterized by a lack of creativity, monotony and the often pointless processing of forms? Even the supposedly secure career in a large company only exists in theory. The transformation from an industrial to a knowledge-based society will result in millions of jobs being lost in the future, more and more jobs are being cut on a massive scale in almost all sectors and the coronavirus crisis has accelerated the wave of insolvencies.
 
And even if you manage to make a career as an employee in a future-oriented industry, the organizational constraints, the stress caused by increasing pressure to perform and the almost non-existent work-life balance are the main reasons why more and more people are asking themselves the question:
 
„Should that be it now? Am I supposed to drive to the gray open-plan office every day for the next thirty years to do a job that doesn't fulfill me, often frustrates me and hasn't been fun for a long time?“
 
Believe me, dear readers, I know these thoughts only too well, because they used to run through my head in a kind of continuous loop. And I would probably have drowned in the negative spiral of hopelessness and frustration if I hadn't listened to the biography of one of my childhood idols as an audio book in the car. I'm talking about John Michael Osbourne, the singer of the legendary hard rock band Black Sabbath, who you may only know by his nickname Ozzy.
 

What you can learn from Ozzy Osbourne about self-determination

He grew up in poor circumstances in Birmingham in the 1950s and decided as a teenager to train as a skilled worker. To become a car horn tuner. Doesn't sound particularly sexy, does it? Ozzy explained his decision as follows: „Back then they thought you take what little education you can get hold of. Then you learn a trade and get a shitty job that you're really proud of, even though it's a shitty job. And then you do this shitty job for the rest of your life. This shitty job simply means everything to you.“
 
And so it was that the future international star began to learn the art of car horn tuning. If you're thinking: „Art? That sounds like a very dull activity“, then you are absolutely right. Because the young Ozzy's daily routine looked like this.
 
He sat at the assembly line and grabbed a horn. Tuned it with the screwdriver. Tested the sound. The next horn followed. The same action with the screwdriver. Tune it again and test the sound. Then the next horn. And the next one. Again and again. Grip. Tuning. Testing. All day long. The work was so frustrating, loud and monotonous that he feared he would go mad.
 
So he asked the colleague next to him, an older gentleman with a bald head and huge dark circles under his eyes: „Tell me Jimmy, how long have you actually been here?“ To which he replied: „Twenty-nine years and seven months. And you know what the best part is? In five months, I'll have been here exactly thirty years. Then I'll retire and get my gold watch from the company.“
 
At that moment, the future multimillionaire had the following thought in his head: „I'd rather the Russians drop a bomb on the factory before I have to spend thirty years in this room.“ And he said: „Listen, Jimmy, if you really wanted a gold watch, you should have stolen one from the jeweler in the pedestrian zone. Even if they'd caught you, you'd only have done a tenth of the time you've spent in this hole.
 
And that would undoubtedly have been the better choice.“ He then left his job without a word and made the decision to swap frustration for a self-determined life. To do what really fulfilled him and what he had been dreaming of for years. And that dream was music.
 
Together with his childhood friends Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, he founded the band Black Sabbath and made his mark on music history with hits such as Iron Man, Paranoid and War Pigs. If you ask the superstar today what has driven him the most during his long career, Ozzy Osbourne likes to say that the memory of the gold watch has saved him more than once.
 
Whenever he doubted whether he was still on the right path, whenever there were crises and setbacks, the huge image of a gold watch appeared in his mind's eye and suddenly reminded him of the conditions in the car horn factory and how his life might have turned out if he had not made the choice to take the path of self-determination.

Live independently and enjoy freedom

This is just one example of countless others where the Decision against traditionally prescribed paths and for a self-reliant life began with the following realization:
 
„There must be more to it than paying bills, working for an anonymous organization and counting down the days until retirement.“
 
Ever heard of it? Perhaps often thought of it yourself? I certainly hope so, because life really does have so much more to offer than a dull 9 to 5 job, having to endure a monotonous office routine and carrying out pointless instructions. If you take it by the horns and don't rely on others to make the right decisions for you. It may seem counter-indicative at first glance, but traditional employment models will be associated with maximum uncertainty in the future. 
 
Because you are dependent on other people for every external change. And as harsh as it may sound, they unfortunately don't care about you at all.
 
It doesn't matter whether they are politicians, managers of large corporations, civil servants in various administrations, company superiors or state bureaucrats, they are all solely concerned with maintaining their own vested interests, their own power and their own status. And to achieve this, they only pursue their own goals. And these are further removed from their own than HSV is from the next German championship.
 

The old rules no longer apply

If you need to reach these external Goals are labeled as no longer good enough, you will be dropped like a hot potato. It doesn't matter how good, hard-working or loyal you were in the past. You can't imagine how many people I know who have worked for a company with passion and dedication for decades and have been thrown out the door overnight. Without a single thank you. Without appreciation. Without any recognition of their previous achievements. A quick handshake, maybe a bouquet of flowers to keep up appearances and then that's it. In many organizations, people are unfortunately just a cost center that is cut immediately and with mathematical precision at the slightest pressure.
 
And if you think that this could never happen to you, just take a look at the industries that are in the process of shrinking back to health: banks, car manufacturers and their suppliers, retailers and traditional media companies are just a few of many prominent examples. And since the exclusive focus on cost savings has never led to corresponding results, the end of the trend is still a long way off.
 
Many a well-known group was only able to survive thanks to massive support from the taxpayer, while well-known brands such as Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, Vapiano, Esprit and the Adler fashion chain had to file for insolvency. Too big to fail is long gone. Today more than ever, the leaner and more adaptable a company is, the greater its chances of success in the future.
 

Flexibility as the key to dealing with an uncertain future

The more uncertain times become, the more important self-determination becomes. The more important it becomes to shape your own life, to be able to react to changing conditions with maximum flexibility and to take responsibility. For your own goals. For your own dreams. For your own life. Of course, there are also a lot of imponderables here, things that you cannot influence and hurdles that need to be overcome.
 
But at the same time, you have full control over your vision, your goals, your decisions and what you do or don't want to do every single day. And isn't that the true definition of Freedom? It doesn't mean that you can (finally) do what you want. Rather, it's the liberating feeling of no longer having to do what you don't want to do.
 

Self-determination is the new security: a conclusion

And with this thought, the circle of this article closes, because in order to break through the old thought patterns of „be diligent at school, get a good job and then enjoy life after retirement“, „the company and the state will take care of you“ and „there are no alternatives to a career as an employee“ and replace them with a future-oriented, independent way of life, we have to be like water.
 
In the best Bruce Lee sense, we should not hope that the stone lying in our way will disappear by itself, be removed by managers from the carpeted floor or be moved by an authority, but become active ourselves. To pave a path around the stone, through it or over it. Or perhaps to look for a completely new river.
 
In our case, we can of course replace the metaphor of water with the word self-determination. Those who think for themselves become the solution. Those who make self-determined decisions create opportunities. Those who live self-determined lives create a future according to their own ideas.
 
And it is precisely for this reason that self-determination will become the new security in the coming years. A newfound freedom that motivates us from deep within. To an independence that gives us a lifestyle based on a very special mix of gratitude, purpose and fulfillment. And there is a way of organizing life and work that combines all of this in a unique form: self-employment as a working model that minimizes dependence on external factors (which are difficult or impossible to influence) and focuses on self-determination.
 
Are you already self-employed? Or are you planning to start one? Then please post the link to your homepage in the comments.

Dissolve beliefs in 7 steps

Posted on by Mariana-A
What are beliefs? I am currently confronted with this question quite often. No wonder, since word has gotten around that our inner beliefs have a direct influence on our thoughts, our Decisions and our behavior. One of the most important skills in the area of personal development is therefore being able to dissolve negative beliefs. This is mainly due to the fact that our behavior is a direct result of our conscious and unconscious beliefs. These inner beliefs can influence us both positively (activating) and negatively (limiting) and therefore play a decisive role in how happy, satisfied and successful we are in life.
 
In this article, I would therefore like to take an in-depth look at the question “What are beliefs?” and, of course, answer it as comprehensively as possible. After we have looked at how they arise in the first place, what role they play and what examples there are, I will also give you a tried and tested guide at the end that will enable you to dissolve negative beliefs and transform them into positive ones. 
 

Definition of beliefs

Let's start with the definition: “Beliefs are views deeply rooted in the subconscious that we develop in the course of our lives and of which we are deeply and firmly convinced. These beliefs serve as the basis for our thoughts, actions and decisions. Beliefs come from various sources, such as our experiences, upbringing, culture, media or the social environment in which we grew up. They form the filters through which we view the world, influence our perception and interpretation of situations and thus the results of our behavior.”
 

7 characteristics of beliefs

After this brief definition of beliefs, let's now look at seven fundamental characteristics that all beliefs have in common. 
 

1) Beliefs always come from outside

No baby is born a racist, cynic or optimist. People only develop all beliefs in the course of childhood and adolescence, especially from important caregivers such as parents, relatives, teachers or people with whom they have an emotional relationship.
 

2) Beliefs work unconsciously

Our beliefs are deeply rooted in our subconscious and serve us faithfully in autopilot mode. More on why this is both good and dangerous later.

3) Beliefs determine our behavior

Beliefs act as a perception filter and therefore determine both our thinking and, above all, our decisions. You behave differently depending on how you see the world. 
 
4) Beliefs are reinforced over time
The more convinced you are of something, the more evidence you will find of it in everyday life. And the more evidence you find that your conviction is correct, the more it becomes firmly established. More details on this later.
 
5) Beliefs can be beneficial
Positive beliefs have an activating effect, direct your focus towards opportunities in life and ensure that you are able to develop your full potential.
 
6) Beliefs can be limiting
Negative beliefs have a limiting effect, focus on problems in life and (unconsciously) ensure that you sabotage yourself and do not achieve the success that you (consciously) want so much.
 
7) Beliefs can be changed
This is perhaps the most important quality of all. Because even if beliefs always work unconsciously, they can still be changed. I will tell you exactly how this works at the end of the article.
 

Negative beliefs examples

Negative beliefs can manifest themselves in different areas of our lives. Here are some examples of negative beliefs:
 
  1. „I'm not good enough.“
  2. „I don't deserve happiness.“
  3. „I am not worthy of being loved.“
  4. „Money is hard to earn.“
  5. „I can never change.“
 
A comprehensive (but by no means complete) overview can be found in the following graphic.
 
Negative beliefs examples

Positive beliefs examples

Positive beliefs, on the other hand, can help us to develop our full potential and lead a fulfilled life. Here are some examples of positive beliefs:
 
  1. „I have the ability to achieve anything I set my mind to.“
  2. „I am worthy of love and success.“
  3. „I am unique and valuable.“
  4. „I am financially successful and have enough for my needs.“
  5. „I have the power to change and grow myself.“
 
These positive beliefs can strengthen us, guide us towards our goals and create a positive Self-image build up.
 

How do beliefs arise?

But how do convictions arise in the first place? By no means by chance. Instead, they are the direct result of a wide variety of influences from your environment. They develop from the influences you are constantly exposed to. The information you consume, the people you surround yourself with and the places you move around in. To put it simply, you can imagine it like this: You pick up a belief in the form of an opinion, an idea or a prejudice and adopt it uncritically. 
 
And off you go. Suddenly you find „evidence“ everywhere in your everyday life that confirms your new conviction. And the more „evidence“ you find, the deeper the belief becomes embedded in your subconscious. Our core beliefs are mainly formed in childhood and adolescence, but even in adulthood this process follows exactly the same pattern. And before you know it, you believe deeply and firmly that Success is hard, money corrupts your character and other people are just waiting to rip you off. The firmer your conviction, the more you will notice these things in everyday life. And as a result, the conviction becomes stronger again. A classic spiral that you can either Targets or ensure that you permanently sabotage yourself.
 
To help you harness the full power of your own beliefs, let's take a critical look at the information, ideas and opinions you surround yourself with throughout the day. It is always the same programming that leads to people having a low self-image and ultimately not believing they can succeed at all. It is the same messages of failure that you have been exposed to since your earliest childhood and that have become a little more entrenched every day through regular repetition. 
 

Recognize beliefs

Negative beliefs lurk everywhere in everyday life and are reflected in the following patterns and behaviors: 
 
  • Excuses
  • Emotional reactions
  • Negative thoughts
  • Negative thought patterns
  • Assumptions
  • Doubts
  • Recurring patterns
  • Cultural myths
  • Urge for perfectionism
  • Justifications
  • Worries
  • Self-deception
  • Stereotypes
  • Self-optimization mania
  • Inner critic
  • All the stories we tell ourselves every day
 
Lurking in all these behaviors and patterns are deep-seated beliefs that, by filtering reality, decide what you actually do and how you react to certain things.
 

Sources of beliefs

Do you think it makes a difference whether you are reading a novel by Thomas Mann or Wife swap watch on RTL II? Do you spend your afternoon in a bookstore or in the arcade? Whether you attend a seminar for personal development or spend the weekend in front of the television? Destructive suggestions lurk everywhere in everyday life. In addition to your family, teachers and other important people, it is mainly politicians, the radio and, of course, television that bombard you with regular messages of failure and lack. The more often you are exposed to this programming, the more quickly limiting core beliefs such as „Money is the root of all evil“, „There are more important things than success“, „There is not enough for everyone“, „If you fly high, you will fall low“, „Nothing happens without moss“, or „Money spoils your character“ are formed over time. Ever heard that? Ever said it? It's worth taking a particularly critical approach here. Because if you hear these messages every day, you will soon be conditioned to believe them deeply and firmly. Your identity is consolidated.
  
This is where the name Richard Brodie comes into play. What, you've never heard of him? First of all, you should be more or less grateful to him. In his former life, Brodie was a software programmer at Microsoft and, in this capacity, the developer of the Word writing program. At some point, however, he decided to follow his calling and became a speaker and author (funny, that sounds kind of familiar). In his new role, he devoted himself to studying how external programming influences internal beliefs. As a result of his research, he wrote a book that I can warmly recommend to you. It bears the exciting title Virus of the Mind - The New Science of the Meme. 
 
Based on research into the „selfish gene“ by Richard Dawkins, Brodie describes how ideas settle in the brain and spread there in the same way as a flu virus does, for example. Two factors determine how strongly the information he calls „mind viruses“ take root in the brain. The first is regular repetition. Of course, the more often you have an idea in your head, the more familiar and real it becomes at some point. Then there is the emotional intensity. If an idea is presented in connection with love, sex, fear, children or food, the effect of the suggestion is multiplied many times over. To check this out, all you have to do is go to the nearest newsstand and buy the latest issue of Bild. It is full of examples of both of these phenomena. The combination of intensity and repetition then ensures that a thought virus spreads just as quickly as a typical flu epidemic does. The worst thing about it is that most ideas and opinions are now adopted and passed on without a single spark of personal thought. Newspapers copy each other. Friends tell each other about the latest discovery that came on TV, and modern chain letters are shared and spread indiscriminately on Facebook. And once an opinion or prejudice is in our heads, it doesn't want to get out any time soon.
 

Critical thinking as protection against negative suggestions

It has therefore never been more important to critical thinker to become. Otherwise, you are helplessly at the mercy of the external programming of advertising experts, television producers and radio presenters. I'm sure you've often heard the following suggestion: „Success corrupts your character and is only possible with elbow grease.“ You no longer really notice it because you have heard it so often. Nevertheless, the message works. A little more with every repetition. The only protection is to critically question the impact of such a message. But you are not always programmed directly. Often it is simply stereotypical but highly emotional images. Imagine you open the newspaper and see a harmless-looking cartoon in which a poor woman is being ripped off by a fat, greedy captain of industry. What message is unconsciously conveyed there? Right, the rich are fat, greedy and exploit poor (and of course honest) people at every opportunity.
 
The more often you accept such messages uncritically, the stronger their effect and the more they develop into core beliefs on which your view of the world and, above all, of yourself is based. These beliefs sit deep in your subconscious and spread there like the famous thought virus from the movie Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio, in which it is possible to infiltrate other people's dreams and place ideas there. The formerly external idea has become your internal reality. The sum of the core beliefs then inevitably leads to your unconscious autopilot not being geared towards success and abundance, but towards lack and mediocrity. And then you can still be convinced on a conscious level that you want to be successful. If your autopilot is programmed for the exact opposite, you will not achieve your goal. Einstein already knew that when the logical mind and the subconscious are in conflict, the subconscious mind always prevails. And please don't use this statement to follow the lead of the masses and completely abandon the mind. The ability to think critically, to make conscious decisions and to use the gigantic capacity of the brain is the greatest gift that nature has endowed you with.
 

Dissolve negative beliefs

But it's the unconscious that really gets to work. So it's time to reprogram your inner autopilot and set it up for abundance and success. Just as there is a self-reinforcing negative spiral, you can also start a success domino rally. Start by making a conscious decision for your own personal success. Be ready to receive it. And then implement the following eight steps to dissolve limiting restrictions and deficiency thinking and instead activate your huge potential that is just waiting to be awakened and used by you.
 

Dissolve limiting beliefs in 7 steps

 
  1. Identify a negative belief and ask yourself the following question: “How exactly do I know this?”
  2. Analyze as consciously as possible how exactly the belief makes itself felt in your everyday life. When does it appear, what triggers it and what behaviors are typical consequences?
  3. Ask yourself: “What would happen if I kept this belief?”
  4. When analyzing persuasion, use the following idea as a guide: “Only argue for the limitations that you want to keep.”
  5. Formulate a positive alternative to replace the negative belief.
  6. Consciously and consistently integrate the new, positive belief into your everyday life.
  7. Give yourself at least 66 days and make a Habit out of it.
 
These seven steps follow a recurring pattern of change: 
 
  • Bringing unconscious behavior to the surface
  • Change there
  • Use it consciously until it becomes a new unconscious habit
 

What are beliefs? A conclusion

Beliefs act unconsciously as a perception filter of reality and influence our thinking, our behavior and generally our quality of life in a decisive way. It is therefore worthwhile regularly checking your own beliefs and making appropriate changes. Changes to do. Of course, belief system work requires time, patience and commitment, but the positive effects are more than worth it.
 
I wish you every success in recognizing and dissolving your own personal beliefs. I very much hope that the ideas and impulses in this article will be a loyal companion to you.

How do you become a motivational speaker? A look behind the scenes

Posted on by Mariana-A

How do you become a motivational speaker?

“How do you become a motivational speaker?” I get this question after my Keynote Speeches and keynote speeches at conferences, congresses and corporate events. And if the answer is also of interest to you, then in this article I would like to discuss the various aspects of what a motivational speaker is and how to become one. Have fun!
 

Dream job as a motivational speaker?

If you have been following my work for a while or have one of my of my books (by the way, “The Mindset Revolution” has just been published), then you can probably already guess that my answer to the question “How to become a motivational coach” is somewhat more nuanced. 
 
Even though many of my listeners often return to their everyday lives with a large portion of motivation after one of my talks, workshops or seminars, I don't see myself as a motivational speaker at all. This is simply because my work has nothing to do with the whipping, balloon-flinging, chakka chakka-roaring, loud-music-playing gurus who preach from a big stage to a hypnotized audience that anyone can really do anything. If, yes, if you only believed it enough. And, of course, only if you book a completely overpriced motivational coach seminar.
 
Yes, the profession of motivational trainer does not have the best reputation in the public eye. No wonder, because anyone who has seen the NDR documentary called “The motivation trainer” will know that a lot of dubious means and sometimes extremely dubious methods are used in the industry.
 

What is a motivational speaker?

Does this mean that every Motivational speaker automatically belongs in the dubious dirty corner? Of course not. There are countless examples of really successful motivational coaches whose focus is not exclusively on growing their own wallets, but instead on growing their clients' wallets. The main reason for this is that these experts (m/f/d) have a completely different approach to their work. What do I mean by that? 
 
Good and professional motivational coaches work with individuals or teams to achieve their individual and/or collective goals better, faster or more efficiently. This involves developing strategies and implementation plans, developing the mindset and, of course, the right Motivation in the implementation. And it is precisely at this point that the wheat is separated from the chaff.
 

What distinguishes good motivational coaches from gurus and charlatans

The Tschakka Gurus try to impose motivation on their audience from the outside. This is done through loud music, an emotionally heated atmosphere in the room, simple suggestions and pushing self-esteem. And of course, such methods are not without effect, and motivation often rises to unprecedented heights within a few hours. However, this motivational hammer method has the same effects that drug addicts are familiar with.
 
An intense and fast high is soon followed by the corresponding low. Or in the context of motivation: the air from the bulging balloon escapes just as quickly as it came in. The result: withdrawal symptoms after the feeling of motivation that was just so present. And unfortunately, these are often alleviated by booking an even more advanced seminar, even more expensive coaching and even more exclusive advice from a motivational trainer. 
 

Sustainable motivation is the key

And just so we understand each other correctly, there is nothing wrong with that at all, because investing in your own personality and personal development will certainly generate better interest than all DAX shares put together. But if people's emotional needs are used to sell your own services, then that is morally and ethically more than questionable, at least in my world.
 
The good (and reputable) motivational trainers stand out because they have understood how sustainable motivation really arises and that it always works from the inside out. It requires a strong intrinsic drive, which is always based on one's own values, needs and wishes, Targets and dreams. And with the right communication, congruent passion for their own topic and a great deal of empathy, a good motivational trainer succeeds in making this intrinsic motivation visible so that it can be translated into appropriate action on the surface.
 

How to become a motivational speaker - a conclusion

It should have become clear by now that being a motivational speaker is not a profession that you can learn at school or university. Nor is it enough just to talk about motivation, play loud music and run back and forth like a Duracell bunny. Because Sustainable motivation simply works differently.
 
Good motivational coaches tend to emerge by chance. Simply because they are able to support other people in awakening intrinsic motivation. They are usually experts in their respective fields and manage to speak passionately, emotionally and captivatingly about this topic. At some point, the moment comes when the spark is ignited and the audience is motivated. 
 
However, in these cases it is not about a short-term motivational boost (which wears off again shortly afterwards), but about sustainable motivation that continues to have an effect even after the lecture, seminar or event has ended. Coaching are long gone. And that's exactly the point, isn't it?
 
What experiences have you had with the topic of “motivational coaches”? I look forward to your comment.
 

Critical thinking as a success factor for change and transformation

Posted on by Mariana-A
I admit it, critical thinking has fallen into a bit of disrepute and is often equated these days with lateral thinkers, con-artists and “whatever-it's-about-I'm-just-basically-against-everything types”. But this form of anti-attitude has nothing whatsoever to do with critical thinking. What's more, if you make critical thinking an integral part of your everyday life, you will not only be able to deal better with any form of change, but also lead a more successful life overall. So it's time to take a closer look. Do you feel like it? Then let's get started.
 

Why is critical thinking important?

As an internationally active Keynote Speaker I have the great pleasure of being booked by my clients for conferences around the globe. Sounds sexy, doesn't it? And it is to a certain extent, but of course it also means that I spend a lot of time at airports and on board all kinds of airplanes, which admittedly isn't one of my favorite things to do. By the way, I love flying itself. It's the waiting and the increasing complexity of air travel that I don't like.
 
But I make the best of it and use the many hours in the air for a very important thing that often falls by the wayside in the otherwise often hectic everyday life. I enjoy the time for myself. I read an exciting thriller, watch a series on Netflix or think about life itself. No incoming emails, phone calls or other distractions can disturb me, and it's a bit like a spa for my soul. 
 
But when I look around me on my many flights, most people are mainly in „function mode“. They talk frantically into their cell phones, like to blurt out internal company information at an extremely high volume so that everyone around them knows exactly what the company's current problems are, open their laptops immediately after take-off and work on extensive Excel spreadsheets with a fascinating obsession. But why is that? Why do some people not even manage to relax a little on a 45-minute flight from Berlin to Frankfurt? 
 

Meaningfulness vs. mindless routines

On the one hand, I suspect that many a manager - and increasingly many a female manager - considers themselves too important and has succumbed to the fatal misconception that the company would not be able to manage without them for a single hour. The other reason, however, is even more widespread. People simply don't manage to break out of their usual routines and standard procedures. And of course, familiar routines are important because they give our job a certain stability and familiarity - just think of one of our most important human needs, safety. But if you are trapped in your own routines, this fundamentally positive quality can quickly turn negative. When procedures, processes and behaviors are no longer questioned, they tend to become absurd, ridiculous and stupid.
 
One decisive mantra therefore applies above all: The focus should ALWAYS be on the needs of your customers, never on internal processes. Haven't you ever been annoyed when employees of a company have completely lost sight of you as a customer and their behavior is oriented exclusively to internal company processes and requirements? In such cases, I always have to think of the ingenious book title of my esteemed colleague Edgar Geffroy, who summed it up so well with the title of a book: „The only thing that bothers us is the customer!“
 

Critical thinking: question the status quo

Especially when I think of visits to authorities or calls to hotlines of large corporations, I can think of hundreds of examples off the top of my head, but since we were just talking about air travel, let's stick with that. Have you ever asked yourself why the procedures on board are the way they are? Why does the crew really have to explain the safety instructions every time, even though nobody is listening anyway? Why should my little iPhone be able to disrupt the operation of a huge Airbus A380, but the other way round there are no problems? (By the way: If you want a good laugh, enter „Why can't you use phones on planes?“ in the YouTube search. Just great, and somehow sad at the same time). 
 
And every time I ask myself anew where the flight attendants learn their announcements. And by that I mean, of course, the mostly irrelevant content, but especially the form. Seriously, no normal person speaks in such an artificial manner and with such an obvious lack of interest. No wonder nobody listens. Incidentally, the same announcements from the cockpit fall into exactly the same category. For many years I have wondered who actually cares what altitude you are flying at, what the outside temperature is and where the wind is coming from at the destination airport. This information may be interesting for the captain and his co-pilot, but the passengers, i.e. the customers, are not interested at all.
 

The biggest killer argument of change

The answer, as in so many other areas of life, is that we have always done it this way. At some point, a process was set in motion that is now reliably carried out by everyone involved without anyone questioning it critically. The person performing the task brushes aside any question of meaning and undergoes a metamorphosis into a mindless worker bee. This leads to fatal behavior. People only think in terms of internal processes, rules and mechanisms, completely forgetting the needs of their own customers.
 
But fortunately there are more and more people who can no longer be fobbed off with the killer argument „We've always done it this way“. Critical thinkers, in other words, who think for themselves, question the status quo and then give meaning back to the soulless process. I recently flew home from Munich to Berlin late at night. And suddenly the unexpected happened. The pilot announced himself from the cockpit. 
 

Critical thinking as a characteristic of successful people

In a perfectly normal voice, he announced: „Dear guests, I would like to invite you to take a look out of the window. Even we pilots rarely experience a starry night like this. It is simply a wonderful view. At this moment, you can see almost all of Brandenburg. And our passengers on the left are particularly lucky, because the view as we fly towards Berlin is simply breathtaking. It fascinates me every time. I just wanted to let you know briefly. I hope you continue to have a good flight. Thank you for allowing my team and I to take you safely to your destination today.“
 
How often do you experience situations where you want to applaud spontaneously? Luckily, the man was standing in front of his cockpit when I got out, so I (and many other guests) could shake his hand and say thank you. Because even if it was only a few sentences, the departure from the mindless (and in my eyes pointless) routine meant that we experienced one of those magical moments that you remember fondly for a long time to come. And if you look closely, life is full of people like that. 
 

Learning to think critically: question everything

Unfortunately, however, we have become too accustomed to the fact that the masses prefer to act according to the rulebook and leave thinking to regulations and pointless rules. An important component of the Success is therefore critical thinking. An ability that has unfortunately become very rare because many people have become accustomed to the media, politics or anonymous committees telling them what is important, right or wrong. Please never succumb to this fatal convenience, but cultivate the art of critical thinking. And by that I don't mean that you should become one of those anti-people who are fundamentally against everything. No, critical thinking is above all the question of the Sense, relevance or customer orientation. My advice: question everything. Pointless processes, internal procedures and mindless routines. Question entrenched opinions, beliefs and prejudices, especially your own, of course.
 
Or in a nutshell: Question everything. Including this impulse that you should question everything.
 
Two things will happen as soon as you start to make a difference as a critical thinker: Firstly, you will receive a lot of headwind from those around you. No wonder, because you are suddenly questioning processes, routines and procedures that are considered to be universally valid. This is not always pleasant, but what would be the alternative? 
 
And something else will happen. You will notice a dramatic increase in fulfillment, satisfaction and meaning in your everyday life. Because you will only do things that really have a purpose and you will clearly reject all meaningless activities. To make this much easier for you in the future, I would like to introduce you to three specific tools that will help you cultivate critical thinking.
 

Critical thinking tool #1: Ask the question of meaning

The best guide we have in life is meaning. It gives an ordinary job meaning, a routine a raison d'être and our lives significance. Just as an aside: something can be meaningful or have meaning, but the common phrase „that makes sense“ is meaningless. This is yet another example of something being used by everyone and then no longer critically questioned by anyone.
 
Now we come to the all-important question with which you can reliably put the opinions, prejudices, values, beliefs and supposed facts of those around you, and of course yourself, to the test. The question is: How do I know that? In order to be able to give an answer, force yourself to get to the core of your original experience and thereby examine its meaningfulness. The more often you ask yourself this question, the more you will realize how many opinions and beliefs we have simply adopted from other people, the media or our environment. On the one hand, this requires courage, of course, but on the other hand it is the only option if you want to lead a self-determined life based on your own standards.
 

Critical thinking tool #2: Create a not-to-do list

Yes, you read that right. Create a list of things that you want to consciously avoid from now on. not will do more. Because isn't that the case? A classic to-do list can take on gigantic proportions, and we often simply feel overwhelmed by the mass of obligations. Fortunately, there is an extremely effective antidote to this: prioritize and consistently 
 
Say no. No to time wasters. No to procrastination. No to all the tasks that we like to deal with day in, day out, but which ultimately don't bring us an inch closer to our goals. The more you cultivate saying no, the more you say yes at the same time. Yes to more personal freedom. Yes to more focus. Yes to more Self-determination. So grab your journal or a piece of paper and write down all the things you will no longer do from now on. After just a few days, you will notice how your time management becomes more effective and productive. And as a nice side effect, creating your not-to-do list will also increase your inner clarity at the same time.
 

Critical thinking tool #3: Create an IDGAF list

And then comes the next list, which really packs a punch. Similar to the Not-to-to list, its big sister, the IDGAF list, also focuses on letting go, saying no and setting boundaries. However, its effect is even more powerful. And of course the name is also a touch cooler, because IDGAF stands for „I don't give a fuck!“. And precisely this Attitude is essential if you want to lead a self-determined life. Because the more you do your own thing, the more you will experience the following reactions from those around you: Lack of understanding, criticism, rejection, know-it-all attitude, nagging, active opposition and very often subtle emotional blackmail. You will hear phrases such as „You can't just...“, „But you should...“ or „You urgently need to...“. Does this sound familiar to you?
 
On the one hand, you can be a little proud when you receive such reactions to your personality, because people can only rub up against rough edges. On the other hand, it can also become a real burden if the headwind becomes too strong. This makes it all the more important to let go of what other people think about you, expect from you or demand how you should function. You can't prevent all of this, but you can make the decision that you are no longer interested in it from now on. 
 
So from now on, follow the mantra of bestselling author Tommy Jaud, who summed it up so wonderfully: „I don't have to do shit!“ And then create your own personal IDGAF list. Write down everything that annoys you: whether other people like your life, your opinion, your decisions or your ideas. How your clothes are received, what people say about your driving style or taste in music. All the many things that make you say inwardly: „I don't give a fuck! As long as it makes me happy, I don't care what other people think of it.“ The more you detach yourself from the expectations of others in this way, the more you can align yourself with your own aspirations and standards.
 

The art of critical thinking

With these three tools, you can take your critical thinking skills to a new level. It is best to hang the two lists up in a clearly visible place at your workplace so that you can refer to them every day. And then enjoy your life as a critical thinker. You may often seem exotic to others in an age of conformity, uniformity and mediocrity, but it is the only way to lead a fulfilled and happy life. Well, and of course you should immediately subject this claim to critical scrutiny.
 
And, of course, I'm very interested in how you see the topic of „critical thinking“. Write me your opinion as a comment...