Change your mindset. If you believe the clever books and the often even cleverer-sounding posts on the Internet, then that's exactly what the vast majority want. The mindset shift. To realign their inner attitude. Transforming your attitude in such a way that it helps you to successfully achieve your goals and dreams. Even if the topic is probably not very relevant for the general public, its importance in the business context is increasing year on year. As Keynote speaker on the topic of change I have the privilege of working with a wide variety of Change management processes.
And really all successful brands have made „changing mindset“ a top priority. No wonder, because more and more board members, management and Leader (m/f/d) have realized that skills, abilities and knowledge can be learned or trained at any time. But mindset is something that is very much linked to personality. But before we look at whether it is even possible to change your own mindset (or even that of other people), let's take a step back and clarify what exactly is behind the term mindset.
What does mindset mean - attitude, mindset or attitude?
Defining the mindset is not that easy. The most obvious option would be to simply translate the term from English into German. However, this is virtually impossible because there is simply no clear translation. The Anglo-Saxon „mind“ is more than just the intellectual part of the brain that is responsible for thinking, which is clear from the fact that it is referred to as a "mindset". conscious mind and a unconscious mindspeaks. The following is probably the most accurate: The term Mind describes the sum of our experiences and beliefs, Values and skills.
And this whole sum ensures that we think in certain patterns and derive our strategies from these patterns, according to which we decide and act. Our mindset ensures why we do certain things, how we do things and, conversely, why we don't do certain things. If there were a vague translation, it would be the attitude that inner attitude, the mentality or the Attitude. But all of this is only partly true. In my detailed article on the definition and meaning of the topic Mindset I have therefore defined the term as follows:
„The mindset is based on our identity and is the sum of our values, Convictions, experiences, abilities, personality traits, habits, decision-making strategies and our general Attitude towards life. It's not so much WHAT we do every day, but above all HOW we do it and the purpose (emotional reason), i.e. the WHY and WHY FOR.“
Changing your mindset - that's not what it's really about
Now that we've laid the conceptual foundations, it's time to talk plainly. When people talk about wanting to change their mindset or companies make it clear that the Changes in the future can only be successfully countered with a corresponding mindset shift, then it is really about something completely different, namely a change in specific behavior. Why? Because you are not satisfied with the current results. Because new goals have been set, strategies developed and action plans formulated in order to adapt to the massively changed framework conditions.
But these rarely have anything in common with the current status quo. Quite the opposite. Not infrequently the path to the future radically different from the things you were used to. And of course a mindset shift is necessary for this, but much more important is the change in behavior.
Change mindset exercises
And then it's time to get down to business, because when a (usually necessary) mindset shift is announced in companies and the topic of „changing mindset“ is suddenly at the top of the priority list, the underlying statement is usually the following: Our employees (I hate this term, by the way, but more on that in another blog article soon) are just the way they are, for the The future not optimally prepared.
Either they change their general attitude or we have to think about alternatives. I am aware of the danger of my argument, because of course a different mentality is needed to actively shape the future than to passively manage the status quo. But people are the way they are, and it is incredibly difficult to make a 180-degree turnaround overnight.
It is therefore essential to keep reminding yourself what the goal really is when you want to change your mindset: better results, new behaviors and a new way of thinking. High motivation, to take the future by the horns and Actively shaping change. If you want to change your mindset, it is therefore highly recommended that you put the cart before the horse and focus on the following three factors:
Change mindset- Success factor #1 - Conscious reflection
We can only change what we are aware of. However, for well over 90 % of the day, we are on autopilot mode and leave our Decisions, actions and ways of thinking to our subconscious. This can be very powerful if these unconscious patterns are positive and beneficial for us. There is only one problem. All these automatisms work just as reliably with negative, counterproductive and even destructive factors. In practice, this means that there are people who constantly sabotage themselves without realizing it. People who want nothing more than to be successful, but whose unconscious patterns are programmed for the exact opposite.
All this sounds tragic at first. And it is. But it is also relatively simple (not easy!) to change. And the key is reflection. Because the more aware you are of your current mindset, the easier it will be for you to initiate the necessary changes. The following challenging questions can help you analyze the status quo. And just to be sure, the questions themselves are of course simple. What is challenging is to answer them openly and ruthlessly honestly:
- What is my general focus in life?
- How do I deal with change?
- How open am I to new ideas?
- How enthusiastic am I?
- How do I communicate?
- How do I come across to others?
- What specific behaviors do I want/need to change in order to achieve my goals?
The answers - especially the last one - will be a great help for the next success factor.
Change mindset - Success factor #2 - Courageous decisions and commitment
The biggest shift you can make in your mindset is to realize that change is not something to be afraid of. On the contrary, it is the only way to improve, develop and grow personally. It is the only way to huge opportunities, that are all around us, just waiting to be recognized and used. That's why I'm not tired of emphasizing again and again that the most important key competence of the future will be the personal handling of change. And no matter what form change takes, sustainable results always start with an irrevocable decision for the change.
For the new ways. For the future. But one decision swan (I admit, I just made up this word for the metaphor) does not make a summer. It can only work if it is backed up with the right commitment. The commitment to take responsibility for the results. For both the good and the bad. And regardless of your own motivation (because this is never permanently high), to see the project through in any case. Simply because you have given yourself your word. And your word is sacred. For you too, isn't it?
And speaking of decisions, the more you dare to make courageous decisions, the more you will find yourself in situations that are outside your usual comfort zone. But this is the only place where you can grow and develop. And thus change your mindset in the long term.
Change mindset - Success factor #3 - Sustainable habits
Last but not least, it is important to establish powerful and, in particular, sustainable habits. Just as it is never enough to eat salad once for lunch if you have resolved to lose weight permanently, all other goals also require regular repetition of new decision-making strategies, thought patterns and behaviors. One of my favorite quotes (whose author is unfortunately not clearly attributable) is: „Habits are like rails. It's hard work and takes a long time to lay them. But once they are in place, they lead you safely and reliably to your destination.“
And that's exactly what they can do for you. If you consciously incorporate the new strategies, patterns or behaviors into your everyday life every single day (yes, really every day). Until they have become second nature to you. Until they have become a new, unconscious automatism that will serve you faithfully from now on.
Develop mindset instead of changing mindset
Now that we have looked at the three important success factors for a mindset shift, I would like to briefly point out the causality. On the one hand, our mindset naturally determines our thoughts and actions. But, as is so often the case, there are two sides to the coin, and in the long term, our thinking and our behavior also shape our mindset. We become what we do regularly and every day.
And we can use this knowledge if we want to change our mindset. After all, this project is almost inevitably doomed to failure if we use the "hair-pulling" method. Our mindset and our identity are so closely linked that it is incredibly difficult to bring about a change here. And if it is, then certainly not in the short term (if you're interested in the background, be sure to read my Articles on the change diamonds through).
The only way to achieve a truly lasting mindset shift is to grow into the new mindset. By evolving as a personality through new experiences. By using the success factors of awareness, courageous decisions & commitment and powerful habits to really change our mindset permanently.
How can you change your mindset? The quick and dirty framework
Since I know how important frameworks and models are in the development and change of soft skills, I would like to give you a quick and dirty version of the mindset shift, which is based on the structure of ANY successful change:
- Identify an unconscious pattern or behavior.
- Bring this pattern or behavior to the conscious surface and formulate a desired alternative.
- Use this alternative consciously as often as necessary until it can work automatically in the subconscious again.
Applied to the topic of „changing mindset“, this framework can be formulated as follows:
- Analyze your current mindset
- Develop and define possible fields of action
- Work on this in a focused way and accompany this transformation over a longer period of time (preferably with the help of a good coach), You can find my own offer here)
If you would like to delve deeper into this topic, I would also like to refer you to my book „The Change Maker Mindset: How Innovation and Change Start with Inner Transformation“.
Growing as a personality - The best way to change your inner attitude
I very much hope that I have succeeded in shedding some light on the subject of mindset change with this article. I hope even more that it has become clear that your own mindset is not just like that from right now (and not at all by other people). At the end of the day, as is so often the case, the solution is very simple, but unfortunately not easy at all. It's about growing as a person. And the more you grow, the more your own mindset develops. So if you embark on the path of the changemaker, the much-cited and hoped-for mindset shift will happen all by itself in the course of the process.
Finally, however, a word of warning. Of course, this causality also applies in the opposite direction. Because if you no longer develop, only manage the status quo and cling to the good old days, then your mindset will also change in this case. But in a negative direction, which leads to frustration, cynicism and resistance to change.
So the good news at the very end: it is definitely possible, your own mindset to change. If you are prepared to run a marathon and are not hoping for a sprint. And what it looks like in the end is definitely not a whim of fate, but a very conscious decision that each and every one of us has to make for ourselves.
I made my choice a long time ago. What is yours?
Sincerely, Your
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