💡Eureka! A mindset shift.
💡Eureka! A mindset shift.
How I changed my approach to life, plus an exercise for you.
Dear Reader,
Before I get to the post, I wanted to say hi again. It has been a while since I have posted. Like all of us, I was busy managing life under COVID and trying to make it through the day. During this time I was still writing and drawing but it was more for therapy and trying to stay sane during these times. As I am now coming up for air I have a renewed drive to write, draw, experiment, learn, grow, and share my thoughts and experiences along the way as well as learn from all of you. I’m excited to start again and try out new ways of interacting with all of you.
As you will read in this article my mindset has shifted and I believe it will help me get back up to rise again this time stronger and more focused.
Thank you for sticking with me. Let’s do this! :)
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
― Rumi
I recently had a shift in my approach to everything I do. I used to think that the results of my efforts were final, I either succeeded or failed and that was it. This dualistic way of thinking was a cause for a lot of my headaches. My focus was on the outcome of my efforts. When I succeeded I felt great, but when I failed, it affected me negatively, and I would most likely give up and move on to trying something else. I was stuck in this way of thinking for most of my life.
The results of this mindset manifested in all parts of my life. When trying a new cooking recipe it was great when the recipe turned out good but when it turned out bad, I’m looking at you No-Knead Bread, I would abandon the recipe and give up trying again all together. I love running and when I used to go for my daily run, my focus was solely on the results of it being a good or bad run. At work my approach was that my designs either solved the problem or they failed and that was it. My focus usually fell on the negative part of the equation which would affect my mood and decrease my motivation to keep trying.
Lately, however my mindset has changed into seeing everything I do as an experiment I can learn from instead of focusing strictly on the outcome of my efforts. Making small changes and seeing how things turn out while adjusting course along the way has given me an appreciation for trying new things and learning along the way. Now when I try an approach, and it doesn’t work then I can then examine why that approach didn’t work and adjust and correct my course for the next time.
When I try a new recipe now, I go in with the intention that this experiment may not turn out exactly as I had hoped it would but then explore the reasons why it didn’t work out this time and then try it again with the new learnings. When I go for a run now I focus on improving one aspect of my run and literally run the experiment during my run and then identify why it did or didn’t work and then adjust my approach for my next run.
Put it into practice:
Even though it took me a while to come to this realization you can make the shift in your mindset right now, at this very moment.
Try this: Take one of your personal or work tasks for today and turn it into an experiment.
Step 1 - Identify a task you will use for this exercise
Step 2 - Set your intention to learn from whatever the outcome good or bad.
Step 3 - Complete your task, keep your focus and be present-in the-moment.
Step 4 - Take a moment to look back at how you did and where you need to improve for next time.
It may take a few tries but keep repeating this exercise in every activity large or small to help shift to an experimentation mindset for a lifetime of continual learning.
Changing my perspective to see everything as an experiment has shifted how I approach every part of my personal and work life. From cooking, running, and designing, every effort I now make is an experiment to better understand whether it is a problem I am trying to solve, a skill I am trying to learn or becoming more aware of myself.
Have you had a mindset shift lately? Share your experiences in the comments.
If you have any questions, book recommendations, or brilliant ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at rizwan@rizwanjavaid.com