Yes, Mindset Work Will Help You Get More Done

I’ve just lost an hour and so have (most of) you because I’m writing this paragraph on the day after daylight savings.  Congratulations everyone!  You’ve survived the attack of the changing clocks.

A battle with the clocks is a true test of your mindset.  A mindset is a set of assumptions, methods, or notions.  Losing time will mess with all of those.

How did the battle play out for you and your household?

I was feeling pretty good until my ten year old lost his mind with the mention that we had math tutoring today.  An epic meltdown I’m going to chalk up to losing an hour of sleep.

Losing an hour, epic meltdowns, or any other setback will test you if you don’t have a clear vision of where you’re headed.  Let’s dive deeper.

Clear Those Dirty Windshields

Think of your life as a car.  You are driving along with a beautiful new ride.

My dream car is a Range Rover so let’s go with that image.  It’s brand new with all the upgrades.  You feel amazing driving that car.  It’s taking you where you want to go and you’re enjoying every moment of that journey.

Suddenly the truck in front of you splashes mud on your windshield.  You can’t see and turn on the wipers to clear your view.  You’re back on your way.

Your mind is like that dirty windshield.  If you can’t clear the dirt you won’t be able to see where you’re going.  It doesn’t matter that you have all the right bells and whistles.  

If your mind is working through something it’s going to keep popping up for you over and over again. You can only achieve your dreams when your mind is right.

For example, let’s say you’re feeling overwhelmed with everything you have to do today.  Each time you start working on that client proposal that’s due tomorrow, you’re paralyzed by the thoughts of everything else you have to do.  Until you deal with those thoughts in your head you’re not going to make progress.

The Path to a Clear Mind

The first step is to identify the mud.  You need to figure out what’s coming up for you.  

For some this might be easy, you already know those anxious thoughts that keep you up at night.  For others, it may take more work.  

Yes, can use meditation, journaling or any other methods for identifying distracting thoughts.  Here’s a quick hack. Simply notice when your brain is taken off track.  Make a note and get back to work.

This sounds incredibly simple but it’s not easy.

One place this comes up for me BIG TIME is during my weekly plan sessions.  I force myself to keep it to “just an hour” but often get distracted by the lure of crossing that one quick thing off my list.  I discipline myself to stop, make a note, and move on.

Next, create a plan of action for what keeps coming up.  This could be anything from scheduling an eye exam for your daughter to the fight you had with your bestie.  If it’s coming up for you, your mind won’t be able to focus until you clear the dirt.

Just Do It

Now that you’ve cleared those mental blocks here’s the secret sauce...JUST DO IT!  Whatever it is that needs to get done.  That’s how you get it done.

Here’s a simple formula for you:

Identify what’s holding you back + plan to deal with it + action = things get done!

Do you have a practice to clear your head?  Make sure it’s working for you with self-reflection.  Here are some prompts to get you started.