Trade Up for Success: Set Yourself Up for a Better Tomorrow

Have you ever heard an athlete say something like this after a dismal performance: “I didn’t have the right mindset today. I just wasn’t ready, so I didn’t play well.”

Upon hearing that, some of us watching at home might think, “Really? It’s your job, and you have had all week to prepare! How could you not be ready?”

As soon as you think it though, you’re reminded of your own life — how you might get nervous or feel unprepared for a big interview, presentation, or meeting. Suddenly, we realize how hard it actually is to frame our minds correctly so that our attitudes and emotions are positioned to help us perform and live to our highest potential.

“Mindset — a fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations.”

- Merriam-Webster

The Importance of Mindset

In other words, our mindset refers to our established set of attitudes towards something.

For example, If I am frustrated with someone and have not addressed or resolved the conflict/tension, then my mindset towards them will be negative and even predetermine how I will interact with and respond to them.

If I went to bed later than expected because I couldn’t stop watching meaningless “junk food television,” there’s a chance my mindset will be a little “off” the next day.

When I fail to recharge appropriately, then I might become susceptible to a sour mood and those around me may suffer as a result.

On the other hand, when we frame our mind correctly the chance of our success in a certain moment or event goes up. That is why skier’s spend a long time visualizing their routes before they ski. They begin racing in their minds before they actually race in reality. In fact, most of the best athletes do this. There’s even a whole industry dedicated to sports psychology to help athletes frame their minds correctly.

So, for the sake of setting ourselves up for success and trading up from the accidental life to an intentional one, here are three things you can do each day to frame your mindset in order to become more successful and productive:

3 Keys to Improving Your Mindset

1. A healthy mindset starts the night before.

Eliminate junk TV, it adds zero value. Instead, choose to read a great biography, watch an inspiring movie, or re-connect with someone you respect. Dabble in a hobby or work on a enlivened project. Success for tomorrow begins the night before. If you want a great day tomorrow, start it tonight.

2. To be successful, you need to be fully recharged.

Great leaders know how to lead themselves. It is called self-control. Do you know how you recharge most effectively? Is it reading a book, working out, talking to friends, or something else? Whatever your preferred activity, spend more time there filling up your batteries. It’s hard to start the day with a cell phone battery at 10%. The same is true with us. Make sure you get 6+ hours of sleep and learn what your body and mind need to be at your best. It is your responsibility to be recharged, so don’t undermine yourself.

3. If you want to thrive then you must deal with negative influences directly.

If productivity can’t begin until your email inbox is empty and voicemails are gone, then take the time to address those pressures instead of trying to work with them looming over you. Whether relational or task-oriented, negative influences will hamstring the power of your mindset. If there is a negative relationship out there then go to the source and deal directly with it so that it doesn’t continue to dominate your thoughts 24/7.

Trade Up

One last tip that may be helpful for you to frame your mindset correctly — say these words out loud right now, “Trade Up.” When you are doing something that doesn’t bring life, but simply just is, choose to Trade Up to something better.

Instead of a negative TV show or something that brings you down, Trade Up to an inspiring movie.

Instead of junk food that saps your health and energy, choose a tasty treat that has protein.

Instead of wasting time, Trade Up to a productive project that brings a sense of accomplishment.

Instead of lingering at night, Trade Up for tomorrow and get the sleep your body needs.

Your mindset is directly related to your self-control. So the question is this: will you say these words after work, “I didn’t have the right mindset today. I just wasn’t ready,” or will you end the day with some pep in your step, saying, “today was amazing! We/I knocked it out of the park.”

Choosing Something Better

Your reality is directly tied to the consequences of your actions and those come directly from your patterns of behavior and the mindset you cultivate. Choose correctly and you will string together a series of wins that could alter the course of your career. Choose to not be ready and you will simply fit in with the crowd and live a normal life. The choice is yours.

But today, I encourage you to Trade Up!

If you’re interested in learning more about how your mindset affects your leadership, we’re happy to schedule a meeting to discuss. Just click the contact button and let us know!