You really deserve an upgrade to your attitude! Shift your mindset with these 7 upgrades:
- From Scarcity to Abundance
- From Waiting to Progress
- From Security to Opportunity
- From Saving to Investment
- From Options to Opt In
- From Fear to Possibility
- From Competition to Collaboration
Upgrade from Scarcity to Abundance
People who focus on scarcity tend to worry about having “enough” (money, time, food, shoes, Pokemon, etc.). When you’re in scarcity mode, you’re more likely to protect or hoard what resources you have. The abundance mindset feels expansive and free. Resources are well-used, cared for, and shared, because there is enough. You can see this in action when flying on airlines with no baggage fees – people check whatever bags they’d like to, so they’re not panicked about getting space for their bags in the overhead bins.
Upgrade from Waiting to Progress
There are so many ways to wait and not take action. Waiting for perfection (The Thing can’t be unveiled until it’s perfect) or permission (someone needs to say it’s okay to do The Thing) are the most common. There’s a reason people say “Progress beats Perfection.” If you’re waiting for . . . well, whatever you’re waiting for, you’re not getting stuff done. In almost every case, putting something out there is better than not, and in many cases, other folks won’t even know it’s not perfect. Better to iterate than procrastinate!
Upgrade from Security to Opportunity
A security mindset can keep you from taking risks. And if you eliminate all risk, you’ll have certainty, that’s true, but you’ll stay stagnant (at best). Noticing and taking advantage of opportunity requires a different mindset. If you’re willing to take risks, there’s a possibility of failure, but there’s also a possibility of something new and awesome. Work on calculated risk-taking to minimize your downside and maximize your opportunities!
Upgrade from Saving to Investment
Of course, not all saving is bad, but when we focus exclusively on cost-cutting, we may lose sight of our ultimate goal. This is the whole “penny-wise and pound-foolish” concept. For example, you can cut so much cost out of a program that it becomes ineffective and no longer serves its original purpose. When we think of money in terms of what it can do for us and the return on our investment, its full power comes forward. If you send a leader to a development program, the investment can affect not only the leader, but the entire team.
Upgrade from Options to Opt In
This one’s a little counterintuitive, right? Isn’t it awesome to have ALL THE OPTIONS? Well, not really. You need this upgrade because keeping your options open can translate into not making a choice or opting in. You’re in limbo when you’re not deciding. The opt in mindset shows that you’re clear about what you want and where you’re going, and you’ll make choices (and eliminate options) to make progress toward your goal.
Upgrade from Fear to Possibility
There are many fears, big and small, in business. What if my leader doesn’t like my ideas? What happens if I don’t make this sale? What I can’t lead a team this big? What if I suck at this presentation? When you shift to an attitude of possibility, you flip the script from negative to positive. This positivity pulls you away from anxiety-producing doomsday scenarios and can give you the calm you need to perform your best. What if I can . . .?
Upgrade from Competition to Collaboration
With competition, the mindset is zero-sum game: when one person wins, the other must lose. While the concept works well in sports, it’s not effective in organizations. A collaboration mindset allows multiple winning solutions. Team members are more likely to help each other perform well if they know it can benefit themselves as well as their teammates. And collaboration within diverse teams can escalate innovation. Big time.
Which upgrade do you want to make first? Tell us in the comments below!