“Dig deep in your mind, no pressure, no diamonds”
– Fat Joe on “Lord Above“
They say that in order to behave differently, you have to think differently. Whether that’s looking at things from a different perspective, or approaching things in a brand new way, these types of moves can help you progress more effectively. And whether it’s moving more efficiently, or cutting out the clutter, there’s lots of things we can do to become better versions of ourselves. Basically what I’m trying to say is…maybe we can benefit from a mindset change.
Before we get ahead of ourselves though, WHAT’S UP people? What’s going on? Welcome to the December 2019 Opinions Column. For those that are new to the site, this is where I talk about what’s going on with me and what’s on my mind. For those that are returning, welcome back! With December upon us (wow, where’d the year go?), I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about how we can shift our mindsets to become better…especially ahead of the new year AND decade (whoa).
So yes, a mindset change. I’m always looking at ways to improve myself and get better. In order to do that, and avoid getting overwhelmed, I often make lists and write stuff down. It helps me get the thoughts out of my mind and into a physical form, which also lets me become more organized. I put together a short list of areas where I want to focus on for next year, which I wanted to share with you too. I think by focusing on these areas (yes, focus), it may help to become a more productive you.
Discipline
I find that it’s difficult to be discipline long term. You have this sudden jolt of energy when you start something, but to keep at it? Now that’s tough. So what can we do to become more disciplined? Well, there are a few ideas I have. Firstly, remind yourself again (and again) why you’re doing what you’re doing. Think about the other stakeholders that depend upon you…that’s encouragement to lean on. And block out distractions! Whether that’s shutting off your phone, or closing that FB tab, distractions will pull you away from your goals and make you become undisciplined. By maintaining these things, you’ll already be on your way.
By the way, to add to this, I’ve also found that spending some quiet time by yourself can also work wonders.
Mental toughness
This is one that I’ve talked about a lot throughout the year. It goes hand-in-hand with discipline. Mental toughness is being able to say no to things that deter you from your goals, while saying yes to things that bring you closer. For example, lots of people may “talk themselves out” of going to the gym because, for example, it’s cold, late, or they’re just tired. When you’re applying mentally tough principles though, you can power through some of those excuses and move forward. Or when there’s a donut that’s talking to you like “yo, eat me” lol…do you give in, or do you apply your mental toughness and say, “nah, I’m good.”? You see what I mean? It’s not easy, but if you’re able to have those strong inner conversations with yourself, you’ll find success in what you’re trying to do.
Time management
Another important thing that I’m going to work on next year is this…time management. I’ve found that my list of “to do” items is long everyday, and most of the time I run out of time. Then, those incomplete items leak onto the next day, which then takes up time from the next day’s stuff…and so on, and so on. So how can we address those things? Firstly, we gotta prioritize more often. Secondly, it’s really important to not get too bogged down in one thing when there’s so much other stuff to do. And one more thing…gotta wake up earlier!
Organization
This isn’t so much a huge shift here for me, but I thought I’d share it anyway in case someone else may benefit from it. If you want to be as productive as possible, it’s important to be organized. You need a clean working environment where things are easy to find and distractions are at a minimum. This will save time, increase efficiency, and ok, I’m starting to sound like a self-help book now haha. But yeah, you get the point!
I feel that by applying these principles, you’ll already be on to a better version of yourself. And by the way, don’t forget to decompress, take time off, and BREATHE sometimes too. While it’s important to work hard and be focused, it’s also important to not overwhelm yourselves. If you’re working under stress, it’s hard to apply any of those things because your mind will be clouded.
By focusing on a mindset change, we’re already on our way to improvement. Let’s do this.
Aight, y’all…that’ll do it for me. Stay tuned for my annual Year-in-Review post, coming next week. Until then, stay up, stay safe, and hold ya head. Ajaxxx signing out, PEACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Photo credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
