What’s An Action Mindset And How Can It Help Me Get Ahead?

Eager to make real, positive change this year? Career Psychologist Sinead Brady of A Career to Love says it’s all about getting in the right frame of mind.

While the New Year brings with it resolutions that are set with the best determination they are seldom straightforward to achieve. Those same resolutions typically take us down a road filled with roadblocks which are at first met with resilience but as the obstacles continue to emerge, our strength will often waiver.

An action mindset coupled with planning your future backwards could bring you the long-term change that you want. Last week’s article dealt with Planning Your Future Backwards and if you are willing,  this is the next part of the puzzle that will move you successfully from thinking to doing.

What is an action mindset?

• It is the determination to move from thinking about doing something to actually doing it AND persisting even when the challenges appear greater than your perceived resources.
• It is moving from thought to action one small step at a time every single day in pursuit of an overall goal.
• It is checking in with yourself and asking if I say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to this how does it affect my overall goal?
• It is managing your expectations to ensure that you do not take on too much or too little.
• It is having the resolve to learn from your mistakes and your successes to see what you can do better and differently the next time.
• It is being kind and compassionate to yourself but not feeling sorry for yourself.
• It is spending time with positive and kind people who have your back no matter what.
• It is standing up for what is right no matter what.
• It is holding onto the slimmest thread of hope and choosing to put one foot in front of the other no matter what.

An action mindset contributes to how you approach your goals and determines the level of your motivation in pursuit of that goal. Having an action mindset is about taking a leap of faith and ‘trusting in the magic of new beginnings’.

And when the time comes, and trust me it will, it will be your unwavering belief that you have the capacity, ability and potential to stand behind your vision of your future and push through any obstacles to reach it that will predict your future.

An action mindset awakens your potential in yourself. It is not about pretending that everything is ok, easy or simple. In fact, it is about recognising that life is often the opposite and giving yourself permission to acknowledge how you feel and then push through anyway.

Cultivating an action mindset takes time and is not easy. However, our minds are built to dream and our hopes are programmed to reach towards seemingly impossible futures yet there are thousands of courageous stories that show anything is possible. Why not choose your goal, your dream or your future, design your own version of success and adapt an action mindset to guide you towards it? Try it. What’s the worst that could happen?

Photo Credit: Ariel Lustre, Unsplash