Rich mindset versus a poor mindset.
What is the right mindset according to you? What are the thoughts of a person who has the right mindset? If you are not sure of the answer, then let us move to the next one. Can you define what is a wrong mindset in a comment below at the end of the post?
When you do something which you feel is right, it gives you a belief that you have the right mindset. The same action of yours may not be completely understood by others, so they may deem your actions a result of having the wrong mindset. Mindset is never wrong or right, it will always be as it is, which means having a specific mindset’. There is no certification available that can declare that the perspective or thought we carry is wrong or right. It is just our perception, and I had mentioned earlier in my previous blog post that perception is not a reality.
‘Switching‘ from one mindset to another (to a rich mindset)is the crux here and I cannot deny the fact that this is where we all find ourselves struggling every time, including myself. Most of the solutions to our problems can be found if we work on tweaking a few of our thought processes or beliefs, which we have been holding on to so firmly. Approaching problems, in the same manner, every day, will give us the same results. Change is sometimes difficult, I agree.
The burden of doing a ‘difficult’ task within a stipulated time period will, of course, create tension. Now, let me correct the last sentence which I mentioned above. The word ‘difficult’ I used in the above sentence, is the kind of mindset I have, and which is why I feel that the task is difficult. Note: me defining the task ‘difficult’ is not the wrong mindset I have, it is just a perception that I hold. Working hard and making things simpler for myself will definitely change my attitude towards it and I may not quote it as ‘difficult’ the next time. So, it is all about switching from one mindset to another. Instead of quoting a mindset wrong or right, I would like to use the term rich and poor mindset. Planning our day, even one day, in an organized manner compared to the previous day, to complete a list of pending tasks can be considered as having a rich mindset for that day.
When we come across the word ‘servant’ or a ‘domestic help’, most of us imagine( our perception) the person as less intelligent. Not necessarily. This is just our perspective about the profession. Maybe the reality is totally different from what we have assumed; perhaps, to work as a servant was not his or her choice. In reality, the person may even be a degree holder, and that fact is not known to the world.
Who can imagine that a vegetable seller can converse fluently in English and is a Ph.D. degree holder? We all know what kind of perspective we usually hold on the educational background of a vegetable seller. Read the news excerpt which went viral on 23rd July 2020:
The video of a woman vegetable seller speaking fluently in English while protesting against municipal authorities in Indore has gone viral on social media. The woman, Raisa Ansari, claims that she holds a Ph.D. (Doctor Of Philosophy) in Material Science from Indore’s Devi Ahilya University.
A journey towards the outer change starts with the inner change:
we hear often that one must evolve with time. Initiating an inner change, which is to have a shift in the mindset paradigm, can be considered as breaking the ice. I will say that 90 percent of our efforts should be focused on bringing change from within. Once this is implemented successfully, trust me, the outer change is something that will happen alongside by putting only the remaining 10 percent of the effort. Eliminate the mindset of the impossible, change your own perspective wherever necessary, give your monotonous thought process a little break, and gradually things will start falling in place.
Fixed Mindset
There are articles available on what is called a fixed mindset. I will not go deeper into that but would like to put my message across, with the help of a small example.
– A man who believes in spending not more than 20 dollars on a pack of t-shirts each time is fair enough, considering his budget. Later at some point in his life, he is entitled to a good salary hike, which is enough to afford items at a higher price. He can now afford a luxurious lifestyle. But he restricts himself to spending only 20 dollars on the same item, irrespective of the income he currently earns. He prefers to lead the same lifestyle, not by choice but because of the same old beliefs, he had been carrying.
Having a fixed mindset will make him do the same thing over and over again, irrespective of the changes happening around him. To evolve with time, one needs a flexible thought process. A fixed mindset creates an imaginary benchmark in our brain and that is challenging, especially when are trying to bring an inner change i.e a change in mindset paradigm.
Growth Mindset
Another man with a similar spending habit (nothing beyond 20 dollars for a pack of t-shirts) when entitled to a salary hike, prefers a much better lifestyle and does not mind spending more than what he spent earlier on the same product. He then explores better options and evolves with changes happening around him.
A growth mindset will always have a scope of improvement.
Whatever has become the reality now, was a ‘thought’ once. Believe it or not, every action of ours is an outcome of a thought process or the kind of perception we carry. Never waste a good crisis because of a fixed mindset that there won’t be opportunities available in the middle of a crisis.
Stay connected,
Nikita Kohli