Mindset: Adopting the Attitude of a Winner

 

Mindset. One thing that comes up all of the time, especially with the questions I get about success and what it takes to be successful, is the idea of having the right mindset. Unfortunately as is too often the case the big mistake that I see people make is to go out and search for the right mindset instantly – in other words I want to know the right mindset and I want it right now! The problem with this idea of instant gratification is the concept of adopting the right mindset is a collection, it’s even a lifetime of strategies and practice and the way that you look at the world that is going to take time and practice to get right. It’s an unfortunate reality that as human beings we are predisposed to be negative. In other words – we are so good at focusing on what’s wrong rather than what’s right that it becomes a poison that affects people in all aspects of all businesses. Therefore, if you want to learn the idea of having the right mindset let’s talk about the first thing which is probably the most important piece: adopting a winner’s mindset.

Winner’s Mindset

The idea of having a winner’s mindset is not simply the idea of winning and losing, or I have to win and you have to lose. Having a winner’s mindset involves the concept of looking at the world and things that happen and how you will typically react to those things differently than everyone else. In other words, it’s understanding how to view situations and how they affect you and actually steer you going forward. Therefore, rather than looking at things as wins and losses you need to start looking at things as victories or learning opportunities.

Wherever you are today if you are looking for the right mindset to become more successful it means that the place that you’re sitting in right here at this moment is not where you want to go. In order to get you there guess what? You’re going to have to leave your comfort zone and try things at a different level. You’re going to have to do things that are uncomfortable; that are new, that might be completely different than anything you’ve ever tried before! If you are getting results now that you’re unhappy with, if you keep doing what you’re doing you’re never going to get there. So the idea of the winner’s mindset is to first of all make sure you remind yourself regularly that you’re going to have to try new things and really put yourself out there – far far out of your comfort zone – to reach this true success that you’re seeking.

You Need to Retrain Your Mind

When you put yourself out there not everything is going to work out. You’re going to experience failure. If you have a winner’s mindset you won’t look at things as wins and losses. Every single thing that happens is not necessarily a scoreboard moment. You don’t have to believe that as an entrepreneur you are looking at a win and loss record. You’re either going to win and succeed – or you’re going to learn and move on. You either win or you learn – that’s the art of having the winner’s mindset. It’s not that either I win and I lose and become a failure; it’s either I win when I succeed or I’m going to learn from it and move on to what’s next!

You either win – or you learn

You’ve probably heard that they say the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and trying to get different results. Well, I am here to tell you that’s definitely true. So in order to get different results it means you need a new strategy and new techniques. This usually means trying something new, and well, what if it doesn’t work? Well if you are afraid to fail and you are afraid that it’s not going to work and all you’re ever going to do is stay in your comfort zone and not going to try something new because you’re worried it’s not going to work you’re never going to reach the success that you’re looking for!

Winners Look at Failures in a Different Light

Let’s use an obnoxious example to prove this point. If I came out with the iPhone in 1995 – I want you to understand that it would be a huge failure. Huge! The reason is because the world would not have been ready for the $700 cell phone that can browse the internet and make social media access very easy. I mean think about it, in 1995 there was not a whole lot of broadband internet out there and there really wasn’t any social media that you just had to check 50 times a day on your phone. People weren’t text messaging constantly, they were actually still calling each other. Imagine that! So if I invented the iPhone 1995 I could have been the greatest inventor in the history of mankind. It would have changed the world (so I thought), but the world would not have been ready for it yet. People would have laughed at me for coming out with a cell phone that cost $700. Consumers would be asking – like how do I sign into my AOL account using this phone?

What I want you to understand is even in business sometimes you’ll do things that are great, they might be great product, but the marketplace just isn’t ready for it yet. Or you might try a new style of marketing campaign, something that you’re putting out there providing value in the marketplace, and the marketplace just may not understand the value you thought you created. What you need understand is you’re going to have to try things, and sometimes they’re going to work and you’re going to win and sometimes they’re going to fail. But you – the person with the winner’s mindset – you’re not going to lose you’re going to learn! The adoption of this winner’s mindset is that you look for these opportunities to learn from the things that you did and didn’t work so that your business can grow in the future.

The Success Formula Includes Looking at the Failures as Learning Opportunities

The successful mindset, a winner’s mindset is all about looking at the world differently than everyone else. It is understanding that I’m going to have to try new things. I’m going to put myself out there. I’m going to have to really stretch out of my comfort zone in order to become the success that I so desire. I’m going to be happy about my wins and I will revel in my success, but then I also need to understand that if things don’t work I’m not a loser. I didn’t lose. I didn’t necessarily fail. I learned. And the next time I try something similar, or launch a new product, or think that I’m doing something innovative; the trick there is I’m going to make sure that I don’t repeat the same mistakes again. Adopting the winner’s mindset is all about looking at my business efforts and judging them on the results. It’s about making sure that I either win or that I learn, and so when I win I’m going to keep that in mind going forward and I’m not going to repeat the same mistakes; if they are mistakes at all. Likely they are learning opportunities, to get me from where I am now to where I want to go.