Self-Mastery. Nº9
10 Ways to Master Your Mindset.
Welcome to Self-Mastery — a timeless signal to become the architect of your mind and create yourself, starting from the inside.
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“The more passionate you are about something and its value, the greater the flow.”
Attention is everything. While spirit gives clarity and direction, focused attention commands it, creating flow.
And though it sounds complex, high-performance focus is a simple model. It fundamentally shows the power we have when we’re driven to achieve a goal.
Correct focus creates flow, and correct flow is acting with nature—not against it, or with force—to reach a valuable target. It’s the perfect way to excellence.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Say you have a dream, and every single day, you hold yourself accountable using forced effort to get 1% closer to what you want. But on the other hand, with focused attention and flow, that could be 10%, 20%, even 50% closer in some cases.
But we all get distracted, procrastinate, or do what we think is useful, and that’s what I like to call “procrastination”.
So, like your time, your attention is one of the most valuable resources. It’s what Facebook and Google churn billions of dollars each year into, and what your friends, goals and your beliefs are all based on. It drives who you are, who you’re around and your mission.
Here are the 10 keys to mastering your mindset
Focus on the task at hand, not what’s upsetting you.
Remember the bigger picture. Zoom out. Step back often. What’s stressing you now will not matter in hindsight.
Develop cognitive empathy. The ability to say “I understand how you think about things” is powerful. It’s the core to your pre-frontal cortex; where you plan, think, and regulate who you are.
Develop emotional empathy. The ability to have an immediate understanding and perception of how the other person is feeling. That’s the core to your amygdala, or your “almond”.
Develop empathetic concern. Your predisposition to help others, which is the path to excellence, success and freedom.
Practice daily mindfulness breathing. When distracted, Slowly return to your breath. It will bring you back to the present. Be it during deep work, a conversation, a meeting, or a gym session.
Be aware, emotions are contagious. It’s hardly realised. In all situations, anger and frustration are unnecessary. Your calmness makes others calmer, as your anger makes others angry, and vice-versa.
Delay gratification. We’ve all heard this before. But, the Marshmallow Experiment of 1972 and more recent studies prove that it works. Prioritise a positive environment, a growth mindset, and build a desire for long-term rewards.
Pessimism leads to depression. There is no doubt about this. Turn your attention away from negativity. Start with 1 positive thought or statement a day. Turn “I'm stupid” into “The situation was stupid”.
Cultivate the habit of seeing what’s right in every situation instead of what’s wrong.
Use flow to act in accordance with nature.
What’s on My Mind
The power of influence is astonishing.
When we’re busy, we lose track of who we are.
When we’re in relationships, we lose focus of our own needs.
When we’re trying to change in a bad environment, doubt is thrown at us.
My work as a copywriter and Joxen reminds me every day who I am. So I ask you, what is your staple? What stands for who you are and why you are on your path to excellence?
Explore
I’d love for you to learn more about gratitude and why it works. Check it out here.
5 Unique Benefits You Need to Know About Practicing Gratitude Before You Start
I hope you have an excellent week. Thank you for being a part of this.
—Jelani.