I have been reading a book by Bill Burnett, and Dave Evans called “Designing your Life.” They put into words five exceptional mindsets to keep you living your life to the fullest. The next few mindset blogs will discuss ways to encourage the development of these mindsets. However, this post will introduce these methods and my personal opinions and tips on easy ways to follow them. Developing these five mindsets and allowing them to work together is one of the best things to improve your mindset and live a better life.
The first thing is to BE CURIOUS. Curiosity is a trait that defines somebody eager to learn new things. Most people with this trait enjoy exploring, investigating, and learning new things. If you are curious about everything, there is always something that can entertain your interests. With this, everything can become “fun,” creating a world that is your playground. The vast opportunities this mindset allows you to perceive is the reason why this tip is so critical. I will now give some examples of curiosity, and I would recommend trying them out more through your daily life. My favorite thing to do is to find something interesting for me to look at or think about. This could be a tree, maybe hearing a friend of yours speaking, seeing a book that might interest you, finding something you want to learn more about, or seeing something cool in the store. You can spend a minute or two thinking about it extensively. I ask myself random questions and try to answer them. I might stare at the item or object and be happy that I have an opportunity to explore something more in-depth. This may lead to hobbies, outside research, or general enjoyment of life itself.
The next step may sound self-explanatory, but it is the fact that you should TRY NEW THINGS. You should try things and take action instead of saying something without acting on them. The book gives a good analogy through it in which they compare people to designers. When trying to solve a problem, you should continually design new prototypes giving a physical representation of your ideas. Instead of sitting around doing nothing, at least you are attempting to solve the problem. You can take this approach to anything you do. If you are sitting on a bench outside, think of how you can make this bench better or explore the environment that baffles you so much. While I can understand the joy of relaxing and doing nothing, if you do not get satisfaction from these things, make sure you do everything you can. Who knows, in your attempt to do new things you could find something you enjoy.
Reframing problems is an essential mindset. I have mentioned this before in terms of positive and negative thinking. Negative situations can have positive outcomes, so instead of focusing on bad things, be happy to develop positives. Sometimes, it is best to step back from a problem or stressful situation and think of new ways to solve the problem and then act on it. Sometimes people are so caught up in the moment they forgot to take a step back, take a deep breath, reorient themselves, and make the best possible decisions or actions. I have occasionally been called too optimistic by some people for having this kind of attitude. I would argue that reframing situations allow you to visualize reality better and understand ways you can manipulate scenarios to your benefit. While it may sound stupid, I sometimes laugh at myself for thinking I am a renowned strategist, but this technique allows you to become that exact thing.
The best piece of advice somebody can give you is that everything is a process. Life will never go exactly the way that you planned, no matter what anybody tells you. One day you could be living up to your expectations, and the next, you could be miserable questioning your existence. I am not the only one that finds themselves down occasionally and requires some time to relax. Think of your goals and expectations as a foundation or a sort of guideline. They help guide you towards the right path, but you will never follow them strictly. While you may experience some callous times, you will reach something positive if you continue to work hard. It may not be what you planned but trust me, if you keep trying and following through the process, there is a high probability you will reach something positive. Most people forget it is a process and give up without seeing results for a week. Understanding that everything is a process and something great can come off of misery, you will reach something unique.
The final mindset is to ask for help. It is okay to ask for help and not know everything. Some cultures’ egocentric nature makes some people think that people are weak when they ask for help. Ironically, not asking for help is a sign of weakness. People can help you grow and make things incredibly more productive, given the right scenarios. People always need a team or a support system. The construction of a car is a perfect example. If one car company designed everything for themselves and made a car, it would take so long. However, different people create different parts of the vehicle by working together, making the process far more efficient. Collaboration can lead to exponential results showing how important it is to unite with a group of people. Although asking for help is not always the best thing because people can become dependent on others. If used correctly, asking for help and working as a team can lead to dramatic changes and enhanced productivity.
