Birthing a New Mind: Eschewing Accidental Excellence

Most individuals approach the year with different goals and aspirations hoping to achieve more for the year. The problem is not drawing up a plan or a resolution for the new year instead, it is with the setting of unrealistic goals or lack of a clear plan towards achieving them. Wishful thinking undermines your personal development. Before making new resolutions/plans, reflect on your problem first.

Before repeating the same mistakes as the year before, reflect on what did not work. You don’t need resolutions but a new mindset.

Here are the reasons why you fail to build new minds for a new year

Being too rational or too emotional

Driving requires using both sides of your brain. You need passion to reach your goals. Embrace your resolutions with all your emotions. Own them, visualize them, turn your goals into a vision. On the other hand, passion alone will take you nowhere. Building a clear plan will make you more accountable and monitor progress.

Setting goals to please others

Peer pressure is more prominent than we realize. It is easy to get derailed by other people’s expectations of us, their definition of success easily becomes ours. Don’t fall into that trap. Set goals that are meaningful to you. Clarity and ownership drive motivation. Avoid pleasing others if you have your eyes set on excellence.

Believing self-improvement is linear

Most of us are taught that the path towards achievement is a logical one, “follow that path, show up every day and you will strive”, so they tell you. That is why you expect to succeed in the first attempt. Life is not linear; everything is always in motion.

Being afraid to be happy

Self-doubt affects everyone. Happiness is more than a smile or enjoying a movie. We all wish for a perfect life that is why we build a list of resolutions but sometimes we feel we don’t deserve them and boycott ourselves. Self-doubt puts our chances to achieve a better life in jeopardy.

Chasing formula for success

If the formula for success existed, it would be available on Amazon at a higher ticket price than that of a self-help book. There are no shortcuts to success. Real change happens from within. Stop looking for outside solutions instead spend time searching within your mind. Become your flaws best friend, if you accept your weakness you will be able to benefit from your strength to the fullest. Self-pity, guilt, self-doubt, envy, remorse, and frustration chase you because you don’t accept who you are.

Having said all that, one must have a new mindset. I’m going to take you on a tour of steps to use as a framework to drive a new mind. Take these principles and experiment with you. Tweak them, adjust them and, or replace them if needed. It is your life and you are the chief designer.

Steps to a new mind for a new year

Reconnect with your purpose

Live your life the way you want to be remembered. Your life’s purpose should be the North Star that guides your mindset. When you have clarity on your ‘why’ it is easier to find motivation and stick to your calls.

Adopt a learning mind

New year resolutions are full of uncertainty. Learning a new sport or learning how to play an instrument is fun at the beginning. Initial progress gets us excited and the more we learn the more we realize how little we know and can be daunting. One of the reasons people quit is that they compare their abilities when they are beginning with that of those who have already mastered the subject. Instead of worrying about what you don’t know, think of yourself as a blank canvass.

Embrace reject and prioritize

We always allow people to dictate how we feel that’s why we feel rejected. People must not trust your ability to learn something new. Don’t let rejection stop you. Use it to keep you on your toes.

Track progress and adjust 

If you cannot track your goal, you can’t know if you are moving forward. Be compassionate with yourself. Be flexible as it does not mean you fool yourself but being too harsh can damage your willingness to do good.

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