Waking Up

           Too often it seems as if we are asleep at the wheel when it comes to the programming of our minds. Most of the time we just let ourselves stay on whatever default program we are already operating with. If you’re operating the way you would like then there is really nothing to be concerned about as far as this goes. On the other hand if there are things that you would like to change about your life you must consider the programming that you have become comfortable with so far.

            What do you do each and every day? What are your behaviors consistent with? You see a lot of people believe their behavior is consistent with the life they are hoping to have until they take an honest look at what they are actually doing day in and day out. The goals you have set for your life are one hundred percent aligned to the things that you are doing. I did not say that the things you say that you “want” are aligned to what you are doing… I said your goals are. This means that what you do is the truth about what your goals really are.

            The truth is we have all wasted a lot of the time we have been given not working on the goals we want to work on. I mean that we discover that the goals we have been working are not the things we would have set down on paper were we given the opportunity. We have heard it a thousand times before… set big goals… and set smaller goals along the way. Have we done this? If the answer is yes then the behavior should match the goals you have set and you are already on track. If the answer is no… well then the goals we set can be discovered by simply looking ahead to where our present actions are going to take us. It really is that simple.

            The worst part about all of this is that we actually have the opportunity today to sit down and lay out all of our goals and the small steps that it will take to accomplish them. Question is will you take the opportunity this time or let it slip away again? Will this be the first time in your life that you take the responsibility necessary to change your own life rather than waiting in vain for the winds of change to sweep you up? Will this be the first time that you follow through and start taking the steps that you have planned for your life? Only time will tell.

            This has been a friendly reminder from your neighborhood Mindset Coach… wake up… your life is calling!

Outlook

Mindset

A New Outlook

            The actions you take in life are a direct result of your outlook. You have a reason for doing and not doing everything. Sometimes we think that we understand why we are acting and reacting in the way we are. Think of the most difficult task you have ever accomplished in your life. How did you perceive the situation before you started or at the moment you realized the work and effort involved? The point of struggle is the point of truth; will I give it all I have or will I give in?

            Imagine that you are an engineer. You are on the cutting edge of science and you understand most of the capabilities we have as well as the direction we are heading. Imagine that you have a boss who tells you the next assignment. “I want you to build a completely autonomous humanoid that has all of the dexterity we have as well as the ability to reason and generate thought. It does not have to take the same shape or form as us; it merely has to be able to function as equals or better then what we are capable of.”

            As your boss describes more and more of the task ahead you realize more and more that we are generations away from even knowing what such a program or piece of hardware looks like. You can imagine the whole thing of course, but you cannot picture the steps it would take to design this prototype. You go to work in your own mind trying to construct the entire thing but it keeps hitting a number of walls. The task is impossible and completely overwhelming.

            Then a thought enters your mind. When you see a man with an artificial arm at the grocery store. It all becomes clear to you now. Perhaps you are still many decades from success but you can see the first few steps and it is encouraging. You will build your prototype from this model. You will improve the autonomy of individuals with no mobility and as you work from this point of view you will see the problems you need solved getting solved.

            In the beginning of the scenario you were trying to start with nothing and build an amazing autonomous being from the ground up. More power to you if you think you have the ability… go to work. If on the other hand you do not know where to start… look at what we do know and work backwards. The first autonomous limb gives birth to the second and larger one that is more advanced. Soon the quadriplegics have entire body suits that respond from the thoughts streaming out of their minds. Next you imitate the thought patterns if such a thing is possible.

            My scenario is meant to be out of this world crazy and the point is much simpler. If you look at what you know and understand rather than what you do not know… you will build a bridge to what you cannot yet understand.  Keep looking from the point of view of what you already know and understand. I know little about robotics or engineering… I only know that we should take lessons from what is working now and build upon that knowledge in order to grow into the next level of knowledge that is out there.

            Your mind can always find a new outlook… just keep looking.

Mindset: The First Step

           Many people believe that they would love to change their life. They think about all of the things they would love to do some day. Perhaps there is a goal in mind or a course of action. It surprises me how often people really do believe that this is the first step. I have been to a number of marketing presentations for various businesses and this is something that is almost always pushed on the crowd. “You have to have a big dream, you have to establish your reason, and it has to be big and powerful.” I really don’t disagree with this; I simply understand that most of the time it is being discussed at the wrong time. The reason they like to talk about this part of your big life change is that it is a whole lot more exciting then what I am going to talk to you about.

            The difference between me and many of these people is that my information is not a hook for my product… my information, delivery, and its effectiveness is my product. If my product doesn’t work then I have not only wasted your time I have wasted mine. The fact is; you can change your mindset and you will be able to change your mindset if you listen to a few of the ideas that I am going to present to you as we proceed.

            The very first step in changing any portion of your life is to discover what your mindset actually is. For a moment stop thinking about what you would like to be doing and how you would like to adjust your thinking but begin to focus on what you have been thinking and what you are thinking about right now. Take some time to examine the behaviors that you would normally not even think about because they will inevitably have an effect on what you are trying to accomplish. Take time to examine the reasons why you are doing the things you are doing now. Is it because a particular person convinced you that was the right thing to do? Is it because you have become comfortable and complacent with the behaviors you have? Are you lazy and try to do only what is needed to get by? I think that is a big one for most of us but only you have the answers when it comes to what you are doing and why.

            The reason for this focus is to discover what your goals actually are right now. Many people actually believe that they are trying to accomplish some goal or another but when you ask them how close they are they will give you excuses. If you look a little closer you will often find that the behavior does not line up with the goal. So by examining the current behavior we are revealing the actually goals. For example; consider someone who is 100lbs overweight. Perhaps they have a realistic goal to lose 50lbs in the course of the next year. This is not an impossible task but it will take work. If they have not lost any weight after 6 months then they are probably doing something wrong. I am no doctor of nutrition but I am betting that their behavior of snarfing down 3 greasy burgers and a super sized bucket of fries plus a milkshake every night is probably not helping them lose the weight they say they want to.

            I exaggerate for good reason; I want you to understand that your behavior actually reveals your true goals. In the above scenario the true goal (no matter what some part of them tells themselves or the world) is to enjoy greasy foods to their hearts content. The truth is that their mind is not their enemy here; their mind knows what their actual goals are (to enjoy greasy foods) and so their mind works on bringing all of the necessary things into their life to accomplish this goal; of eating greasy foods to their hearts content. It does not matter that they had a thought about losing weight… you see things try to take us away from our “Big Goals” all the time. This person’s mind will not be manipulated into believing they want something that they obviously do not want to put the work in to achieve.

            The first steps to change are being honest with yourself… it is really difficult for most of us to do this; but simply admit that you have wanted exactly what you have been getting out of life. When you do this you’re laying down the weapons that you have tried to use against your mind; you are saying in effect that your mind has been right all along, you have wanted things to be the way they are. The first step includes this diametric shift that is about to take place… listen to our friend now, “Yes… I have wanted to eat greasy foods to my heart’s content but that is going to change.” Now you are ready to work on your Mindset.

Introduction to Mindset Training

Of all the subjects in all of the world that I could choose to spend my time and energy upon… Mindset is my favorite. I have learned that this subject above all the rest has been the one that I have been studying most of my life and I did not even notice this. As I begin to press forward in sharing my message with the world I would like to introduce myself.

My name is Deacon Weeks. At the time of this post I am 34 years old. I am married with 3 children (and one in the oven)14,12, and 0.5 (years). We live together in Upstate New York on a little place I call home. I have written numerous books and published 6 thus far. It is actually much easier for me to write books than to blog… blogging (to me) is a bit of a daunting task because the organization that I thrive on seems to be lacking. Regardless I do blog from time to time because I am a writer and this seems to be the direction of things. My books are still available in print form if you can peal yourself away from the computer long enough.

Enough about me. The purpose of this is to focus our mindsets. We will learn to understand the mindset we have, we will learn whether or not we want to change our mindset, we will even look at ways in which our mindset can be adjusted. The reader must understand that the subject is one that we can study for all of eternity and barely get a grasp on. Either way… there are things we can do in this life when we understand the mindsets that we have, and that others have, and these things will never seize to be amazing.

Not everyone will stop to consider their mind and the things they do on a daily basis… but doing so will no doubt give us an advantage as we move forward. I study the subject of mindset for many reasons. Number one it is compelling, number two it has no end, number three it helps me in everything I try to do as I learn more, and number four I can help others gain advantage over their lives by sharing what I learn.

If you are ready to take hold of your mind and become the person that you know you are meant to be… join with me… and we will change the world one mindset at a time.