Life is busy. Business is demanding. Rarely do I have make the time to pause and reflect; to watch or listen to something that might inspire me; to slow down enough to actually learn something new and challenge my perspective.
Today though, I took an hour and listened to some popular TED Talks that skirted around the theme “energy.” Where you get it? How do you maintain it? What keeps one motivated? How do we maintain high levels of productivity when things are crazy busy?
The message that really caught my attention today and that resonated with me came from Scott Geller in his talk about “The psychology of self-motivation.” In his presentation, Geller addresses the concept of mindset and how it impact our daily lives.
He shares a story about asking his university class:
“How many are here to avoid failure?” 80% of raised their hands and he suggests that most of the 80% are there because it is required.
He goes on to say “you probably woke up to an alarm clock, not an opportunity clock.” This simple story is reflective of two mindsets he points out: requirement and opportunity.
Hmmm. Do I have a requirement or an opportunity mindset?
If I find myself thinking in terms of I am required to do this, it’s part of the job, it’s not exciting…. ho hum… I am simply less motivated, less excited, and less likely to stretch myself. That would be why my bookkeeping and filing are always a challenge.
However, when I work from a place of opportunity (those things I like to do), my whole approach (and energy) shifts… I will do whatever it takes to get the job done because I know that I am the one who will lose out if I don’t make the most of the opportunity. Speaking, networking, face-to face meetings, and writing marketing materials are all in this zone.
Not surprisingly, when I work from a place of opportunity, I am willing to make compromises… to make choices that reflect my need to maximize the use of my time while still balancing my core personal values.
For me this concept of working from a mindset of “opportunity” significantly affects my energy and motivation. Are you working from a mindset of opportunity or requirement?
Let us know in the comments below.
Check out our next blog post for Part Two of this article where we will explore what we can do to stay in the opportunity mindset and keep our energy high.