Unlocking your winning mindset isn’t about training harder or logging more hours. It’s about opening up your mind in such a way that you welcome new opportunities to learn. It’s about finding the things that give you joy and productivity; it’s about finding a work–life balance that makes you more successful both inside and outside the office.

Here are four ways you can use to start unlocking your own winning mindset:

1. Get inspired. There’s a reason why successful entrepreneurs and athletes are quick to identify their mentors and role models. Inspiration is essential to creating a winning mindset, as it provides the blueprint you need to start building your own successes. Your role model doesn’t have to be someone in your particular industry or line of business, as long as that person is someone who has the kind of drive, passion and dedication you aspire to have for yourself.
2. Stay physically fit. Fitness pros know this all too well, yet many fall short of their own recommendations. Your mind and your body are in tune with one another in such a way that staying physically fit can keep you mentally sharp. I discuss this in great detail in my book Mind Your Own Fitness: A Mindful Approach to Exercise and Nutrition, Volume 1 (CreateSpace 2012). Commit to a fitness regimen that doesn’t feel like it competes with your professional and personal lives. Spend some time running outside, take a few classes with a friend or just go for more walks with your family after dinner. Staying fit keeps your mind alert while keeping your body ready to handle the stress and pressure that often come with a successful professional life.
3. Be enthusiastic! Passion and enthusiasm are tied together; one cannot exist without the other. Sure, there may be days when the last thing you want to do is go to the office; but when work consistently feels like a chore, you’ve lost the passion that’s essential to a winning mindset. Let your unbridled enthusiasm shine through at the office. Relish a challenge, tackle a problem with gusto or just revel in a victory with colleagues. Entrepreneurs with winning mindsets know that life isn’t meant to be lived in neutral mode.
4. Celebrate with gratitude. People who have winning mindsets know to focus on the good things that have happened throughout the day. They’re not afraid to give themselves permission to celebrate successes; in fact, they’re grateful for those moments. People with a winning mindset take a moment to pause and acknowledge how far they’ve come and how far they have to go. They’re not daunted by that upcoming growth, and they’re always excited for the challenge!

A winning mindset isn’t about having a natural-born talent or being so intelligent that you feel like you don’t have to grow anymore. People with winning mindsets are continually focused on learning, on identifying and improving on their weaknesses and on being grateful for all the progress they make day after day.

IDEA Fitness Journal. Sept 2017. 

Permission to reprint this material has been granted by the copyright owner, IDEA Health & Fitness Association www.ideafit.com and Active Interest Media. All rights reserved. Reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.

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