Mindset is the way we go after our goals, think about life, and deal with challenges. In these trying times, we have to adjust our mindset. Simultaneously, we have to keep living our lives and working towards our goals. We cannot ignore the unique situation that we are facing.  I always thought of mindset in five areas. Those areas are rewriting your narrative, improving your habits, dealing with challenges, engaging with your fellow human beings, and being clear about your goals and next steps. I want to look at mindset in these five terms. There are two categories of mindset that I want to address in each area. The first is directly related to dealing with the impact of this pandemic, and the second is how to position ourselves for success during this crisis and beyond. Another element of mindset is the mindset of your unique situation. If you are in a business where the impact has caused you to lose your job, it’s going to be different than a person who has the same job, but has to work from home. There are even industries that are booming and they have to adjust their mindset. Businesses such as manufacturers of surgical masks or ventilators, or telecommunication companies have to adjust their mindset. I write and speak about mindset, but I decided that my planned topics were not appropriate at this time. So, I decided to write about how to get through this crisis. I wrote an article about the sacrifices that we need to make. I wrote another one about working from home and I am writing this one.

Rewriting Your Narrative

Usually, when I write and speak about narrative, I refer to the stories that we heard growing up.  While this can influence your reaction to the virus, our narrative of the virus is fairly new. Our narrative is based on what media outlets we follow or what our friends say about it. The second part is how we process information. Are you a person who is easily scared by germs? Are you skeptical of the media? Do you believe that your actions have an impact on keeping you safe and keeping society safe as a whole?  All these elements are going to play a part on how you react to this pandemic.

Habits

We all have to adjust our habits during this pandemic. Whether it’s social distancing or keeping the house cleaner than usual. One night, I ordered pizza online and, upon checkout, there was a checkbox that said leave at door. We also need to adjust productivity habits, whether that’s working from home or taking a walk instead of going to the gym. Also, now is an amazing time to pick up new habits. As life slows down because of social distancing, we have time to improve our skills, take an online class, journal, or listen to a new podcast. Unfortunately, for many, it’s going to be the opposite. They are going to eat more, abandon their exercise routine, and have their mood influenced by watching more news. I have to make a conscious decision to limit the time watching the news. I believe that the news is meant to be consumed in fifteen-minute chunks. Seriously, if you consume the news only fifteen minutes a day, you will know everything that you need to know.

Challenges

One of the most under-discussed parts of success is dealing with challenges. I believe that challenges are fluid and ever-changing. The way that I always looked at my life is that I had to deal with all the challenges everybody else deals with while simultaneously dealing with the challenges placed on me by my disability. The same applies here. We all have to deal with the challenges that this pandemic has placed on us, while simultaneously dealing with the challenges that we have to face in our everyday lives. Some of those challenges bleed into each other.  If you are a working parent and suddenly your kids are home from school, that would be a new challenge.

 Challenges suck. Nobody likes challenges. However, a big part of success is dealing with challenges in a positive way. 

 The question for many people is how do you deal with this crisis and simultaneously put yourself in position for greater success?

Engaging with Others

Among the bad news is a host of inspiring people trying to help other human beings.  My buddy, Chris Stevenson, offered complimentary coaching sessions. Companies like Louis Vuitton and Tito’s Vodka are starting manufacture and donate hand sanitizer. Car companies such as Tesla, GM, and Ford are manufacturing ventilators. A restaurant patron in Houston added a $9400 tip to take care of the employees. Now is a great time to offer to assist those in need.  Also, if you need any kind of assistance, it’s a good time to reach out and ask for help. It’s easier to get through these times with the mindset of service and asking for help.

It is important to be sensitive to others’ opinions. Everyone looks at this crisis differently. They look at the crisis through their own mindset and their own narrative. It is easy to not respect others’ opinions. Most opinions are influenced by their own mindset or their own narrative. It’s easy for us to clap back at opinions that are not congruent with ours.

Clarity

Clarity is about defining goals, next steps, and understanding what needs to be done in order to reach your goals. The world has some brand-new goals. Those goals are to eliminate this pandemic, get back to normal, limit deaths, and preserve our economy. We also have to adjust our own goals to compliment the effort to limit this virus. We all need to be clear on our part!  Our short-term goals need to be readjusted and re-clarified in order to service the bigger goal of fighting this virus. Instead of resuming with my scheduled content, I wanted to readjust for helping people through this time. With the readjustment of short-term goals, we also need to readjust the steps that we need to take. Whether that’s working from home or changing our habits, now is not a good time to just figure it as you go.

Conclusion

No matter who you are, where you are, or what your goals are, your mindset is fluid and ever-changing. In times of uncertainty and urgency, mindset is crucial to deal with success. A big wrench has been thrown in everyone’s life. Your mindset is unique. Depending on your goals, your challenges, your narrative, you will deal with this crisis differently than everybody else.  Hopefully, I have given you some tools to positively deal with this amazing situation. Stay safe.  Keep your family safe. Have a positive mindset. Do your part. Be stronger on the other end.

Summary:

During this difficult time, it is important to adjust your mindset to better set you on a path to success.