The 3 Mindset Shifts You Need This Year
Rewire your brain.
Every goal on your New Year’s resolution list can typically be categorised into one of three types:
- New Habits: Building routines that lead to meaningful changes over time. Examples include:
- Waking up earlier.
- Journaling every evening.
- Reducing screen time before bed.
2. Learning: Acquiring new skills, knowledge, or certifications. Examples include:
- Learning to play the guitar.
- Mastering conversational French.
- Reading one book per month.
3. Achievements: Goals with a clear endpoint often have deadlines. Examples include:
- Running a half-marathon by June.
- Earning a promotion at work within the year.
- Publishing a personal blog with at least 10 articles by December.
Your resolutions list might seem overwhelming, but remember that success lies in the journey, not just the destination. These three mindset shifts will help you embrace the process and find joy along the way:
1. Kaizen
“Kaizen” is derived from the Japanese words “kai,” meaning “change,” and “zen,” meaning “for the better.”
Originally a Japanese business philosophy widely used in companies and organisations to drive continuous improvement, kaizen is equally powerful when applied to personal growth.
All you need is to do everything a little better than you did yesterday. Small, consistent efforts lead to significant progress.
“Growing by just 1% every day makes you 37.78X better after a year.” — James Clear (Atomic Habits)
2. Conscious Consumption
Conscious consumption is about being intentional with what you take in, whether it’s media, information, or material possessions. You should always be open to simplifying your life and only value what truly matters.
While you can’t find the time for your goal of finishing a book per week, you should question if you’re reading to learn and grow or just to check off a goal.
Reading just a few books that actually teach you something is more fulfilling than reading 52 books in a year.
“The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t.” — Marie Kondo
3. Tracking Your Progress
Tracking your goals is essential to seeing how close you are to achieving a specific goal. When you can visualise your progress, it builds momentum and encourages you to keep going.
Here are some ways in which you can track your progress:
- Journal to reflect on your daily, weekly and monthly progress.
- Use a habit tracker or a goal-tracking app to log daily or weekly efforts.
- Break larger goals into smaller, measurable steps, and celebrate each accomplishment.
- Have someone be your accountability partner, and get them to review progress and make adjustments if needed.
“What gets measured gets managed.” — Peter Drucker
Conclusion
All of your goals are of three types:
- Habits
- Learning
- Achievements
The three mindset shifts essential to achieve those goals:
- Kaizen: Continuous improvement to form habits.
- Conscious Consumption: Prioritise value over quantity.
- Track Progress: Stay accountable and motivated.
