It’s said that half of any battle is won when you have the right attitude. Having a success mindset calls for ongoing effort, but it is achievable. It isn’t something that you perfect, but something that you put into practice. Think of it as a mental muscle that you build every day as you move towards your goals.
Building a success mindset is possible at any stage of your life journey. Whether you are a student starting out, mid-journey into your career or an established business owner, you can always rejuvenate and reinvigorate your definition of success at any stage.
1. Have a vision for your life
What do you see when you think of your life five, 10, 20 years from now? Take the time to reflect and be real with yourself about what you want out of life, your career and relationships. Once you have a clear vision in mind, you have a goal to move towards. You may have to adopt a top 1% mindset to help move towards your goals. What is the top 1% mindset? It involves dreaming big, engaging in long-term planning and mapping, and then having the grit and resilience to put in the work to get to your goals.
2. Create your own success
Career paths can be non-linear, and markets and economies can be unpredictable. More than ever, you need to be intentional about creating your own success. You may need to take a leap of faith and diversify your income sources by building something of your own. It begins with having the courage to get off the starting block with small steps and an imperfect start, rather than not beginning at all. You may ask: How do I change my mindset for success? This will depend on what you’re trying to achieve. Research, planning, networking, meeting people, testing out new products or getting the resources, data and tools you need will help take you to the next level. Many great ideas and projects don’t see the light of day because of getting caught up in the quest for perfection instead of taking action. It’s those little steps that move you forward, every day.
3. Connect with a mentor
We all need a little help to level up. If you’ve ever felt stuck, with no idea how to become unstuck, raise your hand. Admitting that you need to make a change is a good indicator that your dreams matter to you and that you’re hungry to progress. You’ll likely need good (preferably trained) people in your corner to help you get to where you want to be. With the help of coaching and mentorship, you can draw on the experiences and learnings of others who have walked the path before you. You can also draw on the relationships within your business and social networks to find the guidance you need.
4. Find tools to manage your time
Time is money and it’s at a premium in everything we do. Before you invest in any tools, be sure to engage in a process called deep work. As the name suggests, this refers to periods of deep concentration to get things done – without distractions such as pings, phone calls or other stimuli. Another working model is the Pomodoro technique. Here, you work in 25-minute bursts, pausing for five minutes in between. Once you’ve completed four Pomodoro working segments, you can give yourself a 15 to 30-minute break. You can also channel your personal admin such as food tracking, to-do lists, calendars and health statistics by investing in a few apps and time-tracking tools. Bonus points: if there’s anything that you can automate, do it! Convenience is everything.
5. Build a network
When it comes to business and building your career, no one can go it alone. Making meaningful connections is important for communication, furthering your knowledge, reputation building and marketing. Make use of your minutes and data to build a network. Sometimes a phone call to connect will be more effective than an email or WhatsApp to get your message across. Ensure your social media game is strong with LinkedIn and other social pages for your side hustle or small business to build a community around the things you love
Bonus tip: Embrace continuous learning
Even top professionals and industry leaders don’t know everything. By opening your horizons to learning and keeping up with trends, you can remain on top of your game in your industry. Enrol in one of the TelkomLEARN higher education programmes and beef up your skills in a number of focus areas, such as IT for business success, artificial intelligence, coding and programming, and much more. Brand visibility is everything. Showcase your business and services and get your name out there on Telkom Yep! Categories include car and automotive, IT, computer and technology, trade, and home and building.
A success mindset can be cultivated with effort and determination.
Watch this episode of our Blaze podcast to uncover DJ Zinhle's path to success.
You can also listen to the audio version of the podcast below:
DJ Zinhle's path to success
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