All Things Inspired

Don't confuse the prepared mind with mindset!

While it may be easy to have the thought that you can co-mingle having a prepared mind with having the proper mindset, don't confuse the two. Mindset is a set of beliefs or attitudes that builds the foundation for how you think and forms the behaviors of how you act. Whereas the prepared mind creates recognition in us to realize the conditions in front of us and prompts us to engage our prepared thoughts toward action.

In this current year's series of blogs, we've covered that we have the opportunity for a new beginning, and that we should welcome change. We've addressed mindset and how everything good starts with the proper one. If you want to take it further, you develop the hunger for a lion's mentality. These four topics focused on having the proper start mentally and that is by understanding where you are and where you can go by having the attitude to achieve it! Once your mind is ready, the next step we covered was having a vision to experience success in your thought process and now we are going to take probably the most vital step, having the prepared mind to start your journey to success. You've probably seen the quote, "success is a journey, not a destination." If you treat success as a destination, thinking that when you make it you've achieved all you can, then you have only prepared yourself for the ultimate failure. Success and personal growth are a constant evolutionary process. But, with a prepared mind, you can navigate the journey repeatedly.

If you have a prepared mind for growth and success it means you are willing to do what is necessary to accomplish your goals. Our quote this week was, "Fortune favors the prepared mind." When Louis Pasteur made this statement he most likely meant that the rate of success improves if you have mentally focused on what is needed to succeed and are prepared to realize the value of the results of that preparation.

Let's look at 7 steps you can take to prepare your mind for success. They are...

Mindset - we differentiated between mindset and a prepared mind. Even so, preparing your mind requires having the proper mindset in place to engage in the process of preparing your mind.
Assuming expected situations - we've all come to the conclusion that some things are just what they are. You may do this without realizing it. Often referred to as known values, it is common to assume what we think we know. But be cautious! Remember the saying, "assumption is the mother of all mistakes?" Check the facts before you assume. Confirmed knowledge is a greater asset in preparing your mind.
Contingency Plan - rarely is life without obstacles or disruptions. Often there can be things that you can't control, no matter how hard you try. If you develop the ability to anticipate what might go wrong, you can begin having "Plan B" contingencies. The better you become at this the disruptions are minimized, and you are prepared for the obstacle and are ready with plan b.
Preclusion - a term often used in legal reference, but for our purposes it means preventing something from happening. In relation to having a contingency plan, what can we first do to prevent a possible disruption or obstacle from obstructing our path of growth? Being prepared to take this to task will help our process. And, if we are unable to prevent the disruption, we should also have a contingency plan in place for this possibility.
Reflecting on experience - it's been said that experience is the greatest teacher. This is because through experience we gain understanding of situations and have knowledge either by success or failure. No one likes to fail and often failure is our greatest fear, but it too can be a great teacher if we allow it.
Mental fortitude - staying strong in your journey is so important. There will be distractions that demand your attention, but you must learn how to filter out the noises in life and focus on preparing your mind.
Being mindful - awareness of your surroundings will enhance your ability to have a prepared mind. It can be a connection between where you are in your journey and how you feel. Studies have shown that being mindful can reduce anxiety and depression along with creating positive thought processes.

Having a prepared mind is the catalyst in planning and acting on your plan. There is little that separates one's ability to be successful or unsuccessful. We all have the ability to become successful. The separation tends to be that they simply take action. They have a plan and they work the plan to fruition.

Late motivational speaker Jim Rohn observed a phenomenon involving people's ability (or inability) to take action. He coined the term "The Law of Diminishing Intent". This means that we intend to act when an idea or plan comes to mind, while our emotion is at a high point. However, if we delay and we don't transition our idea or plan into action in timely fashion, the intention starts to diminish. In other words, the longer you wait to take action, the less likely you will be to take it.

To help you overcome the law of diminishing intent, next week we'll explore the benefits of being prepared and the skills you can perfect from it. We'll also outline a guide to training your mind. Prepare your mind for next week's conclusion.

Be inspired! Inspire others!