Last week we mentioned the key to inventiveness is found in two different mindsets:
- The victim mindset encourages people to lower their ambitions when they recognise a constraint.
- The transformer mindset uses constraints as a catalyst to find fresh approaches and innovative solutions.
Victims and transformers aren’t two types of people. Everyone can move between the two mindsets.
For instance, my general approach to writing is a transformer mindset. But when my writing habit is interrupted, for instance by a headache or a cold, then I can fall back to the victim mindset. I only see blocks. I feel overwhelmed. Everything feels too difficult and I can’t see a way out.
There is comfort in the victim mindset
We feel we’ve been dealt a bad card, so it’s not our fault we’re not writing as easily as we want.
We might look at others and imagine how easy writing is for them. But do we really know what struggles they’ve been through? Does this comparison only entrench our victim mindset?
So, how can we shift our mindset?
Morgan and Barden (who we quoted last week) discuss 3 requirements to move from victim to transformer mindset: a belief in the possibility, a method, and motivation. When you apply these to time and energy constraints, you may feel opportunities opening up:
- A belief in the possibility that you can find a way to design more. What if you could look for small pockets of time? What if you could train yourself to focus better?
- A method to help you get started and nurture a writing habit. What if you could beat procrastination? What if you’d block time in your calendar to design training? What if you made specific commitments, like: Tomorrow I work on my modlette for 65 minutes, and I’ll start before 8.30 am?
- The motivation to find energy, focus and time to design and write more. Why do you want to write more? Which ideas do you want to spread? What’s the modlette you want to add to a course?
Is writing and designing really a priority for you right now?
Writing more isn’t about finding more willpower
Recent research (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/07/hSubconow-to-keep-your-resolutions-not-all-about-willpower) has suggested we don’t have a limited resource of willpower.
But when we think we lack willpower, we lose our self-control and our willingness to get things done. Telling ourselves we lack willpower might be another way to reinforce our victim mindset.
So, instead of worrying about a lack of willpower, connect with your Why. Believe in yourself and nurture the habits to write more.
Which voice will you listen to?
Is an inner voice whispering you’d love to write more? But does a much louder voice tell you it’s impossible because…?
You can choose which voice you want to listen to.
So, think about this: “I can write more if…”
You’ll be amazed how much more you can write, when you carve a little extra space in your diary for writing and design.