One small change in mindset makes a BIG change to Don Holley

A small change in mindset sees a big change in Don Holley

Welcome to my inaugural post on the new Mindset blog Changing Mindset! I’m really looking forward to getting involved with this forum – a lot of you would be familiar with my business partner, Aaron Dodd from Twitter and the many blog posts that he has written for Mindset. Well now you can look forward to the whole Mindset team sharing and contributing the latest news, insights, trends and observations from the work we do with our clients in transformation, talent and technology.

As a company Mindset has been fortunate enough to change individual, group and organisation mindsets, driving cultural change and improved results for our clients. 2011 is shaping up to be an amazing year and will challenge us all to be at our best to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us. Small, incremental changes to what you’re already doing have the potential to reap big results but making a difference starts with changing your mindset. Often the solution can be staring you right in the face.

Take a look at the two people in the photo above. At first glance, you may think they are different individuals and you would be partly right. In fact, that’s me on the left ten weeks ago, and then me again on the right after a small change in my mindset.

I have always known the value of exercise and frequented the gym regularly but while the majority of my meals were healthy, often meals would be rushed or in restaurants accompanied by some nice wine. I know there’s many a consultant or business person out there who can relate to that! So, the change required in my mindset was simple. 1) get up one hour earlier to ensure that I have time to exercise EVERY day, and 2) make meal preparation a priority to avoid rushed, unplanned meals on the go. I already had all the tools and knowledge I needed. What was missing was a small but obviously impactful change to my own mindset.

As this year draws to a close, it’s a good time to review what has worked for you, what hasn’t and any opportunities that you have to make changes in your work and private life. Some tips and self-reflection questions:

• Have self-belief – do I believe in my ability to make a difference?
• Have self-awareness- am I honest with myself and do I have people around me that will tell me if I’m not?
• Have the right mindset- am I focused on what I can do rather that what I can’t do?
• Have the right vision- do I picture a future state where I have achieved what I set out to do?
• Have the right strategy- am I doing the right things to make me effective?
• Have the right plan- can I make this work with everything else that is going on?
• Have the right team- how do I obtain the support that I need from others on this journey?
• Have the right focus- do I have clear goals to aim for?
• Have something to strive for – what will the reward be when I/we achieve our goals?
• Have the right measures -what will I do to keep me on track?

What stories have you got about a change in mindset that’s seen a big shift in your personal or work life? Have you got success stories from 2010? Or maybe you have a big plan for 2011? We’d love you to share it with us!

Don Holley
Managing Director