Before you hit the ground running with your business, I would like to briefly discuss the importance of developing the right mindset to ensure your success. There will be times when you will want to quit. Frustrations will set in. You will think this is all bullshit and it’s all just a scam. Or you’ll start comparing yourself to others and think you are not good enough and never will be so why bother. Trust me, we’ve all been there.
Here are 5 things you will want to consider as we move forward (and I’ll be writing more extensively on this topic in future blog posts):
1. Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset
This is crucial to understand for success in affiliate marketing and so easy to overlook. We often have a “fixed” idea of how things are, who we are and what we are capable of. This is understandable because in a survival situation (like those of our ancestors), this kind of mindset kept us alive. It was important to play it safe. Sleep at night. Gather food when it’s light. Not stray too far. Certainty helped us conserve energy. We didn’t want to question things too much to avoid rocking the boat.
But we live in a different setting now, one in which our survival is pretty much guaranteed. We have water, food, shelter and there aren’t lions trying to kill us. Yet for some reason, after most people turn 20, they basically cease their entire evolution as a human being. They decide on their preferences (movies, music, style, personality, views, etc) and the rest of their lives are spent living this story, this identity.
Change is a threat. And that’s fine if you want to be just another consumer with a 9-5 job, few days off per week, a boss that tells you what to do and everything that comes with it. But if you to take control of your own life, you need to start asking some questions about who you really want to be and what you want to achieve in this life.
Embrace growth. Everything is changing and evolving anyways. Don’t be another slave to the god of public opinion. Read books about various topics. Go back to “school” but not the kind of school you already went through. I’m talking about really understanding how the world works. Know yourself.
Having a growth mindset will keep you fired up and open to new challenges and possibilities, not just in business but life as a whole.
2. Habits
This is really an extension of the above. Do you have productive habits? Are you getting things done every day and building something? Or are you just playing it safe yet wanting more?
Leveraging your daily habits is a very effective way to break out of an endless loop you no longer want to participate in.
I suggest you get a paper journal and keep a daily log of everything you do each day, at what time and for how long. Track sleep hours, what you eat and go as detailed as you want from there. Do this for a few days and you get a real good sense of what exactly you are doing on a daily/weekly basis.
You are your most important asset. It makes sense to start nurturing that asset so that eventually you will become a productivity machine who doesn’t have time for living in a soap opera.
Once you have a better idea of what you are doing now, you can start making some minor changes that can improve your day. Or you can do what I prefer, change everything at once and don’t look back. The latter will be harder but the effects will but more powerful and you will feel them quicker. Stop fucking around. No excuses. Go after what you want and dream big
3. Wealth
Creating wealth is more than just making money or becoming a millionaire. Wealth is about helping others, being kind and serving something greater than yourself. If you have some limited beliefs about money and rich people (I used to), it’s time to purge those out of your system. They will not help you at all. Start reading and studying wealthy people and how they think and live. Do you think many people that are truly wealthy?
There is a saying that you are the average of the 5-10 people you spend most your time with. You are also the average of the kinds of things you do, watch, listen, think, believe. You are a product of your circumstances. If you want to change the product (you), you have to change the circumstances. Don’t waste your time with negative people who just complain and want to talk about last night’s “game”. Find people who want to grow and succeed and are positive and support you. Until you find those people, spend your time with great people through books and the work they left behind. Become them. Stop obsessing over other people’s games and play your own instead, talk about THAT.
4. Good thinking
We each have three areas in our brains that are constantly at work. The lizard brain is the most oldest and drives are survival needs (eat, sleep, sex). Next is what I like to call the “dog brain” which strives for connection and gregariousness. Finally we have the “divine brain” that is capable of abstract reasoning and decision making.
The more the lower brains are fed and balance maintained, the greater our capacity for working with the higher brain. We can be smart about how we plan and live our lives instead of just reacting to the whims and fancies of whatever is happening at the time and letting our emotions guide us.
Don’t get me wrong, the lower parts are also important but learn to use your own system so that the 3 parts of the brain are aligned. Take care of your physical and emotional needs. There are various practises we can look at in future posts to help you build a solid structure for your own sanity.
5. Get help
There are a lot of people and material out there in the world that most likely teach what you are trying to accomplish. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with people who are on a similar path. Start building those connections and stop trying to figure out everything yourself.
BONUS
Start the day off well and develop a morning routine. You can always come back here and read this as a reminder because I know how easily we forget. It took me many years to beat out the old me and wake up every morning feeling amazing and excited to live another day on this spaceship!
I hope you have enjoyed my article on MINDSET. And if you have any questions or comments be sure to leave one below or get in touch with me. I’d be happy to help you out. Have a great day friend!
Markus
