Nobody aspires to be the VIP guest at Life’s Epic Fail Party – it’s not exactly on anyone’s bucket list!
We’re all in this cosmic game show called life, and guess what’s behind Door #1? It’s growth, success, and a lifetime supply of happiness! Who wouldn’t want to spin that wheel of fortune?
But what do you think is the key to achieve the most ambitious goals and all the good things in life?
Some people suggest hard work, discipline and grit. But these are all byproducts of a much more powerful root that we can all nurture and develop: mindset.
The Iceberg Model
To really hammer in the significance of mindset in our lives, let’s turn to a tool called the Iceberg Model developed by those bright people at Systems Thinking.
As you can see, there are four levels in this model. And in fact, everything in life can be grouped into one of these four levels.
Level One: The Event
At the top is the event. The event is the visible and perceivable part. A homeless man. A stretch of road riddled with potholes. A million dollars in the bank account, a private jet, a fleet of sports cars. Then there are the everyday problems, dramas and pain points that plague our lives and make life feel like a sitcom written by a cosmic drunkard. These are all visible events.
At this level, our capacity to intervene is limited to one: reaction.
You see a homeless man, and you want to help him. So, you give him some loose change. You drive over potholes and your vocabulary takes an unexpected detour into a symphony of colorful expressions, generously directed at both the contractor and the council. Your car payment is late and your rent is overdue. And you begin to worry and panic.
If we solve problems at this level, we are only treating the symptoms. Solutions at the level of events are the least effective. The homeless man will continue to be homeless and you may fill and repair the potholes near your home but more potholes will come up elsewhere. The solutions at this level is also the costliest.
Most people, unfortunately, remain at this level. If you want to be rich and your idea of being rich is a bank account with a million dollars, you are unlikely to get rich even in a lifetime. You can go and rob a bank because there is where they stack millions. You could win a jackpot. But if your idea of money is Benjamin Franklin on greenback notes, you will spend a lifetime chasing dollars.
Level Two: Patterns and Trends
The next level, like an iceberg, is below immediate visibility. If you think back in time and space, you may recall seeing other homeless people, driving over potholes, and seeing affluence and glamour of the rich. If you look at the problems plaguing your life, you also see patterns and trends. You recall, for instance, you have been late on car payments and your rent has been overdue for the last six months.
Once you grasp the patterns and trends, you are able to go beyond reaction. You are able to anticipate and respond. You see your cashflow has taken a hit after you switched job six months ago. Your response would be to look for a better job.
Level Three: Structures and Behaviors
Dive down one more level and you begin to see the structures and behaviors that support the patterns and trends that give rise to the visible events.
At this level, we look at the outside structures such as physical things like a house and road, organizations like the municipal government, and policies. We also look at our own behaviors and habits.
If we look at the underlying structures that support homelessness in New York city, for instance, we would see an abundant lack of affordable housing for low-income population. You will see policy deficiencies and diversion of public fund to other pet projects of New York mayor. These are structures that support the patterns and behaviors.
If you are a policy maker tasked with reducing homelessness in New York, grasping the structural causes of homelessness.
For the problems in our personal lives, we look at our behaviors and habits that support the pattern of problems in our lives. You see, for example, that in your workplace, you have been going out more frequently and as a result your personal dollar reserve has taken a hit. You don’t need to change the job for better cashflow. You need to change your habits.
At this level, you will no longer be reacting to problems and events. You will also not be just responding. You will be designing solutions. For example, a roadmap to build better habits.
Level Four: Mindset
The final level is the mindset. This is at the foundation of everything that we experience in life.
If the New York’s mayor wants to reduce homelessness to fulfill his political campaign but the mayor believes that homelessness is a part and parcel of American capitalism, it is unlikely homelessness will go away with the policies he come up with. The underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and expectations will determine the solution.
In our own personal lives, our mindset is what shapes our reality. You may want to be rich but you believe money is evil and getting rich is selfish. The result will be similar to running a Boston Marathon in clown shoes and expecting to win. The chances of crossing the financial finish line in style are slimmer than a slice of diet pizza!
Mindset - The Starting Point for Personal Transformation
That is why working on our mindset is the first step to transformation. In fact, anything worthy will come only if you begin with the right world view and mental models. We all want to be successful and happy. We want to become the best versions of ourselves. But none of these will come to us with a faulty mindset.
Jim Rohn said it best: If someone hands you a million dollars, best you become a millionaire, or you won’t get to keep the money. You win a billion-dollar jackpot but your mindset is unable to break the shell of a street peddler, you will not get to keep your money. Not for long. The stories of all of those who win big but go bust in less than five years are true and all too common.
All the good things in life starts with your mindset.
Health is mindset.
Wealth is mindset.
Success is mindset.
Happiness, you guessed it, is mindset.
If you don’t like your current conditions, start by working on your mindset. The journey of transformation starts with the mindset.
Additional Resources:
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