We need to comprehend how our minds work in order to know what we need to do to support ourselves for success.
This begins with acknowledging how our minds can easily oscillate between being our servants and our masters.
When our minds are our servants, we get things done at our own pace - we control the workload as well as the narratives we have about ourselves in our minds.
When our minds are our masters, we lose control over our schedule and limit our productivity. If we can’t control our minds, we won’t be focused - we won’t win.
The more concentrated we are, the more productive we will be because our focus will be targeted and geared towards amplification of ROI. So if you want to be more productive, focus on being more concentrated.
How do you do that? Well, it’s easier than you might think. It begins with discipline.
1. Discipline
The reason we must need to transform our minds into our servants as opposed to our masters is because if they’re our masters, we won’t have any discipline. If we don’t have any mental discipline, we won’t be organized and decisive enough to have any prioritization. If we don’t have prioritization, then we won’t get the right things done in the right amount of time. We need to be tough and strict with ourselves.
The discipline begins with limiting how much negativity enters your thought process. As Grant Cardone says, “If you think it, you’ll say it, then you’ll do it.” So it’s important to think about what we let into our focus so we can make the right business decisions. When you feed your mind with positivity, you get in the habit of supporting your mind. Conversely, negativity will shrink us and limit our potential for success.
2. Education
To support your mind, think about doing the things that make you feel good. For instance, listening to a podcast, reading a book, having a good conversation with a friend or mentor, etc. Taking these steps will help you understand your interests and values. You can then apply that knowledge to your product and your organization.
When we expand our knowledge, there’s less we worry about. We worry because we’re scared of the unknown. When we know more, we’re less worried because we feel comfortable with where we’re at with our lives and our business. We know our goal, we feel capable and ready to pursue the goal, and we’re confident we can be productive enough to achieve the goal.
Plus, the more we know, the more likely we’re able to get more things done because we have more capabilities at our disposal.
3. Meditation
For limiting how much negativity has access to your mind, consider meditation. According to the acclaimed actor Hugh Jackman, “Meditation makes you see very clearly what goes on in your mind.” When you can see what’s going in your head, you can pick apart what’s important from what’s trivial. All of these aspects will enhance your concentration and boost your emotional intelligence, which will allow you to scale your productivity further.
And this is where knowledge and information plays a critical role: the more you know about what can impact your mind, the more you can limit triggers that may disrupt your concentration.
4. Activity
Think about mindless decisions, those that take up so much of our days but we don’t really think about them because they’ve become second nature to us. This can apply even for things like sitting down. With something like sitting down, you can take the time to find credible research about why sitting is bad for you, and ponder how sitting down eventually finds its way to limiting your mind’s capacity to be productive.
When your mind and body are in sync, you are more productive because you’re able to focus and execute on your business goals with precision.
5. Stress Resilience
Your mental toughness will impact how you stay afloat in a business crisis so that you succeed against all odds. According to Ellie Gluck, Founder and CEO, MNDFL Meditation, “research has shown many benefits that come with consistent meditation including improved stress resilience, boosted creativity, and higher productivity.”
When stress enters our brains, we enter a reactive state to try to curb the stress. We want the stress to go away because stress is painful, and it’s in our nature to want to avoid pain. But when we push through the pain and treat it as a necessary obstacle, then we become more resilient. When we’re resilient, we push back against our limitations and strive higher above stressful tasks.
Final Thought
It’s important to understand that if our minds feel good (because we’re feeding them with positive things), then we’re going to stay focused and productive.
When we like ourselves, we’re charismatic about our jobs, and we interact with people in a positive way. Improve your mental concentration to scale your productivity all while being yourself!