How to train your mind to think bigger

15 Aug How to train your mind to think bigger

To build a legacy, you need to train your mind and body to think and act bigger than yourself.

Most of us, generally speaking, find it difficult to look past ourselves and to see the bigger picture.

We are trained to build our own lives. Are any of these thoughts/goals familiar?

“I want a relationship that fulfils MY needs”

“I want a job that helps ME get where I want to be”

“I want to spend MY money on the things that I want”

“I want to spend MY time doing things I enjoy”

 

Whilst there is nothing essentially wrong with those values, the problem with that kind of mindset is that it is self-limiting and far too normal. With that kind of mindset you will spend your life trying so hard to fulfil your own needs and wants that soon you will find that life feels a bit empty. Have you noticed there are too many ”I” and “MY” in the statements above?

So what then, is the better way to think? What type of thinking should we approach life with?

How about something like this:

“I want a relationship where I can help my partner achieve his dreams and needs”

“I want a job that creates positive impact for me and others”

“I want to spend my money on things that will create joy for myself as well as for others”

“I want to spend my time building an amazing legacy that will be an engine for good in this world”

Hopefully you can see that the changes to those sentences are not massive, yet do something crucial. Those changes shift the focus from ourselves, outwards to other people.

Does this work? Can this mindset make you happy?

Absolutely!

If we all look for relationships where we are seeking to give to a person, rather than to take from them, and to help them achieve success, imagine how many more marriages and relationships would be successful.

If we look for work that fulfils others as well as ourselves, imagine how work related stress, depression and other mental health issues would decrease.

If we look at money as a tool to help others as opposed to a trophy or status symbol, imagine how much we would strive to help each other instead of compete selfishly.

If we all spend our time building something amazing, imagine what an amazing place this world could become.

So how do you train your mind to think outwardly instead of inwardly?

First of all, you need to give yourself a purpose.

What is your legacy? How will you help others? If you are unsure, please read the self discovery article where we take you through a step by step process to discover your talents and what you should focus on.

Once you have your purpose, you need to work on this everyday. You need to develop good habits that will enable you to reach your goals and as many people as possible.

Some of these habits will be unique to you depending on what you are trying to achieve. However there are also some good habits that we should all be trying to implement into our lives to help us focus and to be as productive as possible. Over time, these habits will help to train your mind to think bigger.

1. Start your day correctly. Write down your purpose and then 3 things that you can do during the day that will help you build your legacy. E.g. your purpose may be to fully support your spouse with their business goals. So perhaps you can do a chore for them to give them more time like the grocery shopping, or do some research that will help them. You may be starting a new business yourself and so creating some content to post on social media would be a good task to do. Remember, whatever you are trying to achieve, no matter how big, success or failure is always the result of the small actions that we take everyday.
2. Spend time with your loved ones. Research shows that we have much more productive days if we start it on a positive note. So, if you can, take 10-15 mins in the morning to catch up with those who are closest to you – ideally over a nice healthy breakfast!
3. Build a network. Whether you are a house wife, a business person, an employee. Whatever your purpose is, knowing more people who are on the same page as you, will make you more successful. Build your network of people who have a good mindset. People who have good marriages, successful households, and a general positive outlook on life are the type of people you want to be around and be influenced by. Make it a task to try and find 2 – 3 people like this on a daily basis. This can be via book clubs, social media, your existing network – we live in a connected world now, its actually harder not to find people!
4. Plan your day. Set time to work on your goals and complete the tasks that you have decided on. Also set time aside to eat well and take some time out for yourself.
5. Wake up early. The sooner you get up, the more of the day is yours and the more productive you will be. This will help you to feel in control of your day and greatly reduce your stress levels.
6. Read this blog! Yep, really read our advice and take it on board. Also more than that, be careful of what goes into your mind. Much of the TV and mainstream media is designed to make us think small. Everything you watch and read should help you to grow and think bigger.