Are You Starting the Year With A Performance Mindset?

This is the time of year when people start focusing on the new year. Often I have discussions with people around performance and how to shift up to the next level of being.  

One of my mentoring clients pleaded with me as to how they could get themselves to operate at the next level? They are in an industry that is quickly changing with new technology and new business models creating chaos. Many leaders and individuals are looking at ways to lift performance to the next level and stay in front of these disruptions.

I find quite often it is not about learning a new skill or attending a one day training course on a specific task that is needed. Most of the people that I have worked with that have achieved incredible success, have done so by focusing on a Performance Mindset.

A Performance Mindset involves 3 key areas of focus, that when combined together allow you to rise above and beyond the normal routine. These include:

• Belief. This is one of the most important components of a high Performance Mindset. It is not simply saying to yourself that “you can do it.” It is a much deeper and stronger foundational mindset that cannot imagine a world in which you do not achieve your end goal. This conviction is what many high achievers have used as the fuel to keep them going when things were difficult or challenging.  
• Skill. You need to have some abilities that you can put in motion toward your end goal. I also believe that the people with the strongest Performance Mindsets are NOT the naturally gifted ones. Much of the research shows that the individuals that had to practice and work repeatedly to improve their skills are the ones who often achieve higher levels of success.  
• Vision. This is being very clear about what your end goal is. High performers are very specific about what they need to achieve. They do not have loose goals, but short concise visions that become a mantra that they focus on.  

So how strong is your Performance Mindset? Test your ability to capture how clear you are at the moment – which will be like holding up a mirror. Grab a sheet of paper and a pen and write down your vision. Is it short sharp and elevating?  

By capturing the skills that you have this will enable you to move towards this goal. Are there any skills that are missing? Identify what it is that is going to drive you. What do you need to do to have absolute conviction in achieving your goal. This can be the first step in lifting your performance to the next level.