Each week as part of our Thursday Thoughts series of blogs, we’ve been taking a look at how we can be the best possible version of ourselves.  This week we are focussing on where we put our concentration and the effect that can have.

Today’s world is full of uncertainty, fact.  So how do we deal with it?

Concentrate on what you can control.  When it comes to achievements and goal setting, some of us are quick to assume that something will go wrong. We may start listing things that will obstruct our desired pathway, possibly talking ourselves out of setting off in the first place.  So, what can we do about it?

One exercise is to write a list of everything that could possibly go wrong, and I mean everything, from the realistic to the sublime. Once completed, write the solutions to each problem too and be prepared to be surprised by your ability to find solutions. Psychologists believe this practice can leave you feeling confident and capable of dealing with anything.  

There is no doubt that mindset affects the outcome. Some people would rather expect the worst and if it doesn’t happen be pleasantly surprised rather than be disappointed.  Although this may seem a realistic way to deal with situations it removes the concentration from a successful outcome and focuses on the negative, with fingers secretly crossed that all will be good.

There are many things we cannot control and to try would be futile but is that a reason to give up on what you set out to achieve? No, not when changing something else could enable you to move forward.  What is it that you could change?  Your mindset.

When you talk to successful people, one of the reasons they achieve so much is that they concentrate their focus on what they are trying to achieve in the short term, without ever taking their eye off the long-term goal. They realise that the short-term achievement of goals is critical to ‘getting going’ and a step towards success.

If you approach anything with a fixed mindset it prevents you from seeing possible solutions to any obstacles or difficulties that you may encounter. However with a growth mindset you open the door to possibilities, both good and bad, that lead to knowledge, understanding and the ability to move forward.  

So how do we deal with the things we cannot control?  We focus on what we can control and trust in our ability to adapt and move on.