10 Habits to Help Improve Mindset

10 Habits to Help Improve Mindset

Mar 21, 2022

Improving your mindset can help you grow both personally and professionally in achieving your goals.

But do you know what is the number one factor that determines whether or not someone succeeds at achieving a goal?

Is it genetics? Luck? What about skills or natural talent? Hard work has to be in there somewhere, right?

All of these factors are important, some more so than others, but none hold the number one spot.

So, what is number one?

If you guessed mindset, you are right. Mindset is a better predictor of future success than every other factor you can consider, including working hard and natural talent.

Welcome back to GinAdmin. My name is Gina Koran and I, along with my trusty sidekicks (a.k.a. my cup of joe and my pup) will be your host into this journey of changing your mindset to help you grow both personally and professionally, and achieving your goals.

What is a Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is where you believe in change and improvement.

You believe that your skills and talents can be improved through hard work, practice, and dedication.

You embrace challenges.

People with a growth mindset set challenges as learning and growth opportunities rather than obstacles standing in their way.

They don’t get easily frustrated by failures and roadblocks; they believe these things are to be expected and are a sign that they need to adjust and try again.

I never see failure as failure, but only as a learning experience.

Tom Hopkins

The success of other people is inspiring to people with a growth mindset. They try to figure out how the other person succeeded and how to imitate them. This increases their own odds of success

You’ve heard the old adage “A leopard cannot change its spots”. Well, yes. But you are not a leopard, you are a human being. And we, as humans CAN change our spots!

Mindset is Changeable

Don’t buy into the myth that mindset is static. Not only CAN it change, but it DOES change throughout your life, whether or not you purposely try to change it.

So if your mindset is changing anyway, why not guide these changes and help them along so that you can grow into the best possible version of yourself?

Now, you’re probably asking yourself “HOW can I make these changes?”.

Well guess what…I have some tips. These tips are actually some habits you can create to help you change your mindset into one of growth!

Changing your mindset takes time and work. There’s no magic that will let you do it overnight.

And, of course, you don’t want to do ALL of these!

Pick the ones you think you can do easily and start there. You can always come back later and start on a new one!

So here we go…

Create a morning ritual to get your day off to a good start.

Move your body ~ it can help improve your mindset and ultimately achieve your goals!
Move your body ~ it can help improve your mindset and ultimately achieve your goals!

What makes you feel best in the mornings?

What can you do to set yourself up for success every day?

Maybe it is journaling over a cup of coffee or going for a morning run.

Maybe it is taking a few minutes to meditate or stretch before you get in the shower.

It might even be something as simple as making your bed before you leave for work.

Figure out a ritual that works for you and prioritize doing it every day.

If you have been with me for a while, you know that running…yeah, probably not going to happen.

But as the weather gets warmer, I will start going walkabout with the pupper. (AND my cup of coffee!). This gets my blood flowing and sets me up for a good day of good old-fashioned work!

Reflect on your day.

Every night before you go to bed, take a moment to reflect on your day.

What went right?

What didn’t and how can you make it go right tomorrow?

Did you get done what you wanted to do? Why or why not?

What can you do to make sure tomorrow goes well?

I mentioned in a previous article that my best tool is my very colorful calendar.

Every morning before I start my day, I look over my calendar and have a snapshot of what I need to accomplish.

This also helps clear my brain most nights so that I can rest knowing that tomorrow is already laid out for me.

You can read that article here to get more ideas on how I use my calendar.

Practice gratitude daily.

Find at least one thing you can be grateful for every day. There are ALWAYS some good things in life you can be grateful for.

Stop and be thankful for them every day.

This only takes a few seconds and can be done any time of the day!

Always be working towards a goal

Big or small, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you always have a goal you’re striving for that makes you stretch and challenge yourself.

When you reach one goal, move on to another.

If you’re headed to a city you’ve never traveled to before, your journey will be more efficient and effective if you have a detailed road map to guide your travel.

John Boitnott
Entrepreneur contributor
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/342898

Break big goals down into subgoals that will help you see quick progress.

Start journaling

Use prompts to write a journal entry about your mindset 2-3 times a week. Or free write and see what comes out.

You don’t need a fancy journal; a pen and a sheet of paper or a notebook are all you need.

You can write about literally anything – what did you see the crazy barn cats doing on your morning walkabout with the pupper?

What funny story did your kids or your best friend tell you today that gave you a chuckle?

Remember…this is YOUR place to just let the words fly!

Eat healthy foods.

Fueling your body and your mind can help your mindset.
Fueling your body and your mind can help your mindset.

Food is fuel for the body and the mind. What you eat affects how much energy you have, how well you can focus, and your overall mood.

So, a couple disclaimers here.

First, I am NOT a dietitian! I bring this point up because I know that personally, if I eat a lot of carbs, I’m going to be sluggish and not really accomplish much.

That being said, I have a plaque on my desk that reads “I’m a woman of many moods and they all require Chocolate”.

And to quote a friend of mine…”just sayin’”.

The key for me is that I know my body and what it needs to function productively.

Start an exercise habit.

Exercise is good for you in so many ways and has profound, positive effects on your mindset as well.

You don’t need to train for a marathon (shudder). Maybe go for a walk, go swimming, take up yoga or another gentle workout like tai chi, or do anything else that appeals to you.

ANY exercise will help you improve your mindset.

I find that by simply doing some stretches and going walkabout, I’m more energized and my brain just functions better.

Prioritize sleep.

Nothing makes you feel better than a good night’s sleep. And nothing makes you feel worse than a bad one.

Most people today are chronically sleep-deprived. If you want to cultivate a growth mindset, don’t be one of them.

Prioritize getting a good night’s sleep every night.

And again with the disclaimer…I am not a doctor. Do what is best for you, your body and your brain.

Take regular breaks from social media.

Social media is fun and lets you connect with friends, but it has a downside.

It is easy to get drawn into that video of the dog doing tricks, like fetching its owner a beverage. From the neighbor’s fridge.

I have started to set an alarm when I pop into my social media. If I don’t, there I sit…watch videos of things that are keeping me from being productive.

I have also started “saving” posts so I can go back to them in the evening, AFTER my work is done and I am relaxing. Then I can binge dog videos to my heart’s content!

Get your creative on - doing something creative can help improve your mindset!
Get your creative on – doing something creative can help improve your mindset!

Do something creative.

Creativity is one of the most necessary, yet often neglected aspects of being a well-round person.

The challenge involved in it will make you grow and improve your mindset.

Aim to do something creative every day, or at least several times a week. Write, color, paint, draw, play a musical instrument -the options are endless.

And there you have the 10 habits I found for changing your mindset to help you grow both personally and professionally, and achieving your goals.

None of these habits are magic. They won’t change your mindset overnight.

What they will do is support you and help you along on your journey. They will motivate you to keep going when things get tough and to feel your best.

That will help you cultivate your growth mindset. It may not be magic, but it sure is helpful!

I would love to hear your ideas on changing your mindset (IF you need to make a change, that is) to a growth mindset.

And if you try any of these ideas, pop back in and let me know how it goes!

The 6 Myths of Working with a Freelance Admin

The 6 Myths of Working with a Freelance Admin

Mar 7, 2022

While Freelancing is becoming more popular, especially in today’s almost-post pandemic world, there are still some myths out there about working with a Freelance Admin.

Today, I am sharing my thoughts behind the six most common myths that I have come across.

Welcome back to GinAdmin! I’m Gina Koran and as always, I will be your “hostess with the mostest” coffee! Thanks for coming along on my coffee-fueled journey…let’s jump right into those myths!

Freelancers are only good for one-off projects.

Yes. You certainly can hire a Freelancer for a one-off project, IF that is what you’re looking for.

However, most people who work with a Freelance Admin find that they have knowledge in so many areas that they can turn over more than just a one-time project.

OR, they can use a Freelancer when they DO have a single project that they need help with.

What most business owners find is that by turning over not just everyday tasks, they free up time and energy by hiring a Freelance Admin!

Within the next decade freelance workers will outnumber traditional salaried employees., Adam Heitzman, Co-Founder, Higher Visibility

https://www.inc.com/adam-heitzman/5-myths-about-freelance-work-debunked-once-for-all.html/

Freelancers are just for busy-work

Okay, sure you can pass on that busy work to your Freelancer. But typically, Freelancers have such a wide knowledge base that you will find that, again you can also pass on other, bigger tasks to your Freelance Admin to put some time back into your schedule!

I’m sensing a trend here! (wink)

Freelancers aren’t skilled, otherwise they’d be working a “job” for a big company

Most Freelance Admins come from some type of “corporate” background.

Having been a corporate admin for (way too) many years, I can tell you that having a “job” for a big company is not so much something I want to go back to. I find much more satisfaction in working independently with companies I choose to work with, especially small business owners.  

Why small business owners? Thanks for asking! I love working with small business owners because they are still intimately involved in the daily running of their business. They are still in the trenches, so to speak. They are still passionate about their business.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to sound as if I am speaking poorly of large corporations. It’s just that having been in that world, I simply and personally enjoy and prefer working with small business owners.

On the skill side, Freelancing is so popular right now and there are so many places for Freelancers to gain knowledge that this is a big pile of myth nonsense. Plus, there are so many online communities for Freelancers, that the knowledge-base we have to draw on is truly impressive.

There are many myths of working with a Freelance Admin! Freelance Admins have great work ethic, skills and loyalty to their clients.

Freelancers lack true work ethic

The majority of the Freelancers I personally know work more hours every week than your average employee.

This comes not only from the fact that we take great pride in our work, but very likely – you are not our ONLY client, so we have to schedule our time to make sure we finish the work we’re given.

Plus, we know that if we don’t do the work we’re contracted to do, we can lose that contract. And that’s just bad business.

And because we ourselves are business owners, we tend to put forth the effort it takes to keep the trust of those who have hired us!

Freelancers aren’t employees, so they have no commitment/loyalty to the company

Again, those Freelancers I know take great pride in working with the business owners who put their trust in them to get the job done.

So I simply call hogwash on that myth.

Companies that encourage the use of freelancers will benefit from the increased access to skilled talent and more workforce flexibility, while those that ignore freelancers will inevitably fall behind.

https://www.allworknow.com/debunking-6-common-myths-hiring-freelance-talent/

As a small business owner, I can’t afford to hire a freelancer

This is probably one of the things I hear most from small business owners that I talk to. And yes, when you are first starting out on your business-ownership journey, hiring ANYONE can feel like a huge expense.

There are three major points I share with the small business owners that I approach about working with me.

First, you cannot do all of the things all of the time over a long period of time. You will burn yourself out and start to resent the very business you started. I have watched this happen to many small business owners.

And as a Freelancer, it is painful for me to see this happen when I KNOW I can help them. It is especially painful when they have previously said “No, thanks” when I offered my services.

The second point I make is that by hiring someone to do the background work, it frees them up to focus on building their business. Which is the goal, right? You want to BUILD.

Which feeds into my third point, and that is that once you have built your business with a solid foundation, eventually you’re going to need to hire SOMEONE. That someone is going to require benefits, supplies, office space, breaks, vacation time. All the things that go along with hiring employees.

Plus, that employee will not have first-hand knowledge of the background of your business.

When you hire a Freelance Admin, you are strictly paying for the work they are doing for you, so no benefits, etc. And by working with them when you are starting out, they have first-hand, working knowledge of how you want things done! There is no learning-curve by having to hire an admin later and take the time to walk them through every step.

By busting through the myths of working with a Freelance Admin, small business owners can gain some insight into how they can work smarter, not harder!

So when a small business owner tells me they cannot afford to hire a Freelance Admin, my question is: Can you really afford NOT to work with me?

And there you have it. One woman’s opinion on the 6 biggest myths of working with a Freelance Admin.

As always, thanks for stopping by! And I would love to hear from you – the good, the bad, the ugly – so  feel free to leave me a comment below. Or pop on over to www.ginadmin.com/contact and schedule a time for a chat!