Your Words: A Window into Your Mindset

The words that you use are a window into your mindset and can have cascading effects on your team and workplace culture. 

They can also be a tell-tale sign of the level of success you’ll achieve in your business. 

In this blog post, ActionCOACH’s Rick Phelps provides great advice on how to monitor your thoughts and words, and shares how a business coach can help you recognize limiting thoughts that might be holding you back.

Pivot with a Positive Mindset

Throughout history, successful leaders have stressed the significance of language and mindset. 

Henry Ford once famously said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”

Similarly, Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can, and you are halfway there.” 

For many business owners, recent events have challenged our thinking and mindset.

When the pandemic shutdowns went into effect, what were your initial thoughts? How did you respond? What did you say to your team?

Many entrepreneurs saw this unprecedented event as an unprecedented opportunity. 

For example, a brewery started manufacturing hand sanitizer, retail stores began offering curbside pickup, and a fitness company used their 3D printer to create personal protective equipment. 

These companies pivoted their strategy and saw the potential setback as a chance to start something new and make a comeback.

They’ve demonstrated staying above the Point of Power, an ActionCOACH model for taking ownership, accountability, and responsibility.

“Individuals who stay above the Point of Power look at circumstances optimistically and ask themselves, ‘how can I make the best of this situation?’ said Rick.

Others, who are in a negative, de-energizing mode fall below the Point of Power. 

These individuals fall into a victim mentality and think or speak in absolute terms such as, ‘I’ll never recover from this situation.’

For many business owners, it’s not a matter of when you go below the Point of Power, but rather a matter of how long you will stay in that negative frame of mind. 

And, if you aren’t aware of your negative thoughts and words, you’ll stay powerless for a lot longer.

Pay Attention to Your Mind’s Stories

“We don’t hear the language that is coming out of our mouths. Until you become aware of it, it just is,” said Rick. 

To become more aware of your thoughts and language, you must first understand that the mind creates stories and narratives.

“Whenever you observe something, you become aware of it, and your brain will provide you with a story of what you are seeing or hearing,” said Rick.

“But the stories are exactly that. Stories, with potentially no basis in reality. They are your mind’s way of understanding what you experience.”

If you aren’t careful, your mind can take you down a wrong path.

“With enough recognition that your mind is constantly spinning stories and telling you tales, you’ll be able to monitor it and filter out the negative thoughts,” said Rick.

Pause Before You Speak

One piece of advice Rick offers is to pause before you speak. 

“Make a gap between when you think something and say something, and in that gap, examine the story your brain told you…” said Rick. “You’ll get yourself in a lot less trouble.”

By creating a gap between your thoughts and words, you can observe your thoughts and decide whether they’re positive or negative.

“If you create that gap between what you’re thinking, then you can look back at your thought and decide whether or not it’s true. If it’s limiting, you can throw that thought out and move on,” said Rick.

Find a Trusted Coach or Partner 

It takes a lot of work and practice to pay attention to your thoughts and words.  

And sometimes, it requires outside help. 

“You might want to have a coach or somebody coaching you to hear what you’re saying,” said Rick.

“I didn’t recognize my negative language until my coaches pointed it out and said, ‘Excuse me what did you just say?,’” said Rick.

“Coaching allows you to recognize that there are [negative] things coming out of your mouth and stories going on in your brain that are not true, that are not useful, and that are not helpful.”

The individual who monitors your words and holds you accountable can also be your partner, your business partner, or a colleague. 

“If you can create a culture where everyone helps each other recognize the negativity that comes out of each others’ mouths, it will greatly improve your workplace environment,” said Rick. 

Interested in learning how a business coach can help you and your business? Schedule a complimentary call with ActionCOACH today!