186: Change Your Thinking Or Die
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Albert Einstein said, “The thinking that has brought me this far has created some problems that this thinking cannot solve.” Your thoughts determine your actions. If you keep thinking about the same things and asking yourself the same questions, you will only get to the same conclusion.
If you aren’t progressing, you are settling and will eventually regress into the old ways that got you where you are at that moment. If your problem is finances, stop thinking of doing something based on what you have done in the past. If you find yourself short on money and living paycheck to paycheck, stop asking yourself where I can cut back on spending. Stop asking yourself the same questions.
Start asking yourself new questions. Begin by asking yourself “If I am currently making “x” amount with my current career, how do I bring in “X” more dollars.” Rather than beginning your analysis from the view of lacking, you start by looking for ways to grow what you have. Your mindset is what needs to change. One view keeps you looking at what you don’t have and how to get by with what you do have. The other says, I am getting by with this so far, but now I need to find new ways to bring in more. Reducing spending is great, but reducing spending is only one action you can take. I analyzed my status and decided that I need more money rather than just to spend less.
I was looking in the wrong place. Spending less kept me in the same situation, but never allowed me to get far enough ahead. I had to think outside the box. Did I want to continue as I was or did I want to grow and make new things possible? The thinking and planning I had done, would not get me closer to my ideals. I chose to look at adding to my income and reducing my output. Now I was spending less, but also bringing in more. My goal is to be 100% debt free in 5 years, owning my home and car outright, and working towards a retirement that would be more than comfortable. Getting debt free isn’t easy and requires significant work. Taking a 2nd and 3rd job sounded terrible to me, but it helped me solidify my goals and gave me something that would help me aggressively seek my goals.
The long and short of it is, you need to constantly challenge yourself in order to grow. Keeping the same challenges, thought processes, and goals will only get you to a place you have already been. Seek outside experiences, get a mentor, learn a new language, take a second or third job, develop a new skill. Do something to shake up your status quo and move forward. If you aren’t growing, you are dying.
