Thinking Big: Secret #5

By A. Yanina Gomez, Ph.D.

In the Thinking Big series, I’ve been challenging you to always think like there’s no box and aim high when it comes to your personal growth and taking your art career to the next level. But, the key here is to be intentional and make it a habit! In the last 4 blog posts, I shared with you 4 secrets to thinking big.

They are:

• The value of creating a mental picture of your goal
• Falling in love again with the real reason why you started your business by answering the question: Why Do I Want to Do This?
• Create a Plan of Action. Write down your epic idea or goal, set micro-goals that will lead to achieving your goal, plug in timelines and create a budget.
• Identify the resources you need to set your business up for success.

And in this post, I will be sharing with you my last secret which is… Keep an Optimistic Mindset.

Keeping an optimistic mindset comes easy when things are flowing smoothly. But, if you’re like me, when the going gets tough and things are not falling into place as I plan, boy, oh, boy staying optimistic can be pretty hard. Accomplishing your goals is probably one of the toughest journeys you’ll ever take.

A Word of Advice:
Don’t underestimate the energy, resources and time this journey will require. You’ll be facing joys but also hurdles that can potentially extinguish your fire if you don’t keep an eye on them. It’s up to you to decide if the challenges you’ll be facing will lead to strategies for growth or they will be the end of your goals.
I can’t guarantee that everything will be ok in your journey. But, keeping an optimistic attitude can help you stay focused and open-minded. It will also help you figure out solutions to overcome your obstacles instead of giving up. And, frankly, you have to be intentional about this. To some, being optimistic is their second nature. Others have to intentionally remind themselves to stay calm, optimistic and always keep it real. When we get caught up in the challenges, our mind no longer works at its optimal state. It becomes cloudy. And confusion leads to self-doubt and poor decision-making. Consequently, your art career will pay the consequences.

Instead, think about the things you can do every day to change negative outcomes and continue your journey toward achieving your goal. A should-would-could mindset will certainly slow down your journey, and in some instances, defeat you.

I’m challenging you to have a CAN DO mindset. Focus on this… What can I do today to get closer to accomplishing my goals?

I know about the power our mind has over our decision-making and productivity. If your mindset is clouded by mindset blocks, your productivity will slow down. And when you don’t have the strength to make wise and bold decisions for your art career, it will pay for it. How can you take your art career to the next level if what ifs, fears, lack of confidence or limiting beliefs are getting the best of you?

A healthy mindset and emotional wellness leads to confidence, clarity and productivity which consequently leads to results hence profit! I believe that each artist entrepreneur ought to prioritize and invest in their emotional wellness and a healthier and stronger mindset if s/he wants to succeed. Just as you invest in show submissions, website and others important tools, you ought to also invest in our wellness.

Finally, as you think bigger and bigger, avoid incremental thinking that limits you to only think about what’s next. Set your goals way ahead of what you want so you can reach your intended goal by default. Who knows? You might impress yourself by going beyond your intended goal. I would like to encourage you to think like there’s box, think big. That’s where the magic will begin to happen and your confidence will strengthen… when you really stretch out your potential to the max.

ACTION PLAN
1. As you set your goals for this week and beyond, whether they’re personal or business goals, challenge yourself to think like there’s no box.

2. What CAN YOU DO today to get closer to achieving your epic goal? Whether it’s creating or updating your plan of action or developing micro-goals to accomplish your epic goal, you’ve got to start today! NO EXCUSES!

3. Often appraise your results. Were you able to accomplish your goal? Do you need to make some adjustments, changes or replacements to your plan so you can move forward?

What are you going to DO today to get closer to accomplishing your goals?