Today I’m giving you four mindset tricks that’ll help you stop procrastinating, choose better friends, reframe your problems, and get to the root cause of what’s holding you back.
Let’s go..
#1 - You Don’t Have to Get It Right, You Just Have to Get It Going
I finally dusted off my YouTube channel this year and filmed a bunch of new videos because of a quote I heard…
“You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.” - Mike Litman
The reasons for not getting started with YouTube?
I was waiting for the perfect time to script the perfect video and find the perfect thumbnail before starting on my channel.
I was so focused on trying to get it right the first time that I didn’t start at all.
What this quote has helped me realise is that you don’t need to have all the answers now.
You just need to get it going.
Here’s what this looks like in practice…
If you want to exercise but you don’t know what you’re doing in the gym, don’t wait to read the book or for a coach to give you a programme. Just get to the gym and move some iron around.
If you’re sick and tired of your job so you’re on the lookout for the perfect replacement, don’t wait for it to fall on your lap. Just start looking and applying for new ones. It doesn’t have to be the “perfect replacement.” The goal is to get out of the miserable job you’re currently doing.
“You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” - Ray Bradbury
Stop waiting for perfect.
Start doing imperfect.
#2 - Fair Weather Friends vs Foul Weather Friends
Let’s dive into friendship - that quirky, erratic yet endearing aspect of life.
We’re dealing with two categories here:..
Fair weather friends and foul weather friends.
Fair Weather Friends
They’re like the perfect summer day.
They come alive when everything’s dandy and bright in your world. They’re there for the laughs, the parties, the thrills.
But when the storm hits, they’re more elusive than a snowflake in the Sahara.
Foul Weather Friends
These warriors stand with you through the thunder and downpour.
They’re not put off by a bit of rain or wind. In the face of trouble, they’ll brave the tempest and offer you their steadfast companionship.
Remember, both types have their value.
Fair-weather friends bring moments of joy, while foul-weather friends offer a hand when you stumble.
But when the clouds roll in, it’s the foul-weather friends who’ll share your umbrella.
Aim to be that kind of friend: there for the sunny days, but also ready to face the storm.
In friendship, consistency beats fair weather every time.
#3 - The Power of Reframing
Life has a funny way of throwing curveballs that make you feel like a cartoon character getting repeatedly hit in the head.
So, what’s the secret to not ending up like Wile E. Coyote post-anvil-dropping?
One word: Reframing.
Reframing is the power to take any situation - no matter how dire - and twist it, turn it, flip it upside down to view it in a new light.
Let’s say your boss gave you more work than you can handle.
Instead of seeing it as a one-way ticket to Stressville, reframe it.
See it as a trust exercise, a chance to improve your time-management skills, or better yet, an opportunity to strut your stuff and shine.
Sounds too simple? Yeah, it does. But that’s the beauty of it.
Reframing isn’t about denying reality; it’s about choosing which aspect of reality you decide to focus on.
It’s choosing to see the opportunity in the obstacle, the lesson in the failure, the potential in the problem.
The trick to reframing, though, is honesty.
You can’t just slap a happy sticker on a crappy situation and call it a day.
You have to dig deep, get real, and find a perspective that’s true to you, one that empowers and motivates you.
So, next time life gives you a sour lemon, don’t just make lemonade. Reframe it. See it as life’s quirky way of supplying you with free citrus.
Remember: Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you deal with it!
#4 - The 5 Whys
Ask enough whys and you’ll get down to the root cause of your problem.
I had a person come to me not long ago and say that they were struggling to lose weight, and no matter what diet they tried to stick to, they just couldn’t drop the weight.
I asked them why.
They said it was because they have been so busy and all their routines have been out of whack.
I asked them why.
They said it’s because they’ve just moved house and were juggling a brand new job.
I asked them why.
They said it’s because they were unhappy where they were previously, which is why they moved home and career.
I asked them why.
They said they had been constantly arguing with their partner and decided to separate, go their own ways, and start again from scratch.
I asked them why.
They said because they had fallen out of love and were both very different people from when they first met. They wanted different things now and never saw eye to eye.
At first, this question seemed like nothing more than a person struggling to keep consistent with their diet.
But the deeper we go and unpack it, the more we realise there are so many deeper things we need to address before looking at their diet.
If there’s something you’re struggling with right now, I want you to do this exercise for yourself.
Ask yourself enough whys, and you’ll eventually get yourself to the real reasons you’re not where you want to be.
Stop treating symptoms.
Start finding root causes.
These mindset tricks aren’t complicated.
They’re just practical tools most people ignore.
Stop doing this:
Waiting for the perfect moment to get things going
Surrounding yourself with fair-weather friends who disappear when things get hard
Looking at setbacks as failures instead of opportunities
Treating symptoms instead of finding root causes
Start doing this:
Get it going, even if it’s not perfect - you’ll figure it out along the way
Find your foul-weather friends - the people who’ll be there no matter the weather
Reframe everything that happens to you as an opportunity to improve
Ask “why” five times to get to the root cause of what’s holding you back
You don’t learn anything from a perfect week.
You learn from getting started, choosing the right people, reframing problems, and digging deep to find real answers.
Jay Alderton
Loved this thanks 🙏