Does Mindset Really Matter?

I still smile when I see this picture of Andy Murray, holding aloft the coveted Wimbledon trophy.  Not just because it was an exciting moment for everyone in Britain (particularly those, like me, with more than a hint of Scottish blood) but because it captures that moment when he realises that his dream has become reality.

Murray began working with Alexis Castorri in early 2012 and she came with the personal recommendation of his coach and mentor, Ivan Lendl.  Her approach is simple “I’m interested in helping a person become the best they can be," she told The Daily Telegraph last year. “That means talking about their lives in total. Tennis is part of it but not the whole of the conversation.”

Together, they identified that his exceptionally high standards were creating massive internal frustration.  Her work with Murray helped him re-connect with the passionate teenager who played with excitement and intuition.  They then brought that together with all the positive experience he had gained over the years - his tactical brilliance and creativity.  Oh, and the fact that he is pretty good at hitting a ball over the net.

So what?

You have to work on your WHOLE self to be truly successful. Having a goal is a good start. Having talent gets you so far.  Having ambition can get you further.  All those elements got Andy Murray to a good few Grand Slam finals.

It is quite common for highly ambitious people to be exceptionally self-critical.  In my view, it's how they work with (rather than ignore) that self-criticism that makes the difference.  So, before you sign up for more training, re-write your cv or start a new project, take a moment to ask yourself some of those questions you've been avoiding.  For instance, what is your "Wimbledon Championship"?  

"If people aren't laughing at your dreams, your dreams aren't big enough!" Robin Sharma

www.stephaniesmithcoaching.co.uk

Are you one of the 9.9 million?

UK workers are less happy that their EU counterparts according to a report published last week by recruitment agency, Randstad.  They found that only two thirds of the UK employees in the study would describe themselves as "fulfilled".  A bit of statistical jiggery pokery and we see the stark headline that 9.9 million people in the UK are unsatisfied with their jobs.  

That's a really large number of people who are not enjoying a massive proportion of their waking (and sometimes sleeping) hours.

My guess is, when faced with the question "How fulfilled are you at work?" the internal thought processes of the dissatisfied participants followed one of three paths:

1. I hadn't really thought about it before but, now you mention it, it's not much fun doing this any more
2. I know I don't enjoy this but I'm not sure what to do about it
3. I. Hate. My. Job.

What I'm really curious about is what happened next.  Did they just finish the questionnaire and carry on doing the same stuff or did they do something about it? And if the latter, what?

I know that change can be scary. We are brilliant at legitimatizing our dissatisfaction "It's work, I've just got to get on with it" or finding reasons NOT to change "My family relies on me".  

I also know that when people do something to address how they feel they wonder why they didn't do it sooner.

So, if you count yourself as one of the 9.9 million, here are some questions for you:

• What would have to happen for me to feel differently about my job?
• What am I most proud of in my career so far?
• What is the cost of me continuing on my current career path?
• If time and resources were not a concern, what would I do?

If those questions were easy, maybe you've already started to change something.  If they made you uneasy or you tucked them away in the box marked "Too difficult", let's talk.

Stephanie

steph@stephaniesmithcoaching.co.uk