Stop Trying and Start Training: The Mindset Shift You Need

Are you struggling with a skill or task at work that just doesn't come naturally to you? Perhaps you're feeling discouraged because it seems like it comes easily to others, but not to you.

Well, I heard a game-changing quote recently that has helped me with these challenges areas and I want to share it with you. Watch this Two-Minute Tip to learn a small mindset shift that will re-spark your motivation, confidence and progress forward.

• Read the video transcript

  Okay, this week I want you to think of something that's hard for you at work, something that just doesn't seem to come naturally to you and maybe you look around and you think it's coming naturally to others.

  Maybe it's public speaking. Maybe it's email management. You have a hard time really keeping your inbox organized and under control. Maybe it's giving constructive feedback. Maybe it's really trusting your team to run with things.

  Whatever it is, if you believe that it just doesn't come naturally to you, I'm guessing in most instances, you try to grow in this and it's either like pass or fail, I did it or I didn't and this can be a pretty dangerous mindset.

  I heard a quote last week in a podcast from Craig Groeschel. He was the guest on the podcast and it really stuck with me. He said, "Instead of trying in this area, be in training." Right?

  I'm not trying to get better at public speaking. Instead, I'm in training which gives us the freedom to not just pass or fail in these instances but to see incremental growth.

  For me, one thing that comes to mind where I've started to apply this phrase is in pushups at the gym. All along, my whole life, I've just thought, I am just not very good at pushups. They are hard for me and I'm never, I'm never gonna be great at 'em, never gonna have great form and so instead of believing that, I have been trying to adopt this mindset of okay, well no, I'm in training to get stronger at them, to get better at them and so rather than being so discouraged when I can't do as many as I want with good form is know this is a training step in the right direction.

  So with your specific skill or practice that is a little bit more challenging for you, I want you to think about what is that next baby step in training that you can take to grow, not pass or fail, not I'm trying and I didn't do it? No, a training step. I'm in training to get from here to here and it's okay if I'm not already here.

  The training process takes time, right, and it takes diligence, okay? So what's your baby step for training in this area that is a challenge for you?