Mindset
What is mindset? Dictionary.com states that Mindset is first an attitude, disposition or mood. Second it states that mindset is an intention or inclination(Mindset, 2014).
This past weekend I was going to Wisconsin with my brother Dan. Our trip had many purposes but first on our mind was to help our brother Jeff in Chetek to grow his newly formed coffee business. Dan had just downloaded Robert Kiyosaki’s book “Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!” through his audible account. One concept that was brought to light in the book was that was a lesson his “Poor Dad” had taught him. We grow up with the belief that if we go to school and get good grades. We earn a degree and get a good job. We then work for forty years and retire. This was a lesson that my parents had taught me as I was growing up. This worked when my parents were growing up but it isn’t a sound plan in today’s world. I had a bigger problem that faced me when I was talking to my oldest daughter Jamie and I want to help her succeed too. The problem was though I had taught my daughters that same mindset. I taught my kids as Robert says “How to work for money.”
After listening to Robert’s book I did realize that it isn’t too late for either me or my girls and the their kids. I had made a decision to change my mindset and to give my family the tools that they could use to change their mindset. For me sometimes I forget that I can’t change anyone but me. So I can’t change my girls but I can give them the tools to change themselves if they choose to. It’s easy to forget that people won’t change unless they know they need to change. It was the same reason that I smoked for twenty years before I quit. It wasn’t until my why had changed and that changed my mindset. My youngest Cassie was due to be born in a few months and my doctor told me I was killing my family with second hand smoke. My why became keeping my family and myself alive for many years. I quit in four weeks.
Here are some steps that I am using to change my mindset:
- Read and listen to inspirational books
- Listen to a podcast by people like Michael Hyatt
- Limit distractions like TV
- Find a champion. I heard a great saying from many inspirational speakers; if you hang around 9 broke people you will be number 10. Spend more time with people you want to be like. I chose to spend time with people like Holton Buggs, Rod Smith, Greg Norman and the my mentor and friend Dr. Latrice Walker.
- Make a decision that you want something better than what you have.
- Find your why. I have a few why’s: My first is to have the time to travel and see my family without worrying about where my money will come from and when it will get there. My second why is to help 500 Native American families to find their why and their freedom as they choose it. Freedom doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone and each of us has to find our freedom.
First I would like to leave you with a link to Michael Hyatt’s page. I like his podcast and highly recommend it,
Michael Hyatt’s| Intentional Leadership
Second I would like to offer a link to help you gain financial freedom.
Ray Hansen’s Organo Gold Page
Lastly I would like to give the link to Robert Kiyosai’s book.
Mindset. (2014). Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mindset?s=t
Kiyosaki, R. T. (2001). Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! New York, New York: Warner.