Monday Motivating Mindset

THE HYPE

This weeks Motivating Mindset will pump up your problem-solving muscles.

THE CHALLENGE

Your Mindset challenge this week is getting in the habit of asking yourself:

"What don't I already know about this?"

THE PROMISE

Ask yourself this question whenever you come across a road block and you will solve your problems faster and more easily.


THE TIPS

Whenever the path before you appears blocked, or you come across a mental block, try asking yourself "What don't I already know about this?".

This will help you shift from seeing the problem in the same old ways and tap into the power of your creativity.

The next time you reach an apparent dead-end you must first realize that you have reached this block even though you know what you know.

Therefore, even though you know what you know, what you need to know is what you don't know already.

The best information in a solving a problem that has been plaguing you is by approaching it from a completely different angle.

Asking yourself the question "What don't I already know about this?" will help you uncover some strategic solutions.

Often we make the mistake of believing that we have all the information necessary to deal with a situation, or form an opinion, when we haven't taken the time to dig deeper.

When this happens we tend to make assumptions that eventually hinder our growth and keep us feeling frustrated.

An example is if you have struggled with something like weight management throughout your life.

What you already know about the situation is the gamut of diets, programs, exercises and training systems that you've gone through that don't work.

What you also likely already know is how many months and years you have been trying to lose those last pounds.

The problem with knowing what you already know is that by studying the things above, it won't move you closer to a solution.

Instead, chances are likely that studying what you know has probably lead you to ask yourself something along the lines of "What's wrong with me, how come I just can't get past this?"

You might be tempted to compare your result to others and wonder why "Tae Bo" or the "Atkin's Diet" worked for your best friend but not for you.

Instead of asking yourself a question based on a problem, your challenge is to shift gears by asking yourself a question based on a solution.

By asking yourself "What don't I already know about this?" you will find out new areas and angles to approach your weight management.

Repeatedly asking yourself this question will automatically enlist the help of your creativity in order to try and solve the problem.

You might discover that what you don't know already about your weight management is why you want to manage the weight to begin with.

You might uncover that what you don't know already is how your personality plays a role in your weight management.

You might find out that what you don't know already is why you have chosen to approach the problem in the way that you have.

The more that you ask yourself "What don't I already know about this?" the more easily that you will be able to come up with new empowering answers.


THE SECRET

To really turbo charge your results, when you sit down to ask yourself "What don't I already know about this?", write down your ideas on paper.

You might want to start with listing all the things that you already know about the problem you are trying to solve.

The more you can understand your problem and the better you are able to formulate the question, the better answers you will come up with.

It has been said that a problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.

The best way to solve a problem that has been challenging to you for a while is to make a "creative map", "concept map" or "mind map".

A concept/creative/mind map is a diagram used for linking words and ideas to a central key word or idea.

It is used to visualize, classify, structure, and generate ideas, as well as an aid in study, problem solving, and decision making.

A concept map is a great way to come up with ideas that you may not have otherwise thought of.

Use your creative map in conjunction with the question "What don't I already know about this?" for a very powerful problem-solving combination.

However, you can apply this question and creative-map technique to many other areas of your life, not just problem-solving.

Some areas that are great to apply this question to are your Judgements, Justifications and Tolerations.

When it comes to judging people, places or things, asking yourself that question that might prove helpful before making any false assumptions.

For example, you might be tempted to form an opinion about someone because of something that recently happened.

Before you cast judgement on another, put yourself in their shoe's and ask yourself "What don't I already know about them?" to better understand where they may be coming from.

When it comes to justifying thoughts, feelings and behaviours, asking "What don't I already know about why I do them?" might provide some critical insight.

When it comes to areas in your life that have been continually tolerated, such as a bad relationship, poor organization, work stress, etc, asking yourself "What don't I already know?" might help change your mind about why you are doing it and what you can do about it.

The key is to use the information that you discover to help you re-frame the situation in a more beneficial and positive light.

After you have discovered what you don't know, ask yourself "how can I use this new knowledge to get better results?".

If you are still drawing a blank or feel blocked then keep in mind that you can always ask a friend to be an objective mirror for you.

As long as you are open and willing you can stand on the shoulders of giants, mentors, coaches, heroes and sheroes to overcome your problems.

The more you practice asking yourself the hard questions in life, the more easy your life will become.