Today we are living in an information economy. Where success in the marketplace is determined by basically two key factors: what you know and who you know.

But is that enough?

If success in life basically comes down to what knowledge you have and the insights you have gained by experience and the type of people you are in contact with, then the success rate is likely to be higher. Or at least the failure rate in society is likely to be far lower.

If you look at the world today, the real problem is not just with people who are not reaching the top and fulfilling their fullest potential in terms of their careers and aspirations.

Rather the real problem lies with people and men in particular who are simply unable to find a way to deal effectively with their day-to-day problems.

Men who are struggling to find that glimmer of hope to keep going; to generate that enthusiasm to keep working on their various projects; to have that impetus to strive for things that are more than just the average.

Then we have the average guys: The group, possibly the majority of young men in the Western world, who have the basics in place: education, relatively good health, and something of a career.

The ingredients could potentially lead to them better and possibly greater things. But these are the very men, possibly numbering in the tens of millions, who sadly don’t rise above their current state.

The question is: Is there a way out for them? And if are you one of them, do you want to know how?

These and other related problems that relate to success and growth in the modern world have become pressing questions.

In the connected age that we are in, the growing class of men who are not living up to any potential, let alone their best, is a problem that needs to be engaged.

Many are trying, but only some have real solutions. And only a few have identified the core source of this social malaise: Mindset.

In this post, we will engage the importance of Mindset: what it means, what are the types of mindsets that people are adopting (knowingly or otherwise), and what is the right or possibly the best Mindset for success.

Everyone Has a Mindset 

Let’s start with what is arguably the most important point when it comes to this subject: the integral character of Mindset to our being.

To put it differently every person out there in the world, and I mean EVERYONE, has a mindset that governs their thoughts and actions, and in turn comes to affect the way they view their life, themselves, and in time the world as a whole.

But what exactly do we mean by the term mindset? The mindset simply comes down to the collection of attitudes and points of view a person has towards life.

In practice, this comes to the way in which the person comes to view the various situations and scenarios that make up his every day. Those which add up and in time come to exert an accumulative effect on everything the person does or plans to do.

In other words, the kind of mindset a person adopts, which happens to a variety of factors, comes to have a circular effect on his/her life. There is no escaping it.

Of course, one might think that mindsets can change and that one need not be limited to or curtailed by one mindset. This is true. However, what cannot be ignored or dismissed is that a mindset invariably comes to have a dominating effect on a person’s life.

This is true for virtually everyone. And is most notable among the success stories and failures. For in each of those stories a single dominant frame of thought acts as the basis from which the respective realities emerge.

But how do we know this? How does one dominant state of mind come to affect the status of people? There is a long and short answer to this one.

The short answer is to tell the reader to go and read any biography of any person who has reached the heights of success in virtually any field.

And if you do, what would you find? You will find a story of trials and hardships. A story of endurance and persistence. One that involves some kind of sacrifice, either by circumstance or by choice.

And what do you think underpins all of these? You guessed it.

But for the unconvinced, let us look at how various mindsets that we have categorized as: terrible; bad, and good work out in practice.

Terrible: The Victim Mindset – The Mindset of Failure 

In life we can see the fruits of bad choices and beliefs held by a person via their actions.

It is straightforward and often tempting (in a judgemental way) to look at what a person has done, or failed to do (sounding all Christian a bit!) and jump to whatever conclusion about who they are, what they are doing, and where they are going wrong.

But what if we start at the very beginning: Start by looking at the origins of a person’s faulty actions, or more problematically their disposition towards making decisions that are adverse in the near term and most certainly in the long run.

If we do so, we are able to discover a pattern of behavior, that corresponds to a set of bad or sub-optimal choices. All of which, upon deeper inspection reveals a set of attitudes about key aspects of life. Attitudes that assert an adverse effect on the areas of life they relate to.

One of the most problematic mindsets that can dominate a person is the ‘victim mindset’.

If you are in any way familiar with the content of Bulldog Mindset (whose mindset we shall get to) you will have some idea about what the victim mindset is.

If you don’t, the victim mindset basically comes down to a person, who has led a difficult life and has endured some form of hardship; challenges that have had an enduring effect on the person.

Problematically the person in question has not only not come out of the adverse effects caused by the historical trauma: which could be physical, emotional, or both. But in time comes to allow those adverse experiences to affect his way of looking at himself and the world.

To be clear, the scars of life often never fully heal.

All of us, to varying degrees, carry some with us. And of course, for some, the scars of life are much greater.

Talk to anyone who has been to a war zone, or the stories of veterans of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, or anyone who has worked in ER, and you will hear some harrowing tales. That is of course if they are willing to share the details (they often don’t).

And these experiences, either those which directly impact us or from second-hand experience (e.g. such as losing a friend on the battlefield) can have deep impacts on the psyche of the person.

In turn, a lot of people carry this pain with them.

And that is not necessarily a bad thing. A lot of us are driven by the pain we carry with us, to go forward and do better things.

The problems start when this pain, which could take many forms: anger, regret, and vindictiveness is allowed to fester and grow. Given enough time this negativity (about events that took place in the past) could come to have a growing effect on the present.

IF the person in question permits it.

What do we mean by ‘permit’? Look at it this way: all of us carry some kind of pain with us. Some kind of regret, or hurt. Often in relation to things we did, failed to do, or that we believed we allowed to happen.

Trouble starts when we do not stop seeing these events of the past as an experience to learn from and grow. And instead allow these moments of pain, regret, and hurt to take over.

Since giving in and surrendering to the pain and heartache is easier than fighting against it, and adopting the correct one, a lot of people become victims of their past, and live a life that is limited by it.

What results is the victim mindset: which keeps them tied to their past, and failures.

The Victim Mindset in Practice 

To understand this further, let’s look at a human example.

The victim mindset is captured best in the sort of person who thinks that since bad things have happened in the past, they hence they most likely will in the future.

Which is not too far from the truth.

However, what is different is that the person who has the victim mindset views life as this one long journey full of pain, hurt, and no reward. His status as a victim in the past is somehow meant to leave him as a victim for the future!

The principle that life is tough and that you need to toughen up to face it is missed.

Instead, the person with the victim mindset comes to accept the view that the world is somehow against him. That bad things happen to him alone. Because he is… special!?

More seriously, the real problem with the victim mindset is that the person in question not only fails to live up to his potential but also starts to view people around him: friends, co-workers, and possibly even family as potential enemies.

Needless to say, this is a recipe for disaster, let alone success.

Bad: The Fixed (Lazy) Mindset – The Mindset of Mediocrity 

Next on the list is something a number of us can relate to.

Well, maybe I am being a bit generous. It's more like most of us!

Believe it or not, the mindset that accepts things as they are, does just about enough to get by through life is arguably the most dominant mindset in the world and possibly ever.

The fixed mindset is one that most of us can relate to, and that means even the successful ones.

For fixed or lazy mindset is the easiest mindset to slip into.

Why? Well because the simple fact of life is that every one like to take a break from time to time. To let things go. To let events just happen and be content to be the bystander looking in.

And you know what it is perfectly fine to take the take-it-easy road from time to time. Like when you are on a holiday.

The trouble is when this take-it-easy policy becomes the state of mind. One that interestingly comes to occupy people even when they are working, learning, and doing stuff that involves effort.

Basically, the person who adopts the fixed or lazy mindset is someone who is happy to take whatever that life throws at him, is happy to use whatever gifts he has to suit his basic needs and wants, and overall lead a quiet but content life. Nothing more!

A life without adventure, real change, and most importantly personal growth. One that is defined by the following main faults. Such as:

  • He is a person who embraces or rather gives into the status quo of his life and does not swim against the tide when necessary.

  • He is someone who does not aim or dream big.

  • He is a man who thinks what he has is all that he deserves.

  • He is the sort of person who works hard enough to get through life but does not reach the next level, even if he could.

  • Above all, a person with a lazy mindset is about avoiding risks. At all costs.

As the reader can see the lazy mindset is the most pervasive one: one that is difficult to spot and even harder to correct. The person who has it tends to think that things are just fine as they are.

And thinks that change is either bad or not worth the investment. Investment in terms of time, and effort, embracing the necessary discomfort that comes with changing it, and the potential growth that may result.

Needless to say, the person who embraces the fixed/lazy mindset pretty much stays the same person for life and contributes little to society beyond servicing his own needs.

Great: The Bulldog Mindset 

No surprises here, the best mindset in the business if you are aiming for success, growth, or simply experiencing a change of course in your life is the Bulldog Mindset.

If you are not sure, why not jump to the end of this post and check out the video which will tell you all about it?

For now let us consider the core aspects of the Bulldog Mindset, which is the opposite of the victim mindset and the enemy of the moderate or lazy mindset.

And the best way to do it is to see how it differs from each of these problematic mindsets.

First, let’s start with the victim mindset. Philosophically the Bulldog Mindset is the opponent of the victim mindset.

Drawing inspiration from the world of Stoic thought, the Bulldog Mindset embraces the challenge of life. Whereby pain, trials, and hardships of whatever kind whether mental or physical are not confronted head-on, but the person is actually called upon to embrace them.

By ‘embrace’ we are not dealing with some kind of sadomasochist idea. Rather it is the frank recognition that life is not easy. It is not meant to be.

S**t happens. No one, unless they are truly blessed, is free from the difficulties of life. And that the best way to navigate the many challenges one may face in life is to face them directly.

To learn from them and grow as a result. Growth is what truly counts. The growth that comes by accepting the process.

There is an unwritten law in this space, that one learns in the process of following the right Mindset: that the destination, however important, is not the thing that truly matters. Rather it is the path you take, and the choices you make in the process.

For Bulldog Mindset hardship is the way to growth. And getting out of your comfort zone to face your fears and insecurities is the ONLY way to become a better version of yourself.

And as for what may or may not have happened in your past, or what may await you in the future, your job is to knuckle down and live in the moment. As the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius informs us: ‘Remember that neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present’.

Overcoming Laziness and Winning 

 

A point we have consistently made in Bulldog Mindset is that the biggest obstacle you are going to face in life is yourself.

Call it limiting beliefs, call it the lack of opportunity, call it bad government or the economy. Whatever the cause (or excuse) one may come up with, when it comes to succeeding in life, nothing can surpass the importance of what you choose to do in the face of challenges. The main one stems from within.

There is a lot that can be said about the dangers of laziness. This state of mind accepts whatever little that comes your way, and is happy to cite and point out any and all reasons that impede action.

For a quick and powerful summary of this problem and how to overcome it, check out this solid resource that can get you up and running in no time.

In the meantime, understand that the reality of laziness is something all of us face from time to time. The temptation of taking it easy is always there.

But what sets apart the top performers from the losers, from the winners from whiners is that the good ones accept it. Those who choose to fight their urges and overcome them. For it is only by rising up and taking action can good things ever happen.

The question is do you want to have it takes to get better? And before that: Do you want to have the good things in life: money, status, the girls? If yes, then you gonna have to work for it. But you need not do it alone.

A word to advise folks: hard work and perseverance is all good, but equally important is having the right guidance. And this is an area, from Mindset to business development, we can deliver.

You, by making the commitment to try harder and strive for better things, must know that is not simply a matter of choice. It is the commitment to a way of life.

One that is defined by hard work, perseverance, and the pursuit of growth: This Is the Bulldog Mindset.