Go Bold

I’m in a book club that I started. We read a book every month in the self-help/personal development genre and have a thirty-minute call and discussion about it once a week.

Our first book was one I chose—Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World written by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler.

The title alone really resonated with me. One of the key things the authors talk about is having a bold mindset—mindset is EVERYTHING!

How can you change your perspective and mindset from a hesitant one of scarcity and doubt to a bold one of abundance and a winning mentality?

This is not always easy—it depends on where you come from, how you grew up and how you think about the world. It’s an important and powerful concept, one that most people never quite understand.

I’m a firm believer in the power of mindset and visioning and have practiced it in my personal and professional life.

Laying the framework and creating the fertile mental playing field for big thought and goals is huge. Then creatively incubating it and having the confidence and commitment to execute is a massive achievement.

Goals small and big can benefit from this approach. I’ve seen it yield amazing results time and time again in my life.

In Bold, the authors put it this way:

Big goals work best when there’s an alignment between an individual’s values and the desired outcome of the goal. When everything lines up, we’re totally committed— meaning we’re paying even more attention, are even more resilient, and are way more productive as a result.

Organizational inertia comes from a fear of failure. This fear is the reason Kodak didn’t recognize the brilliance of the digital camera, IBM initially dismissed the personal computer and America Online (AOL) is, well, barely online.

Autonomy is the desire to steer our own ship. Mastery is the desire to steer it well. Purpose is the need for the journey to mean something.

As you prepare to master today, consider the following “Creed of the Persistent and Passionate Mind” by Peter Diamandis:

1. If anything can go wrong, fix it! (To hell with Murphy!)
2. When given a choice—take both!
3. Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.
4. Start at the top, then work your way up.
5. Do it by the book . . . but be the author!
6. When forced to compromise, ask for more.
7. If you can’t win, change the rules.
8. If you can’t change the rules, then ignore them.
9. Perfection is not optional.
10. When faced without a challenge—make one.
11. No simply means begin one level higher.
12. Don’t walk when you can run.
13. When in doubt: THINK!
14. Patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing.
15. The squeaky wheel gets replaced.
16. The faster you move, the slower time passes, the longer you live.
17. The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself!
18. The ratio of something to nothing is infinite.
19. You get what you incentivize.
20. If you think it is impossible, then it is for you.
21. An expert is someone who can tell you exactly how something can’t be done.
22. The day before something is a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.
23. If it was easy, it would have been done already.
24. Without a target, you’ll miss it every time.
25. Fail early, fail often, fail forward!
26. If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
27. The world’s most precious resource is the persistent and passionate human mind.
28. Bureaucracy is an obstacle to be conquered with persistence, confidence and a bulldozer when necessary.

Let’s GO!

Power Quote

“Freedom lies in being bold.” —Robert Frost

Key Insight

Autonomy is the desire to steer our own ship. Mastery is the desire to steer it well. Purpose is the need for the journey to mean something.

Tactical Tip

Go bold! Pick an area in your life where you are comfortable and challenge yourself. Start small and build your new mindset by challenging your comfort zone.

Day Check

In what way today did you challenge yourself and push boundaries by changing your mindset?