The Journal of Business Research defines the Ever-Fresh Mindset as “a proactive approach to personal growth that treats mental agility and resilience as trainable skills rather than fixed traits.”
They say that a fresh mind is the best breeding ground for new ideas. However, with all the extra efforts we put in in the current working environment of not missing opportunities, deadlines yet the best-in-class output fatigue can fast set in at the end of the day. Today, work has become both location or time neutral and burnouts are common. Work life balance has literally gone for a complete toss. Switch off just does not happen. Whether we are meditating or exercising or even pursuing our favourite hobbies, we are still on the work stage and our minds are thinking away. The fact that the curtains on the stage are down and we are on the wings to rejuvenate, we don’t really disconnect, do we?
And then the next day when we reach office, we do not reach recharged or in the best state of mind. So, what is the trigger to get all this right? There are many, but developing The Ever-Fresh Mindset can really help. Here are small steps to cultivate this useful mindset.
Shut out the mental din
Consciously curate what you feed your mind daily. Utilizing smartphone reminders, calendars, or even simple to-do lists can also offload routine memory tasks so you have the mental energy to focus on new things (Harvard Health)
We are full of dynamic do lists and as you know the list keeps changing as we keep juggling our priorities. And then an unforeseen crisis hits us and our juggle breaks and our priorities get strewn all over. Each priority screams at us from on the top of their lungs. The mind gets completely rattled. Obviously, our freshness goes out of the nearest window. Then we try and collect all our priorities and start all over. Precious time is lost and maybe some important deadlines chucked into the waste paper bin.
Plan your work then work your plan
Most workloads are seasonal and predictable especially in professional services. Create a practical plan which takes into account, your usual milestones predicted by your business plan but keep time for opportunistic contingencies and new tasks (Author)
If you are a leader, you are responsible for the high-quality output of your team members, but also responsible for what you need to deliver to your team. The number one priority of a leader is to create and manage an effective plan. While always keeping your team working on a war footing was the way we used to lead in the past, with the new work values that have emerged today, including empowerment, empathy and inclusivity. This needs you to not only work shoulder to shoulder with your team with clear logic backing your directions, but also create ‘space’, ‘my time’ and make work fun.
Just consciously practicing these techniques will give birth to an Ever-Fresh Mindset not only for you, but for your entire team.
Reinvent what’s good and what’s good enough
A fresh mindset is the practice of shifting your perspective to focus on growth, resilience, and actionable progress rather than perfection or past failures. It involves replacing negative self-talk with a supportive inner voice and embracing daily challenges as learning opportunities (Jack Kenny)
While it’s just terrific to aim at perfection in what you do or lead your team to achieve, sometimes you need to focus on what’s good and what’s not good enough for the goal/task in hand. Only a fresh mindset can help you analyse objectively and re-look at your roadmap to ensure you reach your destination. You must also figure out your own ‘me time’ to keep re-looking at how you are doing and where you are really headed. Stay ahead in thinking with the Ever-Fresh Mindset
“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” — T.S. Eliot
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