Our days are a make-up of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. These three determine how our overall day will be and direct our mental attitude. Though we cannot control what happens to us in life, we can control how we react to everything. A wise man once said, “A fool reacts, but a warrior acts.” This simply means that even though we may be dealt a bad hand, it is up to us to determine how to play it. We can choose to give up and curse our luck, or we can refine our mindset to a way of thinking that will overcome any obstacle. In this week’s blog, I want to talk about the mind and how to get/keep it more organized.

The organized mind is a mindset that is aware of all that is currently. This includes what you see around you and what you feel/see within yourself. The mind is a powerful asset on your road to success. It is essential to have it organized in a way that will help you get further in life rather than act as a deterrence to accomplishing your goals. For example, think of your mind as a dam. There is a wall(dam) that keeps the water in at the top, and it releases a controlled amount of water when the gates are opened. Some dams have turbines built in to produce hydroelectric energy. The water that is dammed is our mind in total. The water that is let out to produce energy is our focus and direction. That thought shows how you can turn any idea into something more through concentrated focus.

I find that many people struggle to keep their days focused on their goals and dreams. I cannot tell you how many people I speak with who have such amazing dreams. When I ask them what they are doing to get there, I am bombarded with excuses as to why they are not making any progress. I understand that attaining your dream life is no easy task. There will be blood, sweat, and tears shed to fulfill those dreams. You will miss many hours of sleep and lose track of family and friends, all to reach your goals. The excuse people use, saying that they do not have time, is mostly a false statement that is meant for them to feel better about their inaction and inability to commit to a higher self. We all have nothing but time if we are still breathing. This type of person doesn’t lack time but rather a schedule that promotes structure in their days.

I recently read a book called How to Own Your Mind by Napoleon Hill. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to get a better understanding of their mind. I learned many lessons from this book, but the biggest takeaway I got is how to organize your mind for success. This book is a great guide that will explain the steps in more detail than I will today. If you can organize your mind, then success will follow. What you put as a priority in your life will be your future. Oftentimes, the simplest distraction can take you away from critical working time, which will lead to completing your goals more consistently and quickly. That is why beginning to organize your mind is essential to your future self.

The organized mind looks like a new sheet of paper with one to three things on it. Of course, we know the mind is not that simple, but if you can organize your day to focus on something wholly, then you can make great progress. Now some things will not promote any growth, like sitting on the sofa watching Netflix or focusing on your phone all day. Those actions are distractions that will only hold you back in your life. That is true with any form of addiction. Life is about balance, so it is essential to organize what you need sufficiently. Imbalance in any part of your life will cause negative effects like anxiety and fear that puts focus on you. You have to do the things that will serve you when preparing your mind for meaningful work.

An organized mind has a type of focus that resembles a familiar feeling, confidence. What are you confident about? Perhaps you are a great cook, sports player, doctor, etc. You do not step into greatness and start to think of how inferior you are. If you have confidence in your skills, then your mind starts to organize its thoughts to promote growth and focus. We all have room to grow, learn, and be better, but that does not mean we are inadequate. The organized mind helps us realize what we are good at and provides a focus that will help strengthen our skills and knowledge.

I recall when I started my teaching career how I was nervous about teaching. Thoughts like would I be able to do a good job or would you like me constantly ran through my head at the start of the class. It took some months before I became comfortable with teaching and found the confidence I always had within me. Time and many mistakes lead to that feeling of confidence. I noticed I had to let go of the thinking that I was not good enough or something would go wrong. Instead, I started to focus on how good I was at teaching and what I wanted my students to accomplish(the goal). That thinking alone made me an effective teacher. The students learned, and my job was a breeze. I showed up each day ready to work, and there was no doubt that my day was going to be great.

When you organize your mind, you get rid of those negative feelings that act as anchors to your greatest potential. Ridding your life of fear is like chipping away at the ice. It might not happen in one day, but with consistency, you can get rid of any lingering fears/doubts you have. You will be able to choose how you want to feel and feel it completely. I believe that all of our feelings hold a purpose and should be understood. Knowing what you are feeling is the guide map for your next steps and the direction needed to be taken. The priority should be to focus on how you are right now. What do you want to do/feel right now? If you can start to think in that manner, then your mind will automatically steer toward what you want to accomplish. You do have to keep in your mind that distractions will try to come in and take that focus away, so you have to be stronger and more determined than any distraction that comes to your mind.

An organized mind is a way of thinking that will help you get any goal accomplished. This type of thinking puts focus on what you should be doing and what needs to be avoided. If you are into a habit and routine that is not getting the results you need, then it might be time to reorganize your mind and plans. You are the creator of your hopes and dreams, and you are the person who can get there the quickest. If you think that spending idle time and wishing for good fortune to bestow upon you one day, then you are wasting precious time.

In closing, the organized mind is a simple way of thinking that puts focus on your highest priorities in life. You have to find what you want in life and then do everything in your power to get it. You have to get rid of the idea that being comfortable is a good thing. You eventually want to have a comfortable life, but if you are not there, then you best start to get uncomfortable. You will not grow when you are in your comfort zone. You have to push past the pain, hurt, and difficult times so you can one day reach the place you want to be. Organize your mind, and you will find how your life begins to shape into what you envision it to be.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

CEO of Reven LLC.