The Neutral Mindset

Do you have things that just really throw you off during the day? People will say that there are certain things that just get under your skin. They change your mood and change the way you go after your day.

These distractions aren’t just people though, there are other things that take our attention away from the day at hand. These things cause us to get emotionally invested in bad situations, that don't really affect us. Those situations take up your time, your mind, your energy, and bandwidth. You begin to notice that you never leave those distracting conversations or situations feeling more energized than when you went in.

If you fit into this bucket, know that you are not alone. As humans, we have a tendency to get emotionally involved in situations. Those situations could be anything from a political situation to who should have won the game. We take time getting attached to our viewpoint and it affects the way we operate. The best place to see this is on social media in the comments section. This might be confrontational to say, but your business deserves better than that!

But what is the alternative??

The alternative is what I like to call the neutral mindset. What is a neutral mindset? There are many different explanations of what that can mean, but for you as a business owner it means that you want to be in the neutral zone that’s right in the middle of pessimism and optimism.

Let me give you an example. Imagine it's March 2020 and you are being told that your state is getting shut down for business and you are going into a 15 day stay home order. The Optimist believes that this is all for the good of the situation and makes decisions as if the 15 days are going to pass and that they will be back to work in no time. The Pessimist believes that this is the end of both the world and our freedoms as we know it. “Here we go, straight into tyranny,” The Pessimist says.

The neutral minded person looks at the same situation and makes decisions based on how things unfold, never to get bogged down on one side of “What If” or the other. They continue to navigate the waters as they approach them, not over-reaching too far ahead. They don't make decisions with the feeling everything is going to turn out terribly, but they also don't make decisions as if everything is coming up roses. They make decisions based on the situation at hand and no more. They don't let their emotions ever get the best of them.

Why is this good for your business?

Today's Tidbit!

Your business needs a lot of neutrality, specifically right now. Though this time is stressful and there is no way to be prepared for what we are going through, being neutral is essential for making decisions based on only the facts and obstacles that truly face you right now. When you start making emotional decisions in your business, your business operates on how you feel. If you are feeling particularly pessimistic, you will make decisions with the Chicken Little mentality of “the sky is falling”. If you are feeling overly optimistic, you will make decisions as though you can't make a mistake thus leaving yourself unprotected against potential danger. By making a neutral minded decision you are open to accepting both outcomes as possibilities. It doesn't allow you to get to down when things start to turn against you while also preventing you from becoming too cocky.

Today your action item is to start looking at your business - where are you overly emotional? Where are you completely unconcerned with the consequences that you might need a second look? Where are you just sure things will never go right again? Where in your business do you need to take a more neutral approach? Start taking stock on how you make decisions. Are there certain people, events, or things that trigger this emotional decision making? When you come across an overly-emotional area in your business, think through said areas and come up with a game plan that brings you back to center. Not overly optimistic, not overly pessimistic, just neutral.

Enjoy!