Mindset awareness may be a trend right now, but I’ve been teaching and training deep mindset work for over 30 years and mindset awareness affects every aspect of how you think, listen, and speak, moment by moment.

What is a mindset?

My definition of mindset is the set of beliefs and assumptions we hold about ourselves, others, and the world. It’s the what in how we describe our state of being. Mindset is not positive or negative; it just exists. What’s truly important about mindset is that with routine observation and consistent practice, it’s changeable.

In the following video I share my insights about mindset awareness and Learner and Judger mindsets.

VIDEO

For your convenience, I’ve included the following transcript of the video.

Mindset Awareness – Learner/Judger Mindsets

Mindsets operate all the time. They affect us all the time, even if we’re not aware of them. And mostly, people aren’t. They affect us at every single moment. And when we become aware of the mindsets we have, which one is affecting us, and which one we’re leading with at a particular moment, it gives us an enormous amount of freedom and choice. We are able to say, “That mindset’s not working so well. Let me try this one.”

Beyond recognizing we have mindsets is acknowledging we all have Judger. We all have Learner. We always will. And we can grow by accepting that we have Judger. And you notice that accepting doesn’t mean necessarily liking or approving. It just simply means, “Oh, okay, I accept you. I’m wearing a pink shirt right now.”

I accept that. That’s a pink shirt. It’s a fact. I happen to like my pink shirt. So when we talk about making friends with Judger, it’s a really important aspect of experiencing our own wholeness. So when we make friends with Judger, embracing that part of us, it doesn’t mean that we let it run away with us. In fact, I challenge you to ask yourself: do I have my Judger or does my Judger have me?

If you can ask that in the moment, you more likely have your Judger. But, most of the time, people’s Judger mindset has them. I want you to have the experience, the capacity, and the skill (not just the intention) to be in charge of your Judger mindset when it shows up. So in that sense, we can welcome Judger. You may remember a chapter in the book, Change Your Questions Change Your Life is called, “We’re All Recovering Judgers”—it’s true. And we all have a Learner mindset: a rich, vibrant resource of curiosity and connection and possibility. So when we accept and embrace our Judger mindset and accept, embrace, and build on our Learner mindset, then we have a methodology for approaching and thinking of ourselves as whole. From wholeness, we can be strong in whatever we take on.

Remember, mindsets are always present and always changeable. Choosing to stop and observe your current mindset, without judgment, will allow you to switch to Learner at any given moment.

I want to know how you’re using these practices to observe your mindset and choose your reactions and actions. Leave me a comment with the details!