Mind Your Mindset: The Science That Shows Success Starts with Your Thinking

Who controls the real estate of our thoughts? Well, the answer is not far-fetched — Is it? All of us have what Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller call “narrator” and Michael Singer tags “mental voice.” It is this constant nagging voice that tries to tell us what to do when faced with challenging situations or problems. Both books warn against always adhering to this voice.They also proffer similar solutions when confronted with problems. Listen to the authors of Mind Your Mindset: “Yes, there are problems ‘out there.’ But how we respond to those problems is entirely ‘in here’ — in our own heads.” In other words, the solution to solving externally induced problems is by looking inwards to change the narratives that prevent us from achieving our desired outcomes.Connecting to Eastern spiritual traditions, Singer opines that: “The bottom line is, you’ll never be free of problems until you are free from the part within that has so many problems.” For example, someone that is feeling jealous should be asking: “What part of me is jealous? Such a question will enable you to probe yourself critically and identify the part of you having a problem with jealousy before subsequently dealing with it. This involves a change from “outer solution consciousness” to “inner solution consciousness.”Summary of Mind Your MindsetMind Your Mindset: The Science That Shows Success Starts with Your Thinking by Megan Hyatt Miller and Michael S. Hyatt is about understanding the inner workings of our minds, which enables us to see reality clearer and find better, more creative solutions to achieving our goals.In explaining part of the motivation behind Mind Your Mindset, Megan mentions how she and her spouse were finding it hard to cope with the behavior of their two adopted Ugandan male kids until she changed her mindset by telling a better story. Telling a new story enabled her to understand where she got stuck and that what worked for her older kids would not necessarily work for the much younger adoptees who had traumatic experiences before joining their new homes.Notably, Megan achieved success in solving her problem after extensive research about the impact of trauma on the brain. The results of that research are cleverly analyzed in Mind Your Mindset. Another valuable lesson here for an educator is the need to research to come up with optimal solutions for classroom challenges. More brains are better than one.Challenge Negative ThinkingAccording to the authors “Mind Your Mindset is your invitation to step boldly into a new and better way of thinking and living.” As a teacher, one may be faced with certain self-limiting thoughts from his or her narrator sometimes. For instance, when you are considering plans for further education, your narrator may be trying to convince you that a higher degree is not yet necessary for your career and that you should focus on other priorities or objectives.But deep down in you is a realization that the earlier you engage in further studies, the better your career development and labor market potential. Therefore, you need to swap your narrator’s negativity for a more empowering message. Be sure to also encourage your students to think positively as well.Uncertainty Shouldn’t Induce Fear But Be an Opportunity for Positive ChangeMind your Mindset teaches that uncertainty is not your enemy. It shows that sometimes chaos can bring about new possibilities. Hence you should resist fear and adopt an attitude of possibility, challenge those negative stories, and conceptualize new and more empowering narratives for better results in your work and life as a whole...Do Away With NegativityLike in Mind Your Mindset, The Untethered Soul strongly advises against allowing negative emotions to fester. For example, if for some reason your students’ behavior does not meet your expectations, do not succumb to any negative thoughts suggesting that you are not good enough to be teaching, but rather dig deeper to unravel the root causes of the poor classroom dynamics and make amends.Not a “This” Versus “That” BookBoth Mind Your Mindset and The Untethered Souls serve as companion readings. The former is inspired by brain research, psychology, and a Western hero’s narrative, while the latter is anchored on an Eastern mystical and yogic ethos. However, both books push readers to examine our conscience and subconscious motivations and the narratives that limit our possibilities.These companion readings challenge us to resist the little voice inside that can destroy the real estate of our thoughts. After reading both books, you should be able to imagine new and empowering ways to be in the moment and grow in your teaching and hustle practices.

I’ve always wanted to lose weight. I’ve tried the Keto Diet, Paleo Diet, SlimFast (back in the day), and hiring a personal trainer.But something always seems to get in my way. I never seem to be able to keep it up. I get inspired at first, but somewhere along the way things get uncomfortable, I get tired or bored, and I give up. The “narrator” starts up and derails my progress.Mind Your Mindset helped me see the real problem is my beliefs about myself. The lie I’ve believed is a story that says, “I can’t do it.” Or “This is too hard.” Or “These other people’s issues are more important right now (kids, husband, employer).” Or “I don’t deserve to be thin.” The book showed me how to identify the false stories I believe, expose them for what they are, and write a new narrative that serves me better.I would highly recommend reading it if you are struggling to reach any goal you’ve been reaching for in your life and just have never been able to accomplish.Some books focus on one aspect of an issue. They only get me partway to a solution or an understanding of an issue. Others are very technical and don’t necessarily break down those technical aspects for the layperson.This book combs through all the technical information out there and shares it with the audience through easy-to-understand writing and the use of stories to drive the points home. The book also contains a robust bibliography if you want to dive into a topic in more detail.Mind Your Mindset is about identifying your “narrator” (your mindset) and changing the narrative you are being told by your own mind and experiences. It helped me realize why I am not reaching my goals; that my narrator has been telling me a story that blocks my path to success.I would recommend it to anyone struggling with imposter syndrome, inability to accomplish a goal or negative reactions to situations such as public speaking or dealing with conflict. This book is transformational and informational.My biggest takeaway is this quote: “Many of our stories about the world appear to be self-evident, true, and infallible. They’re just stories, but our brain presents them as if they’re solid facts.” This is meaningful to me because I truly feel that stories are facts, and this book and shown me how to question that and change the story.

Some of the Full Focus books written by Michael and Megan coke with distinct tools to tackle problems. This was not one of them. However, I found the philosophical ideas of checking your mindset (could be considered biases your subconscious mind has) to (potentially) show you new paths.I appreciated the anecdotal stories from Michael and Megan which riddle the books the write. But, there were times in this book where I wondered if we could move along with the discussion and finish the anecdote. The anecdotes were still helpful in understanding the message.

Enjoyed being challenged in my mindset around challenges that I face on a daily basis.Sometimes all that’s needed is a different perspective.Thanks Megan and Michael!

"Mind Your Mindset" is an insightful book that will challenge you to rethink your thought patterns and beliefs. The authors do an excellent job of delivering the content with clarity and passion, making the reading experience enjoyable. The author's concept of "revising your story" is especially powerful and encourages the reader to take control of their thoughts and create a more positive narrative. The emphasis on intuition and the explanation of the default mode network are also highlights of the book. Overall, I highly recommend "Mind Your Mindset" for anyone looking to improve their mental well-being and live a more fulfilling life.

A very helpful book which identifies how much of our lives can be driven by our past and the assumptions that has generated, and then helps to reshape our inner narrator into more helpful directions.