At times, I confound myself. At one moment I am bound and determined to accomplish something, the next moment my resolve seems to sink into the quicksand of a busy life. I find myself less confused these days based upon some insights shared by Mark LeBlanc of Small Business Success. Marks works with people who want to start a business or grow the one they already have. His observations about what causes one person to succeed while another fails, was the key I was looking for to help me stick with the goals I set for myself. If you have specific goals you want to achieve or maintain in the New Year, read on and learn the secret of recognizing whether you are prepared to succeed or fail.

Are you a Thinker, Doer, Struggler or Achiever? When it comes to healthy lifestyle choices where is your Mindset? When you review your professional goals and step out to achieve them, what is your Mindset? If you can determine your Mindset, you can decide to keep it or change it. The right Mindset will guarantee success in achieving your goals!

Understanding your Mindset is not about labeling yourself permanently, like a personality profile. The question is not "What Mindset am I?" It is "When am I …a Thinker, a Struggler, a Doer or an Achiever?" The important concept to understand is that two of the Mindsets will keep you stuck, while the other two will enable you to see progress and continued success.

When you learn to recognize your Mindset and understand what it is that you need, you will move beyond stuck or confused to success.

Your Mindset about something can change in the blink of an eye. Insight and information help shift your Mindset. Your beliefs, past experiences and attitudes about yourself change and vary depending upon which area of life you’re looking at.

I’ll describe each of the Mindsets, what the want is, what the true need is, the obstacle contained in each and the key question you need to ask yourself to move to the level of Achiever or Doer-the Mindsets of success.

The Thinker is the individual who is thinking about something. "I’m thinking about getting in shape." "I’m thinking about changing careers." "I’m thinking about hiring a success coach." The Struggler is someone who is caught up in a struggle, is focused on all the obstacles and challenges involved in achieving a goal. The Struggler says, "I know I should spend more time with my family, but I just have three more months of this crunch time." "I know it would be smart for me to take more time off next year, but it’s so insane when I come back, it’s not worth taking time off." I know I should be lifting weights, but I don’t know how to do it." You get the idea.

The Doer is someone who has made a decision to do something and typically has a time frame. The Doer says, "I’m signed up for that time management course and this year I’m going to make time management an active priority." "I’ve heard how great Yoga is and I’m going to start, when are the classes?" "I’m going to plan my meals so I’m not sabotaging my health and energy at every meal."

The Achiever is the individual who has determined a goal and is focused on progress and the outcome. For instance, they look at the time and money put forth for health related programs as an investment. The Achiever says, "I’ve heard a Personal Trainer will get me on track for weight training, I’d like to invest in that kind of relationship." Or the Achiever says, "I’m interested in increasing my business 50-80% this year. Let’s get started." "I am determined to focus on significance in my life over "success," even if it costs me financially this year, I’m going to create a life with deeper fulfillment."

The goal is to think, do and be more consistently like an Achiever.

A Thinker wants to make a decision. A Struggler wants a quick fix (most of the $33 billion diet pills and potions business is supported by Strugglers.). The Doer wants action. The Achiever wants a foundation to build continued success on. What is it you have been wanting these days? Can you pinpoint the perspective you have in your approach to your lifestyle/health goals? How about your professional aspirations?

The Thinker needs information. A Thinker may sound like a Struggler. "I think I need a personal trainer to get going, but it’s probably too expensive." Right now, this individual is a Thinker thinking about whether a personal trainer would be helpful. Without more information, a decision can’t be made. Suppose this Thinker calls and gets information on training. Their Mindset may then shift to any of the others. For instance, "Oh gosh, that’s so much, I couldn’t possibly spend that much on training." (Forget the amount they just spent on a New Years outfit, new golf clubs or shoes that weren’t really needed.)

Or the person may become an Achiever, "You know what, I’m tired of feeling tired! When can we get started?" Same information, different Mindset.

The Struggler needs a new perspective, a "wake-up call" or the phone to dial 911. When your perspective changes about the value of something, your struggling ends. When the options are; start exercising, start learning to relax or have a heart attack, the Struggler often shifts his Mindset. Discovering you are borderline diabetic may help shift your Mindset from a Struggler to a Doer. Yet, that is not a guarantee. My dad knew seven years before he ended up in heart surgery that his lifestyle put him at risk for heart disease. He continued to have a Struggler Mindset.

Another client was too busy to examine the emptiness and loneliness in her marriage until she stuggled into divorce. When the reality of supporting her children became evident, she shifted into a Doer Mindset, became proactive and started making things happen.

The Doer needs to act on her goal immediately. The Doer needs to make the call, set the appointment, pack her workout bag and clear an hour out of her schedule. Responding with a sense of urgency to the changed Mindset is important. The Doer is looking for productivity.

The Achiever needs a resource. As a Success Coach, my clients use me as a resource to help them make their lifestyle changes last. They partner with me to design a life plan that brings the fulfillment, energy, hope and fun back into their life. The Achiever is looking for progress. The Achiever says, "I want to loose weight the smart way. I’ll agree to the 1-2 pounds per week and the recommended workout program. I’ll agree to review my choices daily and monitor my progress." This is the person who may or may not loose all the weight they determined to in a given time frame, but is more excited about the progress than the numbers on the scale.

The Achiever wants their relationships to be healthy, dynamic, and playful. They also know that this goal takes time and a plan to achieve.

The challenge each Mindset faces is also different. If you are a Thinker, motivation is your challenge. If you’re still stuck "thinking" about getting healthier, you haven’t discovered a compelling goal that motivates you. If you are a Struggling with a professional goal, ask yourself, "What am I afraid of?" Fear often keeps a Struggler in a stuck Mindset.

The Doer needs to be aware of being busy vs. productive. Thoughtfully following through on goals and recommendations is important. Understanding why you are doing the things you are doing will prevent you from shifting into a Struggler Mindset when your coworkers, staff or family are inconvenienced by your self care activities and loudly voice their unhappiness or confusion.

What is your Mindset for your New Years goals? When are you a certain Mindset? A Mindset does not label you, it reveals what you need, want and suggests questions to ask yourself. Operating with an Achiever Mindset throughout your day, in every area of your life is a great goal. That’s what the New Year offers you, the opportunity to reflect, recreate, rethink and recharge the design of your life for the next millennium!

Kate Larsen coaches individuals who want to live with an Achiever Mindset. Her coaching programs teach others how to become Achievers physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually and interpersonally. Become one of Kate’s Doers/Achievers clients and redesign your life to reach greater fulfillment and optimal health. Make the decision today, call Kate at Winning LifeStyles, Inc. to get started: (612) 943-1430 kate@katelarsen.com

For more information on the upcoming book Mindsets; A Simple Way To Understand Ourselves and Others, call or email your request to Kate Larsen.

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