What will your team and you achieve this year that is not only meaningful but also creates lasting impact?
As we step into a fresh year brimming with opportunities, this question invites introspection. It encourages you to pause and reflect on what truly matters to you and your team. What goals align with your core values and purpose? What strategies will empower you to achieve them?
This New Year, I found myself at the gym, revitalised after an incredible holiday in Vietnam and a heartwarming Christmas with my family in Port Macquarie. Amid the buzz of reconnecting with regular gym buddies, Alan, a long-time fitness enthusiast, shared an interesting insight: “It’s easier to form physical habits than mindset habits.” His reflection piqued my curiosity, prompting me to delve deeper.
Alan’s observation stemmed from his decades of automatic exercise habits. “I don’t even think about it anymore,” he said. Yet, he admitted he found it challenging to perceive immediate rewards from mindset shifts.
When I asked about his mindset intentions for 2025, Alan’s response was profound: “I want to guide my grandchildren without giving them answers.” His aim resonated deeply with me, leading to a conversation about growth mindset, effective questioning, and brain-friendly strategies—the tools I often share with my clients.
The Power of Growth Mindset
Drawing from Dr. Carol Dweck’s research, I encouraged Alan to consider how praising effort rather than outcomes could support his grandchildren in cultivating resilience. Powerful questions can unlock their thinking, helping them explore options and make informed decisions. For example:
- What are the pros and cons of each choice?
- What have you learned from similar situations in the past?
- How does this align with your long-term goals?
- I’m curious about your perspective—what makes this option feel like the right choice for you?
Alan shared a specific scenario involving his grandson’s dilemma between university and TAFE. I suggested he explore the Polarity Management tool from my book, REWIRE for SUCCESS, to navigate these nuanced decisions. This tool taps into both hemispheres of the brain, moving beyond simplistic pros and cons to foster deeper insights.
The FOOD Framework: Exercising Your Brain
Like physical exercise, strengthening your mindset requires intentionality and practice. Enter the FOOD Framework:
- Fuel: Nourish your brain with the right diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness.
- Organise: Align daily tasks with your peak productivity periods.
- Overcome: Employ brain-friendly strategies to tackle obstacles.
- Drive: Cultivate habits, mindset, and passion that align with your goals.
This framework is simple yet powerful, offering flexibility to address individual needs while promoting sustainable change. A small 1% daily effort, equating to just 15 minutes, compounds to a remarkable 37% improvement in a year.
My Personal Goal: Fuelling Energy for Greater Impact
For years, I’ve woken up to chronic back pain from an old injury. Despite numerous treatments, the lingering discomfort saps my energy, impacting my sleep and vitality. This year, my goal is clear: enhance my core strength and improve my sleep quality to boost my energy levels—allowing me to better serve my clients and develop innovative tools for their growth.
To achieve this, I’ve set a 90-day plan:
- Action: Specific core-strength exercises, daily stretching, and yoga practices, increasing intensity every two weeks.
- Obstacles: Address muscle aches with additional stretches, regular massages, and targeted tools.
- Outcome: A stronger, pain-free body and a sharper, more energised mind in the morning.
This journey mirrors the essence of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and rewire through consistent practice. As habits form, new neural pathways strengthen, enabling us to achieve what once seemed daunting.
Building Sustainable Habits
Habits are routines performed regularly, often becoming automatic responses. Neuroscience reveals key insights into habit formation:
- Start small: Commit to an action at a specific time and location, e.g., “I will meditate for 10 minutes at 7 a.m. in my living room.”
- Be consistent: Small, daily actions compound over time, yielding exponential results.
- Stay patient: The most impactful changes occur gradually, requiring perseverance.
- Prime your brain: Visualise overcoming obstacles and celebrate small wins to maintain motivation.
Remember, peak mental habits can be a double-edged sword, easy to do and not to do – this is where knowing your purpose/ WHY for doing this and the desired outcomes need to outweigh the effort involved.
Harnessing the 1% Difference
The magic of incremental progress lies in its simplicity. By focusing on small, intentional actions, you create momentum that builds over time. Imagine asking yourself daily:
- What’s one thing I can do today to move closer to my goal?
- How can I adjust my environment to support this habit?
- Who can I share my progress with to stay accountable?
Each step, no matter how small, reinforces your commitment and strengthens the neural connections supporting your desired behaviour.
Applying Brain-Friendly Strategies to Leadership
As a business leader, your mindset shapes not only your personal success but also your team’s performance. By integrating neuroscience-backed tools like the FOOD Framework, you can:
- Enhance decision-making and problem-solving.
- Foster collaboration and innovation within your team.
- Build resilience and well-being in high-pressure environments.
Start by identifying one mindset habit to develop this year. Perhaps it’s improving emotional regulation during challenging conversations, cultivating curiosity in your team’s ideas, or aligning daily actions with your long-term vision. Whatever your focus, approach it with clarity, intention, and a willingness to adapt.
Your Call to Action
This year, I challenge you to embrace the 1% difference. Identify meaningful goals/ peak mental habits you want to create, align them with your purpose, and commit to consistent actions. By leveraging tools like the FOOD Framework and partnering with a coach, you can unlock your potential and create lasting change.
Ready to rewire your mindset for success? Book a session with me today, and let’s make 2025 your most impactful year yet.