Tag: personal-growth

Creator Mindset vs. Worker Mindset

Published on by Sandy Davis

Your beliefs shape your reality: if you hold too many negative ones, you’ll see them reflected in your life. Reality always confirms what you expect. If you believe you can’t create what you desire, your experience will prove you right. It’s important to remember that the biggest block to manifesting your ideal life is the belief that you can’t.

The Worker Mindset

Most of us are conditioned into a worker mindset: the idea that results come only through effort, struggle, and long hours. Society trained us to suppress any dream that doesn’t come with a clear action plan. Hard work has value, but it’s not the driving force behind creation, it’s just one small piece.

People who rely only on effort are often trying to earn worthiness. Their reality mirrors their belief that “nothing worthwhile comes easy.” But when you enjoy what you do, it doesn’t feel like struggle, it feels like flow. True freedom is realizing you don’t have to force what doesn’t inspire you.

As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Your reality mirrors your mindset. Believe that life must be hard, and it will be. Believe that ease and alignment can create results, and that too will be true. The creator mindset works with belief first, not grind. If hard work alone brought abundance, every laborer would be wealthy. The secret is inspired action, the kind that feels natural and energizing, not forced motion that drains your energy.

Limiting Beliefs: The Hidden Barriers

The worker mindset is one of the strongest limiting beliefs there is, but any belief that contradicts your desires holds you back. Worse, limiting beliefs don’t just block your goals; they limit your imagination itself. They narrow your sense of what’s possible.

When you release a limiting belief, your desires evolve. They deepen and expand. For instance, if you believe you must stay in a job you dislike to pay the bills, you’ll never open yourself to opportunities that combine joy and stability.

Changing beliefs takes time because they’re wired into your brain through repetition and evidence. That’s why calming your mental “momentum” is key; a quiet mind can question its own stories. Begin by staying open to new perspectives. Ask, “What if life could be easier?” Simply entertaining that thought begins to loosen resistance.

A big trap of the worker mindset is obsessing over how things will happen. Your mind only knows what it’s experienced before; it can’t predict new paths from old data. But your creative intelligence, your “life-stream” can. When you focus on belief and alignment rather than control, you allow fresh ideas and opportunities to flow in.

Attributes of a Creator Mindset

A person with a creator mindset:

  • Aligns their thoughts with the reality they desire and releases resistance.
  • Refuses to force actions that feel heavy or joyless, trusting that true action will arise naturally.
  • Honors divine timing, recognizing that intuition has a broader view than impatience or fear.
  • Accepts others’ paths without judgment or the urge to “fix” them.
  • Values rest as much as action, understanding that both are vital to creation.
  • Lets go of attachment and scarcity, trusting that what’s needed will appear when needed.
  • Believes that every desire is matched by the resources to fulfill it.
  • Guards attention carefully, focusing only on what supports growth.
  • Chooses inspiration over struggle.
  • Takes full responsibility for their current reality, knowing that blaming others only gives away their power.

The Essence of the Creator Mindset

The creator mindset is about working with your thoughts, not against them. You allow life to guide inspired action instead of forcing outcomes through resistance. Your higher intelligence, the part of you connected to the whole, has a far wider view than your analytical brain ever could.

Your job isn’t to micromanage the universe. It’s to stay conscious of your beliefs, let go of the ones that don’t serve you, and trust your creative flow. When you do, action becomes effortless, timing feels perfect, and reality begins to respond to your alignment, not your struggle.

The Quest to Improve My Focus

Published on by Sandy Davis

Well, it’s been a minute since I posted here, and although I was very busy at the end of the spring semester (I’m a full-time college professor and mother of two teenagers), I honestly can’t say that I don’t have the time to write, because I spend an inordinate amount of time WASTING my time. Although I successfully quit and deleted Facebook and Instagram in 2019, and haven’t looked at Twitter/X in over a year (I NEVER got into Tik Tok), I’m still hopelessly addicted to doomscrolling on Reddit. After getting into Cal Newport’s books and videos and exploring the concept of Deep Work, I’ve decided to work on improving my ability to focus.

Here are some tips adapted from several sources. I will be putting this into practice over the next month (includuing going cold turkey from reading Reddit) and will check back in on how it’s working for me.

  1. Improve the QUALITY and reduce the quantity of information you consume (instead of getting your news from social media sites):
  • Daily: Have one daily or even weekly “news roundup” source such as a newsletter, news podcast, or physical newspaper (daily or weekly)
  • Monthly: Read 3-5 long-form magazine articles (New Yorker, etc.)
  • Yearly: Read books about topics that interest you

2. Increase your comfort level with boredom:

  • Practice driving, walking, running errands, and doing chores with your phone or without external stimulation (listening to music and podcasts).

3. Cultivate your ability to pay attention

    • Use a timer or stopwatch to practice interval training (increasing the amount of time you are able to focus on a single target)

    4. Create specific environments and rituals to help you get into deep work focus mode (a place to write, to read, to work difficult tasks).

        6. Practice being an intellectual (seek out nuance and uncertainty)

          • Pair primary and secondary sources (More on this soon! I’m thinking of making a video about this concept).

          Choosing a Word of the Year for 2024

          Published on by Sandy Davis

          Happy New Year! I hope you are having a restful holiday and I wish you all the best for the new year.

          I’ve recently discovered a simple practice that has the potential to shape the entire year—choosing a Word of the Year.

          The idea is elegantly straightforward: select a single word that encapsulates the essence of what you want to manifest in the coming year. This word becomes your guiding light, a beacon that directs your focus, shapes your priorities, and fuels your journey. Some examples include: Renewal, Growth, Resilience, Balance, Harmony, or Transformation, but the posibilities are endless. You could even brainstorm by making lists or a word web before settling on your word.

          The benefits of this practice are far-reaching. At the end of this post I’ll share the word I’ve chosen, why I’ve chosen it, and how I plan to use it to focus my goals. I will also invite you to share your word.

          Here are some examples of how a single word might impact your year:

          Renewal: A Fresh Start

          “Every morning brings new potential, but only if you take the first step.”

          Choosing ‘Renewal’ as your Word of the Year is an invitation to embrace fresh beginnings. It’s a commitment to shedding the old, obsolete layers and stepping into a revitalized version of yourself. This year, make it your mission to approach each day with a renewed sense of purpose and energy.

          Growth: Cultivating Your Potential

          “Like a tree, your growth is not defined by imperfections, but by the strength to keep reaching for the sun.”

          Opting for ‘Growth’ signifies an unwavering commitment to personal and professional development. It’s about expanding your horizons, stepping out of your comfort zone, and allowing yourself the space to flourish. Cultivate the mindset of a lifelong learner, and watch as your world expands in ways you never thought possible.

          Resilience: Bouncing Back Stronger

          “In the face of adversity, resilience is your greatest ally.”

          Resilience, your chosen word, becomes a source of strength when faced with challenges. Life is unpredictable, but your response to adversity is within your control. This year, let ‘Resilience’ be your armor, helping you bounce back from setbacks and emerge stronger than ever before.

          Balance: Nurturing Harmony Within Chaos

          “In the dance of life, find your rhythm and savor the harmony.”

          ‘Balance’ is a powerful word that resonates with the need to harmonize the various facets of your life. Juggling work, relationships, and personal well-being can be challenging, but by choosing ‘Balance,’ you commit to finding equilibrium. Strive to allocate time and energy to each aspect of your life, creating a symphony of fulfillment.

          Harmony: Creating Synchronicity

          “In the orchestra of life, let harmony be the melody that guides your actions.”

          Selecting ‘Harmony’ is an acknowledgment of the interconnectedness of your goals and values. It’s about aligning your actions with your beliefs, fostering positive relationships, and creating a cohesive narrative for your life. Allow ‘Harmony’ to guide your decisions, bringing a sense of unity to your journey.

          Transformation: Embracing Evolution

          “To transform is to evolve; embrace the journey of becoming who you are meant to be.”

          ‘Transformation’ is a bold choice, representing the profound shifts you aspire to make. This word calls for embracing change, challenging the status quo, and evolving into the best version of yourself. Let ‘Transformation’ be the catalyst for growth and the driving force behind your pursuit of excellence.

          How to Harness the Power of Your Word:

          1. Reflect: Take a moment to reflect on the past year—its triumphs, challenges, and the lessons learned. Identify the themes or aspirations that resonate with where you are now and where you want to go.
          2. Choose with Intention: Select your Word of the Year with purpose. It should be a word that inspires you, resonates with your goals, and encapsulates the essence of what you want to achieve. Trust your instincts; the right word will find you.
          3. Visualize: Create a visual representation of your word. This could be a vision board, a piece of art, or simply a written statement. Place it where you’ll see it daily, serving as a constant reminder of your focus and aspirations.
          4. Incorporate into Goal Setting: Align your goals with your chosen word. If ‘Growth’ is your word, set specific objectives that contribute to your personal and professional development. Let your word inform the direction of your goals.
          5. Check-In Regularly: Regularly revisit your Word of the Year. Consider how it’s influencing your decisions, actions, and overall mindset. Use it as a touchstone to ensure alignment with your aspirations.
          6. Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate the progress you make throughout the year. Small victories are stepping stones to more significant achievements. Celebrate your journey and the person you are becoming.

          Embrace the power of your chosen word, and watch as it transforms your year into a masterpiece of growth, resilience, balance, harmony, and, ultimately, transformation. This is your year—empower it with intention, purpose, and the transformative energy of your chosen word.

          For my word of the year, I’ve chosen ABUNDANCE. For the past two years I’ve felt the constant constriction of LACK. Lack of time, lack of energy, lack of money. I’m determined this year to focus on what I WANT, not what don’t want.

          Abundance means and abudance of time, energy, happiness, money, contentment, ideas, creativity, memories, and love.

          If you share your word in the comments, I will create a custom blog post in the next week based on your word, sharing images, thoughts, ideas, and resources based on your word. I will also spend time each month revisiting my word and how it is impacting my year.