1000x Mindset

When I encourage people to dream bigger dreams, they nod their heads. Everyone is already dreaming. And I bet most of us believe that we already dream big. But how do you dream bigger dreams? The 1000x mindset is a tool you will find useful.

1000x Mindset

I believe that if you want to play bigger, exerting massive action isn’t the answer. 

I will tell you why and I will encourage you to have an open mind.

Ninety percent of those who say they think big are thinking small.

When I encourage leaders to stop playing small, I am disturbing mindsets. And they’ll resist. Yes, they resist even against their better judgment.

When I encourage leaders to cultivate a growth mindset, I am providing an alternative to a fixed mindset.

Today, I challenge you to think a thousandfold so you can break through self-limiting beliefs.

1000x Mindset

You must have read somewhere that there is magic in thinking big. Motivational speakers encourage us to think big.

But telling people to “think big” does not make people think big. People who are used to thinking small believe that anything of a stretch is thinking big.

Even those who think big are playing small.

Fixed and growth mindsets exist in an individual at the same time. When you pick a growth mindset, the fixed mindset does not disappear. 

A fixed mindset is there waiting for you to fail and justify itself. A fixed mindset is that inner jerk that points out your failures. It is that jerk who makes you lower your standard to play small and safe.

When I was starting a career in professional speaking, I was charging a client 4000 per day. That was thinking big for me. That’s because I was a school teacher and you know how much school teachers earned in a month in the Philippines. It took me eight months to realize that many people, mostly my clients, saw me as a small thinker. 

When I changed my professional fee to 60,000 pesos, a positive change happened. I started to attract clients who can pay me at least that amount. I also noticed that my performance and confidence improved.

How we value ourselves is a reflection of our thinking.

 How can you use the 1000x mindset then?

Set your goal.  Consider your family goals, your career goals, and your vocation. What big things do you really want to happen in your life?

Think 1000x.  This thinking is not always easy. Your inner jerk will tell you that you are making a fool of yourself and that your goal is impossible for you to achieve. Expect that to happen. You will doubt yourself and will think that a hundredfold goal is wishful thinking. You will adjust your figures. You will make the work longer. 

But if you want to achieve anything, you have to stretch yourself. Embrace a 1000x mindset and use your gifts.

Then, find that one thing that can make your thousandfold goals a reality. Understand that you cannot achieve your hundredfold goals with the same old, same old actions. 

Unless you change the way you do things, you will always get the same results.  

So, instead of multiplying your efforts by 1000 find the one thing that will provide you 1000x results. Your one thing multiplies and amplifies the other things that you will do to achieve your goals.

Do this. Don’t be afraid. You can unleash your potentials. You can reach a place beyond your expectations.

Revisit your life goals. Then 1000x them. Find the one thing that you must do to make that 100x goal happen.

Journal

What is that one skill or talent, that when you cultivated, will bring you 1000x results? Write this down.  

Beginner’s Mind

To play bigger, be a child again. To embrace 1000x mindset, I need a beginner’s mind.

Because a child has a sense of wonder. Someone who has a sense of wonder drops expectations about something. Choose to see things with fresh eyes.

The disruptors of our time encourage us to have a beginner’s mind.

A beginner mid is something that I find difficult to practice. Many times, I fancy myself as an expert. And I am right. I was an expert at thinking small.

We need a new mindset. I encourage you to join me.

A child has a beginner’s mind. A beginner’s mind is beautiful. A mind that is questing, exploring, inquiring, welcoming, learning, and experiencing. A mind that is supple and receptive. A mind that sees new possibilities.

Play bigger leaders who practice a beginner’s mind listen. They respect what others have to say. They seek to understand.

Contrast this to “expert thinkers”. Expert thinkers have opinions about almost everything. They find it necessary to speak like experts and reason as experts. They pretend to listen while waiting for their turn to speak. Something like politicians.

Did I mention politicians?

Not all politicians, of course. But have you noticed that many politicians have opinions about everything? They speak like experts about something they are ignorant of.

You and I are experts about something. There is no doubt about that.

As experts, we have assumptions, beliefs, and even fantasies about the world we live in. We wear colored lenses every day. We make decisions based on our biases.

But beware and be aware.

Beware of your expert thinking. This will prevent you from seeing new possibilities.

Be aware that you have this expert thinking. Awareness will remind you that you have a choice. And that choice is to look at things with a sense of wonder.

Be a child again and cultivate a beginner’s mind.

It is easier than most people think of it. A beginner’s mind is not something that we need to learn or get.

We always have a beginner’s mind. We only need to choose to embrace fresh beginnings as a child would.

I encourage you to start practicing the beginner’s mind every day. This will renew and reinvigorate your life.

You will greet each day with enthusiasm.

You will live as if you are doing something for the first time.

Let us learn how to practice seeing life with a beginner’s mind through experience. You may try the following exercises.

A. Learn from Kids. Bring kids to a setting that is completely new and exciting for them. Observe them and record your observation.

What are five takeaways that speak to you? What are the feelings you can associate with this experience?

B. Start Doing Something New. Take up a new interest where you’re a beginner. Something that you’ve not done before or even afraid to do because it is not so like you.

1. Do standup comedy.
2. Introduce yourself to a stranger in a coffee shop.
3. Join a Karate Club.
4. Bake a cake.5. Do an FB Live.
5. Join a dance lesson.
6. Learn a new language.

Pick anything that interests you.

Start your day like a child.

Purpose

Let us talk about purpose.

These days, I spend two hours each day in backyard farming. 

I plant vegetables, herbs, and spices. I have most of the vegetables mentioned in the song Bahay Kubo.

What amazed me most about my backyard farming is the realization that (a) small seeds when planted in fertile soil can produce a hundred, even a thousand-fold and that (b) plants always seek the light.

Methinks that human beings can also increase their value a hundred-fold.

This is the first of many letters that I will send. I will keep sending until there is something worth sharing.

You can unsubscribe anytime.

Anyhoo.

Today is an invitation to be mindful of who you are as a person and of your purpose.

The hero of every story, oftentimes, is reluctant. The hero wants to get something better without having to leave the security of small.

You can play bigger if you know who you are.

Know who you are. 

That’s the first step.

Value yourself. You are a leader and you want to play bigger. You are the hero of your own life. You build the world without as you unbox who you are within.

Ask tough questions.

Who am I?

Why am I here?

Many people look for answers to trivial questions. But very few people dare to search for themselves. These two questions are simple but not easy to answer.

A Note From My Journal

Allow me to share with you something I wrote in my journal more than a decade ago

“When I was young, I knew I was a poor boy born into a poor family. Like many other kids in the slums, I knew that poverty was our destiny. We were born poor for not everyone could be wealthy.

Wealthy people need poor people who can serve as janitors, carpenters, dishwashers, errand boys, and housemaids. God created us poor people to serve rich people.

Who am I? A poor boy.

Why am I here? To serve the rich ones.

But when I entered the seminary, I learned that this is not true.

God created us in his own image and likeness. We are not meant to be poor for our Father in heaven is the richest of all. We are meant to shine. We are meant to make a difference in this world.

I went out of the seminary and I brought this lesson with me. I am a great creation and I can multiply my value a hundred, a thousand-fold — and I am here for a purpose.

I kid you not. Many poor people believe that they are destined to suffer and struggle for the rest of their lives. This is a very strong worldview.

There are many other world views. Most people embraced world views without question. I, too, view the world using colored lenses. I am aware of it.

Today, spend some time examining your beliefs and actions.

Ask yourself questions you were afraid to ask before.

Be clear about who you are and why you are here.

You may not come up with the “best” answers today. That’s okay. This is your story. Many of your answers are temporary.

Every answer will get you nearer to the truth.

That’s what I know in life.

We moved to our present house in the middle of May 2019. I did not want our backyard to attract snakes. When you visit us here, it feels like we live in a forest. Only the singing of the birds could be heard during the daytime.

I cleared our backyard and I started planting vegetables. I am now a backyard farmer and I enjoy it.

I learned more about vegetables, herbs, and spices in three months than in all the decades I live on this planet.

And I am learning more about leadership too. I will tell you more about this in future letters.

Today, I encourage you to define who you are and rediscover your purpose in life.

Smallish Thinking

I know that when I speak or train before a big audience, I offer something of great value to people.

I have been living in this space called Earth for almost five decades. I have experienced much which I cannot find in books. When shared, these experiences accelerate the growth of others.

I cannot read them because I am yet to write them.

Writing is my way of putting my thoughts into the flesh. When I write, I talk about thinking different and playing bigger. I share simple ways to do that.

But this morning, I realized something that makes me challenge one of my thinking habits. It is a fixed mindset that stays with me though I know how to get convert it to growth.

I was thinking small when it comes to this.

It was not obvious to me that I was thinking small because my action seems logical to most people who are selling something. I have been doing this for a long time and I always reason that this is just an expression of generosity.

Anyhoo, let me tell you about it.

I meet a prospective client twice for the last three weeks. This guy is an Irishman. A well-read man. He knows most of the professional development gurus out there. He feels that his thoughts are aligned with mine.

That’s because he plays bigger.

I’ve submitted a proposal to him for leadership development. The program, once approved is worth more than five million pesos. At first glance, some may think that five million is pricey.

But it was not really.

While planting tomato seeds yesterday, I was reflecting on my emotions while I was designing the leadership program.

When I was working on the program, I was thinking of how I can 10x the results. Though not asked, I thought of the competencies that can really help the organization. I provided influence strategies that they can readily use.

I was proud of my work.

But I got afraid when it comes to pricing. The project is of immense value, but I was worried they won’t be seeing the value of it.

What did I do then?

I cut the price in half and added more work hours.

I followed my fear.

Does following my fear make me more confident?

No.

Because I know I was playing small again.

Though clients have budget constraints (everyone has budget constraints), I feel that it is wrong to devalue my program by cutting the price half.

Because I felt that the value should be 5x of what I have given. My job is to show the value of the leadership development program that I have created for the organization.

The ROI of the program is 10x or more.

I know this.

And my prospective client knows this.

Instead of me discounting the value of the program, I could have allowed him and the VP of HR to negotiate for the price and the mode of delivery. It is their job to negotiate for a discount, not mine.

Why am I sharing this with you this morning?

Because I know that some of you, at some time in the past and in the future, will discount the value of your products or services. I know that some of us, and that maybe you, think small.

When it comes to pricing my services, I am thinking small 90 percent of the time. And this is something that I must work on.

Be aware when you are thinking small.

And beware.

Thinking small is like stealing from yourself.

It does not feel good.

I will meet the Irishman again anytime soon. I am looking forward to a deal.

But next time, I will keep myself aware of my smallish thinking. And I will show the true value of my services to his organization so he’ll do everything to close this.

Jef Menguin

P.S. On GaryHalbert

Reading Gary Halberts Letter makes one feels that he’s just talking to you. In my daily plan, I am talking to myself. This is why there is not much emotion.

But what if I am talking to real people. Would that become different? It will definitely is.

By the way, if you are reading this, understand that I wrote 1000x Assets below first, then when I am done with that, I work on the next one on top of it.

$ 1000x Assets I see the power of creating 1000x Assets. I can do this every day. Working on things that can bring me some good money.

Instead of having them as a lead magnet, it is best to sell them. And the selling itself becomes a lead magnet of course.

I don’t need to give everything for free. Instead, I must think of why people must get them at all costs.

Online learning courses will be out there soon.

Messy, Beautiful Life

Where I live now, the place is messy.

We have transferred to this place in the middle of 2019. Thank my wife who is a college librarian at UP, we were able to get a place a walking distance of her job.

Big trees surround us. Dry leaves covered the garage. Tall grasses in our backyard made us feel like we are in the middle of a forest.

I thought of sweeping the front year this morning. With a broomstick in one hand and a dustpan in another, I started working as if a soldier on a mission.

Everything went well for fifteen minutes.

Then the wind blew and leaves fell everywhere. I knew then that the broomstick would become my morning companion.

And the leaves? The leaves will be good for composting. I will be planting vegetables right around this messy house.

Life is funny. And it is not always the ha ha ha kind.

Life is messy and beautiful.

Be mindful of this and you won’t feel miserable whatever happens.

While you are planning for the next six months, for next month, for next week, or this day, life happens. The world does not stop and wait for you.

It goes on.

And though it does not work the way you intend it to be, you can enjoy it.

To be mindful is to be here and now.

You asked, “how can I enjoy life when I have 20 deadlines?”

Okay, you have deadlines.

Your boss expects you to deliver. And based on experience, you can only accomplish your goals when all stars are aligned to help you.

Embrace the fact that life is messy. That accomplishing your deadlines is dependent on many factors not within your control.

Shit happens even to good people like us.

When shit happens, we only need to look for options. When there is none, we have to create some. And remember, not all deadlines are equal. So, don’t fret about everything.

Remember, you can give attention to One Thing that truly matters.

Deadlines are meant for the dead. You are alive.

Be mindful.

To be mindful is to be here and now. Those who play bigger see possible futures. Future possibilities are created by many factors. Ask Dr. Strange and he will tell you I am right.

Embrace what you have here and now.

Embrace the messy life you have and recognize that it is also beautiful.

Some people think that to get into mindfulness, one has to do something. Do yoga. Climb the mountaintop to get in touch with God. Go to a quiet place. Play soothing music. Be away from the crowd.

All of these allow you to change your environment. They interrupt your daily patterns.

And yes, they help you become more aware of your feelings and thoughts.

Mindfulness is not an event, though.

Mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness. This means that you do not just go with the flow. You flow and you are aware that you flow. You see and you are aware of what you are seeing. You notice.

This means that even when you are in a noisy and chaotic environment, you can still be mindful.

Embrace your messy, beautiful life.