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WindShield Mentality

So often, our thoughts are centered around the past and the future. For personal improvement, you should spend the majority of your time focused on today. Think about what you’re doing right this minute. What can you accomplish today? This is called windshield mentality.

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Windshield Mentality

Windshield mentality is looking at what is in front of you. When you are driving a car, you look at what is in front of you through the windshield. Most of your time is spent concentrating on what is happening now. Only a small amount of time should be spent looking too far ahead or what is behind you. It is only what is directly in front of you that counts.

I first heard of windshield mentality when a Clemson University football player was interviewed after a tough game. The team didn’t play well yet still won the game. When asked about the team’s performance, the player responded by saying they had already forgotten about it. Coach Dabo Swinney teaches them windshield mentality. They don’t look at the past or future, only what is directly ahead.

Your Past Does Not Define You

You cannot improve yourself by focusing on the past. It will keep you where you are. Your experiences in the past have gotten you to where you are today. You can never go back and change your past. It is gone, never to return. For example, football players cannot do anything about their poor performance. They cannot go back and replay the game.

Your past does not define you. Whatever happened, happened, and it cannot be changed. Develop a windshield mentality and begin getting ready for the next game. What can you do today to improve yourself?

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Do Not Worry About The Future

Focusing on the future only leads to anxiety. The future is unclear, and there are many factors you cannot control. Do not worry about it. If the football players begin looking too far into the future and worrying about playing poorly, they will not be ready for the next opponent.

What can I do today? You will be asking yourself this question if you have a windshield mentality. Remove all anxiety by controlling your future. Decide what your future will be and put the work in today to ensure it.

Set Your Goals

I am a big proponent of setting goals. Goals are what you will accomplish in the future. The negative side of setting goals is the anxiety created when it doesn’t look like you will complete them. The most important part is the method of accomplishment, not the goal itself.

if you are working on the method today, your goal will be attained. There might be a few tweaks along the way, but that is normal. You might even have to change your method altogether. Set your goals, develop your method/plan, and focus on your method/plan. Develop a windshield mentality and work on what you can control today.

Do You Have A Windshield Mentality?

What do you focus on, the past, the future, or today? Remember that whatever happened in the past is gone and does not define you. Do not waste time worrying about the future and events out of your control. Focus on the things that you can control.

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Cites

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Focusing On The Big Picture

Often we go through life and never really see everything that is going on. Some people are so focused on the 1% of negative events that they never see the 99% of positivity in their life. They are not focusing on the big picture. If this is you, don’t worry, it is fixable. All it takes is to open your mind and eyes.

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Focusing On The Big Picture

I read a good story the other day to illustrate this point. Some workers came to their office on a Monday morning as usual. Everything was the same except when they looked at the ceiling there was one ceiling tile missing. The missing ceiling tile became the main topic around the water cooler. It was the talk of the office.

One by one, everyone focused on the missing tile. You could hear question after question about the missing tile. What happened to it? Is it up in the ceiling someplace? Was there a reason someone took it?

The next day the workers return, and the tile is still missing. The workers began to only look at the empty space. They focus only on the missing tile. They neglect to see the rest of the beautiful ceiling tiles that are perfectly in place.

The Missing Tile Syndrome

This is referred to as the missing tile syndrome. You are not focusing on the big picture. Your focus is on the small percentage of negative in your life. You become so consumed by it that you cannot see all the good things going on. Your focus is only what is missing in your life.

How many times have you run into an acquaintance, asked how they were, and only received negative responses? They proceed to tell you about every little pain they have. Even if you bring up something positive you heard that had happened to them, they quickly return to telling you about the bad things. They are not focusing on the big picture.

Look Around

When my wife and I took a trip to Colorado, we did a lot of hiking. I saw many hikers who never took their eyes off the ground. They missed out on some wonderful scenery. My wife and I would stop every few minutes just to look around and take it all in. We saw birds and animals other hikers did not. A few times, I even smelled the musky odor that told me a bear had passed by the area recently or was still close by.

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When you look at your body, look at your whole body, not just the flaws. Flaws can be fixed, but this is the body you were given, and it is perfect. If you want to change something, great. Start an exercise program and eat healthier. First, fall in love with your body as it is. My body looks a lot different than it did 20 years ago, but I don’t focus on the negative. It gets me through every day, and my engine is purring like a kitten.

It’s A Wonderful World

We live in a beautiful world, open your eyes and take it in. The media conditions you to only see the negative. Begin focusing on the big picture and see all the wonderful things that are happening every day. Acts of kindness are occurring daily. They are just not the focus of the media.

Acts Of Kindness

I encourage everyone to perform at least one act of kindness a week. Smile at someone, compliment a stranger, or tell an employee they are doing a great job. Whenever my daughter, the personal trainer, receives a compliment from her client, she can’t wait to come home and tell me. I can see the pride on her face.

One way I try to extend kindness is in checkout lines. They usually have racks of candy bars to tempt you before you pay for your goods. If the clerk looks like they might be having a bad day, I tell them that I wanted to get a candy bar but cannot decide which one. I then ask them what their favorite is. When they tell me, I purchase the candy, and as I’m leaving I hand it to them. I thank them and say, I hope this helps brighten your day. It always brings a smile to their face.

This is just a small gesture of kindness, but you never know what people are going through. I hope that you will open their eyes to good things going on in their life. Maybe they will begin focusing on the big picture. Focusing on all the positive things in your life and the world will lead you to do more positive acts. It really is a beautiful world we are living in. Let’s continue to make it better.

Cites

https://www.pexels.com/@pixabay

InspireChief13 Comments