Mastering Your Mindset

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Kimberly Bell

How Choosing a Mindset and Shifting Perspective Can Help You Reclaim Control, Reduce Overwhelm, and Live with Intention

Have you ever felt completely stuck?  And when I say “stuck,” I mean spinning your wheels, buried in burnout, overwhelmed by your To Do list, or unsure how to move forward?

In these moments, it’s easy to believe that we have no control. But the truth is that we always have one powerful tool at our disposal: the ability to choose. Specifically, we can choose our mindset, and we can choose to shift our perspective. These choices, small as they may seem, are transformational. When you learn to intentionally shape your mindset, you reclaim your sense of power, purpose, and direction. From there, change and progress are possible.

What Is a Mindset? What Is Perspective?

I see people using these terms interchangeably sometimes. They are related, but there is a difference between the two.

Your mindset is the internal framework through which you interpret the world. It’s the set of beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions that shape how you will think, feel, and act.

Your perspective is your point of view, or how you choose to see a situation. While that may sound a lot like mindset, mindset tends to be broader and longer-term while perspective is more situational and flexible.

Here are some examples of different mindsets:

  • A scarcity mindset says, “There’s never enough,” or “I don’t have enough x.”
  • A growth mindset says, “I can learn to do x differently or better.”
  • A perfectionist mindset says, “If it’s not perfect, it’s a failure.”
  • A progress mindset says, “Done is better than perfect. At least I’m moving forward.”

Examples of a perspective shift might be:

  • “My co-worker is so difficult to deal with.”  SHIFT: “I have to deal with lots of different people at the office, so can make this work by adapting how I interact with different people.”
  • “Everyone is watching what I am doing, so I have to do everything well or people will think I’m not capable.” SHIFT: “What other people are thinking of me isn’t my business, and anyway, I want to do well regardless of whether or not people are paying attention.”
  • “My idea didn’t work. I am a failure.” SHIFT: “This experience has identified for me what doesn’t work. Now I can improve the process for next time!”
  • “I’m being given this project because my boss wants to see me fail.” SHIFT: “Who cares what other people’s intentions are! This challenge is a great way for me to grow and learn something new.”

When you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or burned out, it’s often because you’re operating from a mindset or a perspective that isn’t serving you.

Your Mind Shapes Your Reality

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer)

We can’t control every event in our lives, but we can control how we respond. That response starts with how we look at a particular event.

Imagine two people experiencing the exact same busy work week:

  • One sees it as an impossible burden. She’s drained, short-tempered, and overwhelmed.
  • The other sees this week as challenging but also an opportunity to practice boundaries and intentional focus. She feels stretched but capable.

Again: same schedule, but different experiences. Why? It’s because they are looking at the same situation through different lenses. By shifting your internal lens, you don’t just change how you feel. You also open up new options, solutions, and ways forward.

By the way, there is science behind this.  Psychologists call this cognitive reframing, a technique where you consciously change how you perceive a situation in order to change your emotional response. And there’s more good news: brain research on neuroplasticity shows that our thoughts literally shape our brains. What this means for us is that the more we practice intentional, empowered thinking, the easier it becomes to do so, even when we are under stress. In other words, getting in the habit of choosing a mindset or a different perspective whenever you feel stuck isn’t just mental gymnastics. It’s training for your brain!

The Impact of Mindset and Perspective

Mindset and perspective play a big role in how well we manage things like burnout, overwhelm, living intentionally, and finding balance, so let’s explore this a bit more:

Intentionality

Choosing your mindset is the first step to living with intention. For example, when you adopt a positive mindset in the morning, such as Gratitude, you are making a commitment to yourself about how you will approach the people and the world around you as you go through the day and how you will respond to events as they come up.

Also, certain habits can help reinforce the mindset you have chosen. So, when you adopt a habit of planning your day every morning and time-blocking your calendar, you’re not just organizing your schedule. You are declaring that you are in charge of how you intend to spend your time and energy that day.

Balance

A balanced life doesn’t mean that you have to do everything every day. It’s about staying powerfully connected to what really matters in the moment and being able to let go of the rest. That clarity starts with your mindset – balance, flexibility – or from choosing a point of view that allows you to adjust to changes in the moment without becoming burdened by guilt or frustration.

Burnout

Burnout often stems from a mindset of constant urgency, people-pleasing, etc. Shifting to a mindset of sustainability, boundaries, and self-worth can radically change how you approach your work and life.

Overwhelm

Overwhelm thrives in chaos, multitasking, and not truly being in the present. But when you pause and ask, “What’s one thing I can control right now?” you shift into a mindset of grounded action.  It also brings you back to the present moment, which is essential for keeping overwhelm at bay.

Practical Daily Habits for Shifting Your Mindset

Remember in the previous section when I said your habits can support the mindset you’ve chosen? I don’t mean that you need to completely overhaul your thinking and habits overnight. Instead, start with small, intentional habits that build up your inner strength and awareness of how you want to live:

1. Gratitude Journaling (Morning or Night)

Start the day by writing down three things you’re grateful for. This simple practice trains your brain to look for things that are good, not just problems. You can do this first thing in the morning, right before you go to sleep at the end of the day, or both. (The gratitude journal I use encourages reflection both in the morning and evening.  Click here for more information, including where you can get it.)

2. Mindset/Perspective Check-Ins

Practice training your brain! No matter what time of day, if you feel yourself feeling stuck and getting frustrated or overwhelmed, pause and ask yourself:

  • What mindset am I operating from right now?
  • What is my current perspective and is it serving me?
  • Is this helping me feel empowered and clear?

3. Time-Blocking with Intention

I’ve talked in the past about time blocking as a great tool for getting intentional about priorities and how you spend your time and energy.  So why not block time for rest, creativity, and connection, too? Intentionally build small breaks into your day while you also plan your work.  This is another way to exercise a mindset of purpose – not just productivity for its own sake.

4. Reframing Questions

When you’re feeling stuck or negative, help yourself find a different perspective by asking yourself questions that force you to step outside the walls of your situation.  For example:

  • What else might be true about this situation that I haven’t considered?
  • What can I learn from this situation?
  • What would someone I admire do in this situation?

Final Thoughts

Choosing your mindset or perspective is an act of reclaiming control – not over the world or the circumstances and events the Universe throws your way, but over your response to it. It’s the difference between simply reacting to what’s happening and responding with intention and calm.  There is where the control lies.  There is where real freedom begins. Every time you decide to shift your perspective, or you choose a mindset that serves you better, you create a new pathway forward. And from there, you can build a life that’s more intentional, balanced, and aligned with the person you truly are and want to be.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

Explore the blog for previous, related articles:

What’s one mindset you’re working on shifting right now? Share in the comments below!

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