Mindset Rule 8: Judge Your Success by Your Plan, Not Others
In a world where comparison is often the thief of joy, Mindset Rule 8 stands as a beacon of self-empowerment and authenticity: Judge your success by your plan, not others. This principle is crucial for anyone, especially for those navigating mental health challenges. By focusing on your unique journey and personal goals, you can cultivate resilience, celebrate genuine progress, and avoid the pitfalls of comparison. Here’s how embracing this mindset can help you triumph over mental health challenges and three practical examples to apply it in your life.
Understanding Mindset Rule 8
When we become Mental Health Warriors, we embark on a journey tailored to our specific needs, strengths, and challenges. Each person's mental health journey is unique, and thus, the plans we create to manage and overcome our challenges should be personalized. Mindset Rule 8 reminds us to evaluate our success based on these personalized plans rather than the often unrealistic standards set by society or the media.
Why This Mindset Matters
Individual Progress: Your journey is unique. What works for others may not work for you, and that's okay. Your progress, no matter how small, is significant.
Avoiding Comparison Traps: Comparing yourself to others can lead to feelings of inadequacy and discouragement. Instead, focus on your path and celebrate your milestones.
Building Resilience: By setting and achieving personal goals, you build resilience and confidence in your ability to overcome challenges.
Example 1: Personalized Goal Setting
Scenario: You’ve been struggling with anxiety and have been avoiding social situations. You see friends on social media attending parties and events, seemingly without a care in the world. It’s easy to feel left behind.
Application of Mindset Rule 8: Instead of comparing yourself to your friends, set a personal goal that aligns with your current capabilities and comfort level. Perhaps your goal is to attend a small gathering or participate in a virtual meetup.
Steps to Success:
Set a Realistic Goal: Decide to attend a small social event, like a coffee date with a close friend.
Plan and Prepare: Think about what might help you feel more comfortable, such as having an exit strategy if things get overwhelming.
Celebrate Your Success: After attending the event, acknowledge your achievement. It’s a step forward on your path, and that’s what matters.
By judging your success based on your plan, you avoid the discouragement that comes from comparing yourself to others and instead, focus on your personal growth.
Example 2: Tailored Self-Care Routines
Scenario: Depression has made it difficult for you to get out of bed some days, while others seem to be running marathons and living seemingly perfect lives.
Application of Mindset Rule 8: Create a self-care routine that suits your current state and gradually builds towards improvement. Your self-care plan might start with something as simple as getting out of bed and taking a shower.
Steps to Success:
Set Simple, Achievable Goals: On particularly tough days, your goal might be to get out of bed and take a short walk outside.
Gradually Increase Complexity: As you start achieving these goals, slowly add more to your routine, like preparing a healthy meal or doing a short exercise routine.
Track and Celebrate Progress: Keep a journal to track your daily achievements and reflect on how these small steps are contributing to your overall well-being.
By judging your success based on your personalized self-care plan, you reinforce positive behavior and create a foundation for long-term mental health management.
Example 3: Career and Personal Aspirations
Scenario: You’re managing bipolar disorder and have career aspirations that seem daunting, especially when comparing your progress to peers who might not have the same challenges.
Application of Mindset Rule 8: Design a career plan that accommodates your mental health needs while progressively working towards your goals.
Steps to Success:
Set Realistic Milestones: Break down your long-term career goals into smaller, manageable milestones. For example, if your goal is to complete a degree, start with enrolling in one class.
Adapt to Your Needs: Recognize and plan for the times when your mental health might require you to slow down. This might mean taking breaks or adjusting your workload during difficult periods.
Celebrate Incremental Achievements: Each completed class, project, or skill learned is a success. Acknowledge these achievements as they come.
By measuring your success against your personalized career plan, you ensure that you’re moving forward at a pace that’s right for you, regardless of how others are progressing.
The Power of Personal Plans
Mindset Rule 8 is about embracing your unique journey and valuing your progress. My mental health challenges like bipolar disorder, alcoholism, anxiety disorders, and PTSD require tailored approaches so I can triumph over them each day. By creating my personal plan and then using Mindset Rule 8, to always remind me to judge my success by my plan, I see the progress I am making each day. I view it as my personal life vest that keeps me from sinking into that no-win scenario of looking outward to judge my success. And you can do the same!
Start Using it Today
You can Embrace and begin applying Mindset Rule 8—judging your success by your plan, not others—today and start building your path to triumph over your mental health challenges. It will allow you to focus on your unique journey, celebrate your progress, and build resilience.
Remember, success is not about how fast you go compared to others, but about making steady progress as you blaze your own trail as a Mental Health Warrior!
Bruce Schutter (Creator of the Mental Health Warrior Program and Challenge Coin)
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