Written by: Haseena Shaheed-Jackson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You are to protect your time, vision, and passion. Protect what is important to you. Do not allow what is most important to be placed inside of a box where it cannot break out, resulting in your becoming rigid. When you become rigid and inflexible, you will place limits on your thinking. You must continue to expand your thinking, building upon your vision and feeding your passion. Both will continue to get bigger and better.
Prior to the Coronavirus, I was inflexible in the days and times that I went to the gym. Exercising is an integral component of my life. I have been dedicated to incorporating exercise into my life since college. My mind was programmed to see only one way. Because of the virus, I have developed a new way of thinking. I have reprogrammed my mind. Instead of the gym being the core of all my exercising activities, I have replaced it with walking/running outdoors enjoying nature.
Walking and running provides me time to reflect and pause, reviewing my day, and strategizing. I still incorporate the gym for my weight training; however, I am now flexible on the days and times that I spend in the gym. My mind is now open, enabling me to expand my picture and capitalize on opportunities. I have made changes to my workout. Instead of being inflexible, I protect what is important.
When you protect, you are flexible, adaptable, teachable, and resilient. You are intentionally growing, feeding your vision and passion.
Flexible is being responsive to change. You must be open to revising your methods and actions. Your strategies may need to be updated to meet your evolving environment. Make adjustments and modifications incorporating creativity and innovation, finding another solution or way. There is always another way, and it will lead to a better way.
Adaptability is making suitable for the situation or circumstance. You cannot believe that what has worked in the past will continue to work going forward. You must make changes to your processes in order to stay current and on the cutting edge. Apple is a good example of a company that is consistently upgrading its products to meet the needs of its customers. As with them, you must make adjustments to be a player in the infinite game.
Teachable is open to learning. Know that your teacher can come in all shapes and sizes. Do not have a preconception of who can teach you. You can learn from situations, people, or animals that you encounter. Yes, animals. In the last year, I have learned many lessons from my puppy, who is a one-year-old Labrador Retriever. She has taught me to see with new eyes.
My view on people, circumstances, and situations has changed. She has shown me that I can overcome obstacles and that no matter the situation, I will persevere. You cannot allow people or circumstances to influence who you can be.
Resilient is bouncing back. Life will give us lemons, but as the saying goes, use the lemons to make lemonade. You cannot allow situations or crises to detour you from moving forward. You must keep your focus on your vision and believe that it will happen. Follow the evidence, however, small that shows you that it is (IM)possible and that the vision is achievable. Nothing in life worth having is easy. If it were easy, it would not be appreciated, and there would be a need to strive to be exceptional. Know that the obstacles and storms will be overcome. Keep your focus on your vision.
Your mission is to build a business that is viable and sustainable, as well as be a leader with growth, not a fixed mindset. Develop strategies that protect enabling you to be flexible, adaptable, teachable, and resilient, feeding your vision and passion.
Join me on September 25, 2021, for the Fall 2021 Summit – Forward-Thinking, targeting perspective, mindset, and purpose. Thinking forward is the mental process of creating a new mindset that requires you to renew your perspective, make the action a habit, and protect your vision. This is a virtual event; the time is 10 am to 2 pm CST.
Haseena Shaheed-Jackson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Mrs. Haseena Shaheed-Jackson is a Certified Coach, Speaker, and Trainer under the John Maxwell Team. She is the author of Reflections Within and Messages from the Spirit. Her mission is to add value to people so that they will add value to others by intentionally growing, resulting in transformation, and changing their world. Growth is a continual process that never ceases. It is a lifetime commitment that must become a habit. Ms. Jackson is the Owner of Faith, Hope, and Spirit, LLC, which offers training, coaching, and speaking in the areas of growth, development, leadership, and influence. For over 30 years, she has held positions in leadership and management for a variety of companies and organizations, where her responsibilities included mentoring, coaching, development, and training. She hosts a monthly networking group, Connecting and Collaborating to Thrive (CC2T). CC2T focuses on developing relationships and establishing a community. She actively seeks to form partnerships with others to make a difference and be impactful.
