Start the year on a high!
“Starting the year with a positive mindset is the power tool for entrepreneurial success. “
In doing some self-reflection over the break I had some important insights, one of which I will share here.
We have all heard of the importance of mindset, but I became super conscious over the New Year that mindset sits at the centre of and is a critical driver of every success we create. When all things are equal, those who become successful in any field are there because of their mindset. The mindset to win, no matter what is needed to get you to the finish line.
When we start our day with a positive mindset this fundamentally changes how we see opportunities and alters the way we see the world around us. This is illustrated in the classic saying – if you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are right!
Interestingly His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has written a book Reflections on Happiness and Positivity in which he describes positivity as a solution for an entire country! And judging from reports on the global competitiveness of Dubai, from our own Nadine October, it seems positivity and happiness are indeed having an impact.
Changing a country would be great and so would changing my world – so my personal strategy for starting and living a successful, happy 2025 goes like this:
Start every morning with a daily positive, uplifting routine.
My own modified 5am club strategy includes a pre-dawn wake up – the energy before dawn is very magical when the rest of the world is still asleep! This special hour is made up as follows: 20 mins exercise of the day – currently I alternate between a sea swim, a breathwork routine or a 5km run.
Next is 20 minutes of positive meditation or a positive reading – currently I am enjoying a re-listen to Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger and a personal manifestation challenge on the Mind Valley app.
The last 20 minutess are dedicated to learning something new – so many areas to choose from! The hardest part is deciding what to learn, and then sticking to it, going deeper than just surface skimming to deeply engage with new content
Cultivate awareness of happiness
I like to end my magic morning hour by writing down a positive intention for the day and to end the day with a gratitude list. My gratitude list somehow always seems to include the simple delight of a hot shower (maybe that’s a legacy of our Cape Town water shortage days!) and can range from gratitude that I handled a tricky conversation with care and attention, to gratitude for the lessons learnt through disappointment.
Lastly, remember that it is the implementation of these strategies that makes the difference – so this week the invitation is to make a personal commitment to starting the next 100 days with a positive mindset. I’m on day 13 and going strong 
.
