The One Mindset Shift That Separates the 1% From Everyone Else (And How to Use It Today)
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We live in a world where people want guarantees that the decisions they make today will have a positive impact tomorrow.
That's not how the world works.
…Not even close!
This has created a heard mentality within industries, and across society itself, whereby people don't act unless there's some sense of guaranteed outcome.
This holds people back in ways they can't even begin to imagine.
People play out situations in their heads, searching for some sort of guaranteed outcome, and if they are unable to find they will…
Procrastinate on starting
Give up entirely
Jump from one 'great idea' to another
Never make any progress
….creating a cycle of feeling 'stuck'.
On a large scale they're trapped because they're stuck thinking like the '99%'.
The people playing it safe.
Copying what the 'average' do.
You don't have to look far to see that the 'average' person isn't thriving.
Here's the core idea I'm sharing…
Want big results? Stop thinking like everyone else and start thinking like the 1%
Let's explore this idea together…
How to Think Like the 1%: The Secret to Out-Sized Results (Starting Now)
I heard this line in a podcast interview recently…
"Are you okay making good decisions that don't lead to good outcomes?"
It was a question posed by Seth Godin on the Tim Ferriss Show.
Upon hearing it, I felt it was a question that perfectly encapsulated the idea we are exploring here and the problem facing many people in today's society.
People often aren't prepared to make good decisions UNLESS they lead to good outcomes. And often, they want guarantees that the good outcomes will occur.
It makes sense.
It isn't unreasonable.
But it's a way of thinking that holds people back.
Take these examples, starting with one we are all familiar with…
Example 1: Weight Loss
When guiding someone through a weight loss journey, we are asking them to make good decisions now that don't lead to good outcomes (initially).
In the short term, they might feel worse off.
…they're eating less of the things they love
…they're having to put in extra effort
…they might experience some difficulties
But regardless, we continue to ask them to make 'good' decisions.
There's no guarantee of a good outcome.
It should arrive but it is not 100% certain.
But we tell them to trust us and follow the process.
In fact, if the person wanted absolute certainty on the outcomes, they'd never get started. Because the only way to guarantee an outcome is to not try.
Examples 2 & 3: My Most Expensive Loss
This is technically two examples in one…
In 2011 I quit my 'safe' retail job with managerial prospects and went fully self-employed.
My success was far from guaranteed.
But regardless of outcomes, this was a good decision.
I knew I didn't want to work in retail and I was fairly certain I never wanted a Boss ever again in my life. So I jumped ship and went off on m own.
This was a good decision with no guarantee of a good outcome.
(This is Example 2)
A couple of months into that new business I met with someone who wanted to come onboard as a client but who didn't want to adhere to my policies.
My mentor had been clear about the best way of setting out my Personal Training service, and structuring the payments, so that I created stability in my business.
This person wanted to ignore that and offered to pay way above my fee in order to skirt around the set processes I had put in place.
I declined their offer.
I said 'No' to £50 per session for my PT service.
(Back in 2011, this was mega-bucks for PT!)
…All because I understood that it wan't a good decision to make.
I made a good decision that risked creating a bad outcome - in the hope of creating good outcomes in the future.
To put this example into perspective, I was really struggling at the time.
Even just one payment of £50 would have made a difference.
But in the long run, it could have been an extremely poor decision to make.
It would set a low standard for the running of my business and the service.
By saying 'No' to £50…I said 'Yes' to a much better, more stable business that stood the test of time.
It's only now that I realise what an important decision that was and how differently things might have played out if I took the 'easy' decision.
(This is Example 3)
Let's summarise the key lesson from these examples…
The key to thinking like the 1% is:
Making Good Decisions Without Guarantees
That's it.
By making decisions in this way, you immediately separate yourself from the heard.
You leave the 99% behind and become part of the 1%
…The person who takes this approach to their weight loss becomes part of the 1% who get a chance of seeing results and keeping them for a lifetime.
…The business owner who takes this approach becomes part of the 1% who gives themselves a chance to build a life on their terms and find 'success'.
All the while - NOTHING is guaranteed.
They take the risk. They leap in.
Are YOU Willing To Make Good Decisions That Don’t Lead To Good Outcomes?
The question posed by Seth Godin is one I believe we should be asking of ourselves, often.
You can make 5 good decisions and 4 of them might lead to bad outcomes.
But regardless, you made good decisions.
The goal here is to build the discipline of making good decisions.
> A good outcome doesn’t necessarily mean you made a good decision.
> Similarly, a bad outcome doesn’t mean you made a bad decision.
They are not mutually exclusive.
The education we have received and the normalised way of thinking that society has infected us with creates a distorted view of reality…
One where: only good outcomes come from good decisions. Therefore, if you got a bad outcome you made a bad decision.
It’s simply not true.
This line of thinking can create a dangerous feedback loop.
One whereby 'bad' decisions that lead to 'good' outcomes end up being repeated.
It's not too dissimilar to letting a child get their own way because they threw a tantrum and you want the to stop.
…it doesn't serve you in the long term.
To Finish
Making 'good' decisions is often hard.
Making 'good' decisions won't guarantee 'good' outcomes.
Making 'bad' decisions can be quite easy.
Making 'bad' decision can sometimes lead to good outcomes.
Be aware of ALL possibilities associated with your decisions making and use it to gain clarity on a situation rather than jumping to a quick conclusion.
Many of you are making 'good' decisions and doing the 'right' things, but because you aren't seeing the 'good' outcome yet, you might be easily tricked in to thinking that you're doing the 'wrong' things.
This might lead you to quit too soon
This might leave you open to deception by others
This might trap you in the same thinking of the 99%
My hope is that this piece shines a light on a different perspective.
