by Kelly Beischel PhD, RN, CNE

Can you feel the countdown to fall semester upon you??

I sure can. This fall countdown might have you scrambling around and running in circles with last minute preparations.  Counterproductive, for sure.

When I’m scrambling around and running in circles, my anxiety can rise to unbearable heights. Does this sound familiar?

But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Henry Ford said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

If you don’t like running in circles or being panicked about course preparations you might want to try something new, like choosing a mindset.

It works!

Mindsets seem like a small thing, even kinda woo-woo.

But being intentional about choosing a mindset can set your efficiency on fire.

The Merriam dictionary defines mindset as an “idea or attitude with which a person approaches a situation, especially when the situation is difficult to alter.”

I have a mindset coach. Each Monday she encourages me to choose a mindset for the week. She calls this Mindset Monday.

I’ve chosen mindsets anywhere from “healthy self-care” to “I am creative, efficient, and focused.”

Mindset Essentials:

  1. Choose a mindset that resonates with who you want to be this week.
  2. Revisit your chosen mindset throughout the week. Revisiting your mindset keeps you focused on the attitude you’ve chosen to approach each situation you encounter within your week. This is key to your success.
  3. Tell someone or better yet, announce your mindset below. This will help keep you accountable for attending to your mindset.

I intentionally chose Peaceful Productivity for my mindset this week as the countdown to fall semester is on me. Simply saying to myself, “peaceful productivity”, keeps me from becoming an anxious spinning top.

What mindset will you choose this week?

What attitude do you want to have as you prepare courses, attend start of the year meetings, and set upcoming schedules? Reply below. Share the mindset you’ve chosen for the week.