In a world brimming with information and opportunities for growth, the simple yet profound mantra “If you know better, do better” serves as a guiding light on the path to personal development and positive change.
Key Takeaways:
Acknowledging that you “know better” requires self-awareness and reflection.
Understanding alone is not enough; action is the catalyst for transformation.
Embracing a growth mindset and overcoming the fear of failure are essential for progress.
The first step towards personal growth and positive change is self-awareness. Acknowledging that you “know better” requires a heightened sense of awareness, where you recognize areas in your life that can be improved. This self-reflection can encompass personal habits, relationships, or even societal contributions.
Social contributions include social security contributions by employees, employers, and self-employed individuals, and other contributions whose source cannot be determined. They also include actual or imputed contributions to social insurance schemes operated by governments.
For example, smoking is a habit that many people know is detrimental to their health. The knowledge that smoking causes lung cancer is widely available, yet some individuals continue to smoke. This discrepancy between knowledge and action highlights the importance of self-awareness. By recognizing the negative impact of smoking and acknowledging that they “know better,” individuals can take the necessary steps to quit and improve their health.
While self awareness is crucial, understanding alone is not enough. Action is the catalyst for transformation. The mantra “If you know better, do better” challenges individuals to break free from the inertia of complacency and take intentional steps towards positive change.
In today's fast-paced world, it is easy to become overwhelmed by information and remain stagnant. However, true growth and progress require action. Merely knowing what needs to be done is not sufficient; one must actively engage in the process of change. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power, if you use it.” It is through action that knowledge is transformed into tangible results. My people perish for lack of knowledge, is no longer true.
If you know better, do better: Embracing Growth Mindset
The mantra “If you know better, do better” embodies the essence of a growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. It is a mindset that embraces challenges, persists in the face of obstacles, and sees failure as an opportunity for growth.
In a culture where information is readily available, there is no excuse for feigning ignorance. With the abundance of resources such as books, podcasts, and online courses, individuals have the means to acquire knowledge and learn new skills. By embracing a, growth mindset, and actively seeking out opportunities for growth, individuals can continuously improve themselves and their lives.
The, fear of failure, often hinders progress. Many individuals, know better, but do not, do better, because they are afraid of failing. However, the mantra “If you know better, do better” invites us to confront this fear and take action.
Failure is not something to be feared but rather embraced as a learning opportunity. Elon Musk once said, “Failure is a learning experience. The only way to learn is by making mistakes.” Each attempt, even if it falls short of the desired outcome, brings valuable lessons and insights. By reframing failure as a stepping stone towards success, individuals can overcome their fear and take the necessary risks to achieve their, personal development goals.
Accountability: Do better if you know better
Beyond personal growth, the mantra “If you know better, do better” emphasizes accountability. It challenges individuals to take responsibility for their actions and fosters a sense of accountability not only to oneself but also to the wider community and the world.
When individuals recognize that they have the knowledge and ability to make a positive impact, they become accountable for their actions. This accountability extends beyond personal spheres and contributes to the betterment of communities, societies, and the world at large. By taking ownership of their actions and striving to do better, individuals can create a positive legacy for future generations.
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Do better: Inspiring Others through affirmative action
Living by the principle of “If you know better, do better” sets an inspiring example for those around you. Your actions become a beacon, encouraging others to embark on their journeys of positive change and continuous improvement.
When others witness the transformative power of, affirmative action, they are inspired to follow suit. By leading by example and demonstrating the positive outcomes that can be achieved through knowledge and action, individuals can inspire a ripple effect of betterment in their communities and beyond.
The Ripple Effect of Betterment
The cumulative effect of individuals striving to do better creates a ripple effect that extends beyond personal spheres. It contributes to the betterment of communities, societies, and the world at large, creating a positive legacy for future generations.
When individuals embrace the mantra “If you know better, do better,” they become agents of change. Their actions, no matter how small, have the potential to create a ripple effect that inspires others to take action. This collective effort towards positive change can lead to a brighter, more enlightened future for all.
“Habit Grows Out Of Environment — Out Of Doing The Same Thing In The Same Way Repeatedly — Out Of Thinking The Same Thoughts Over And Over — And When Once Formed It Resembles Cement Which Has Sent In The Molds And Is Hard To Break.”
In Conclusion
In the tapestry of personal growth, the mantra “If you know better, do better” weaves a thread of wisdom and action. It calls us to move beyond passive awareness and embrace the transformative power of intentional, positive change. As we navigate the complexities of life, may this mantra guide our decisions, inspire our actions, and lead us toward a brighter, more enlightened future.
David Nurse, an NBA Mindset coach and bestselling author, joins host Myrna Young to discuss the importance of a, growth mindset, to, unlock your full potential. We explore eight, archetypes of fear, that hinder action: including the burned, the blamer, and the perfectionist. David shares insights from his book “Do It: The Life-Changing Power of Taking Action” and offers practical tools for overcoming these, archetypes of fear. He emphasizes the need to embrace imperfection and take consistent action to achieve success.
Myrna: The common thread in all your books is mindset. Why do you think a, growth mindset, is so important to our success?
David: Having a, growth mindset, is so important because really, when you break down life, it is simple. Life starts off simple. When you're a kid, you're just playing. You don't have worries, stresses, anxieties.
But as you get older, get into a job, into relationships, everything becomes so complicated. But if you peel back the layers of the onion of life, it actually is very simple. And it just comes down to perspective, how you view each situation. You can't take it all in once. It's just step by step. It's like taking a step forward with a flood lamp where you can only see a little bit in front of you. You can't see the whole picture.
Having a, growth mindset, is a crucial factor in determining our success. It shapes our perspective and how we approach challenges and opportunities.
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How athletes unlock their full potential with mindset growth
Myrna: So as a mindset coach for athletes, before we go into, growth mindset , off the court, let talk about, growth mindset, on the court. Because we can transition everything in life, whether it's having a, growth mindset, on the court, or having a, growth mindset, in the boardroom. So let's stick with the sports analogy for a while because I never played professional sports. But let's say I'm thinking of a mindset like Michael Jordan. I know, when he got into the league, he was benched.
Nobody thought he was good, or even Tom Brady, he was a scrawny kid. And actually, now that I started to talk, I'm thinking of all these guys. And I just finished watching the Netflix documentary on Stephen Curry biography. And of course, that's a perfect one to look at. This scrawny little kid, and everybody is counting him out because he's tiny, he's small, and then he starts playing. And what he said to himself is, I'm just good at these guys. I just need to grow a little more.
So tell us about how that kind of, growth mindset, helps you go from everybody is counting you out to being the top of your game?
How Stephen Curry unlocked his full potential and changed the game
David: Yeah, absolutely. And it's so interesting to see these top athletes to ever play their sports. A lot of them were counted out or they were underestimated. And it's actually one of the archetypes in Do It: The Life Changing Power of Taking Action that I talk about, because we are either people who says, Why me? Others say, Why not me? Why can't I be the best at what I'm doing? Why don't I deserve a great life? That's the difference between a, growth mindset vs a fixed mindset.
So it's great that you brought up Curry, as I give this example in talks and I show this slide about when Steph Curry was coming out of college, his scouting report, and you could Google search this, you'll just start laughing. It said, undersized, not quick enough, probably will be a backup, he'll be lucky to even play in the NBA. And Curry goes on to transcend the way an entire sport is played, which didn't shoot as many threes until Steph Curry came to the game. He literally took a sport that been going on for years and changed the way it was played. That is, how to overcome self-doubt and unlock your full potential.
Myrna: So today we want to talk a bit about the enemy of inaction, which I think is so important. Your book Do It talks about the enemy of inaction. And you said that you've identified eight archetypes that are the enemy of inaction. These archetypes could also be called the, fear of failure. The first one is The Burned.
I'm assuming that you mean that someone burned me, so I'm not going to do anything. Which is the, enemy of progress. Another one is The Blamer, I know that one because even this morning, I was telling my son to stop going around blaming others, it's one of the worst things that you can do. And then there is The perfectionist. The people with, type A personality. I understand, The Blamer, and, The Perfectionist. Not so much about, The Burned. So talk to us about these eight, archetypes of fear, that are the enemies of inaction.
To overcome the enemy of inaction we must release fear
David: So the, enemy of inaction, is fear. Ultimately, it is, fear of uncertainty. It's fear of failure. We don't take action because we don't know what's on the other side of that action. If you were guaranteed results, you would do that. But it's uncertain. So there's actually eight, archetypes of fear, that I outlined, those are just the top three. I'll just go through the eight.
If you're struggling, if you're held back, if you're stuck, you can understand why and be able to break through that and take action. So the archetypes are the allodoxaphobia, which is just a cool way to say, fear of other people's opinions.
The following archetypes are the enemy of inaction. We need to recognize them to, unlock our full potential.
The Burned archetype refers to individuals who have been hurt or disappointed in the past and are afraid to take action again. They may have experienced failure or rejection, and this has created a, fear of failure. If you are going to, unlock your full potential, you need to start addressing this by separating the past from the present and adopting a reverse alter ego. By giving the past a silly name, we can distance ourselves from the negative experiences and move forward with a fresh perspective.
2. The Blamer archetype is characterized by individuals who constantly blame others for their current situation. We can never, unlock our full potential, if we refuse to take responsibility for our actions and believe that external factors are the cause of their lack of progress. I emphasize the importance of personal accountability and encourages individuals to take ownership of their choices and outcomes.
3. The Perfectionist archetype is driven by the need for everything to be perfect. Type A personalities, fall into to, the perfectionist archetype. These individuals set impossibly high standards for themselves and are often paralyzed by the, fear of failure. You can never, unlock your full potential, if you have a, fear of failure. I advise my clients to embrace the, 90% theory, which allows for imperfection and acknowledges that nothing will ever be perfect. By focusing on giving 90% effort and accepting that mistakes are part of the learning process, individuals can overcome the, perfectionist mindset, and take action.
The other archetypes of inaction
4. The Believer archetype, organize their lives around their belief systems. When asked why they believe in a certain way, many Believers will simply reply, “Because it’s true.” They have their own way of coming to conclusions and these ways often defy reason and/or are difficult to convey because they are based on a feeling.is kind of interesting. Check out, the Believer Archetype, on Myers Briggs .
5. The Inopportune archetype , which means you think you're either too old or too young. Timing is just not right. Tjis becomes the reason for inaction.
6. The introvert believes he is introverted, so he can't go out and talk to people. Introverted or extroverted has nothing to do with whether you talk to people or not? It's just how you recharge. Do you recharge by yourself or do you recharge with others?
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But it also took up a lot of my time in post-production, that is until I found the Alitu podcasting software.
you’ll find a great little web app designed to make processing, editing and publishing your podcast super-easy.
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7. The scarcity archetype, where you have a, scarcity mindset. There's only one slice of the pie that you feel like you just have to hold on to all you got and you can't share anything with anybody else, because if you do, it's all going to be gone.
8. The distracted archetype, and I don't even mean by distracted of like our phones or the notifications or all these things that we have of being constantly on in this world that we live in. But even more the distraction of not knowing what your vision, your mission, your purpose is. And that's your, enemy of inaction. The enemy of, unlocking your potential.
Conclusion
In conclusion, unlocking our full potential, requires a shift in mindset. We must, overcome the enemy of inaction, which is often fueled by fear and negative thought patterns. By addressing the burned, blamer, and perfectionist archetypes, we can break free from these limiting beliefs and take action towards our goals. Remember, the mind is a powerful tool, and by harnessing its potential, we can transform our lives and achieve greatness.
When you have an, adaptable mindset, it means you're going to be, adaptable, to almost anything in life. So, what's the definition of an, adaptable mindset, and how can we develop it?
Robert Overweg is the founder of the, Adaptable Mindset program. He and his team empower people to develop their own, adaptable Mindset, to develop mental flexibility. Learn how to create, mental space, and to find new possibilities. In our rapidly changing world, we keep feeling the impact of unpredictable events to which we have to adapt.
Robert teaches how, adaptability, is about empowerment and finding new perspectives. The Adaptable Mindset program has been applied at several Fortune 500 companies including Chanel, and Heineken, multiple SMEs and innovative schools. They have also supported over a thousand students and solopreneurs with their online program.
Myrna: What do you credit your, adaptable mindset, to even as a kid?
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Robert: My parents gave me a lot of freedom to explore. The told me, hey, if you want to be an artist or professor, do what makes you happy. I was always photographing crawling around and founded my own photography company when I was like 17 years old. I was very naïve and I thought, hey, I can do this. I was just always failing forward again and again. I noticed that a lot of people haven't had that upbringing. But it's not necessarily to have such an upbringing to be able to flow through life.
You can also find it later on, but it takes work and that's why we found with the, Adaptable mindset program, and like all of our testimonials show that people can find their spark and find their drive can find these different perspectives again. You can make the work fun and you can make the work playful so it's it doesn't feel like a work just creating, mental space.
Myrna: When I was growing up, everybody said that, you needed to be a lawyer or a doctor, to be considered successful and they were stuck in that. If they didn't go to medical school or they didn't become a lawyer, they kind of felt that they were a failure of some sort, you know what I mean?
So, a, creative mindset, would definitely be an, adaptable mindset. Because in order to have, creativity, you've got to let energy flow through, you got to let source flow through. You got to be in touch with and feeling your environment. So that's probably why you gravitated towards, adaptability, and started your design company at 17. You had that, creativity, almost kind of built in.
So, like I started off by saying, we are, adaptable. As human beings we were born with the ability to be, adaptable. So why do we need that, adaptability? Why do you think that God hardwired us to be, adaptable, people?
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Robert: God did it to everything. From nature to animals otherwise you aren't able to survive. It's just a very natural thing to do. Also, if we look at new theories, we also see that it's not just survival of the fittest and adaptation. It's also working together and that's maybe something that we forgot a little bit as humankind. Most of us have heard about survival of the fittest, but not about doing as a collaborative effort. And yeah, I think like everyone also has the ability to have an, adaptable mindset, we make so many silly rules, which narrow our frame of view, which limit our own, creativity.
And then we put upon our children and we teach that limitation in schools as well because we make life simpler than it is. we compartmentalize things at school. So, we deny people who understand the entirety, you are not trained in intuition you're not trained in in compassion. You're not trained in imagination. It's mainly different kinds of sports, more of the art skills and then you get grades. And then if you if you don't pass your grades, then you're a failure like entire system is set up to compartmentalize not really help you.
Adaptable mindset in business, is the same in organizations too much compartmentalization. You're not really valued for your, creativity. And then we have media which is constantly distracting your social media which is railroads are thinking we're constantly being narrowed in a frame of view we're being boxed in. And that's not how we are meant to be meant to be. You should be able to find your own path and do whatever the heck you want actually, as long as it contributes to the to the greater good.
Myrna: When I thing of an, adaptable mindset, I'm thinking along the lines of, adaptable to change. Alright, so let's take the pandemic. We had to do a lot of changes and we had to, adapt. In fact, they're saying that we will never go back to where we were before. So, let's say that, we're accustomed to the grind of getting up in the morning at six o'clock and taking the train or driving in rush hour traffic to get to work and then all of a sudden, you are stuck at home by yourself.
You don't have people to talk to, you don't you don't have that communication with people. A lot of people got really depressed, because they didn't have that outlet. So, talk about that kind of, adaptability. Why do we need, adaptability, for things like crisis?
Robert: A lot of people, of course, everyone went through this experience, and some fared better than others. Right? A lot of people indeed became depressed and weren't really connected anymore to what inspired them. The people who did flourish, often took care of themselves, or went out for walks, did their own exercising, took care of proper nutrition, maybe even getting in touch with the restoration.
So, everyone has to decide. It doesn't matter if he fails, then you pick up the next one and just keep on expanding the mind even putting new information in and just keep on repeating that. Also being conscious of how the world reacts to it and what the world needs. So okay, now I need to work from home. But what can I do? You can do that by finding different perspectives and assessing how you can get out of the situation or how you can get the most out of it while remaining calm.
The world is very demanding, you need to find that countermeasures to be able to get clarity again and to connect again to what you want to do instead of the outside world.
Myrna: As you were talking, I remembered that a lot of times me personally and some people that don't like change, right? And anytime that you have opportunity to change, you kind of want to stay the same because you're comfortable there. But I found that anytime I resist change, and then I leap forward into it, It works out a whole lot better than what I was didn't want to change from. Who would have thought that people would like to work from home. But now they're finding reasons that it's a whole lot better.
You kind of, adapt, to whatever situation you're in and that's probably why God programmed us with, adaptability, because things change. Even our wealth and our health, sometimes you can go from, being very wealthy and then you're poor, and you got to, adapt. People don't really, adapt, but they at least try. Or you go from being healthy one day to being bed ridden the next day.
You got to find a way to make that work for you. You know what I mean? So, when I think of, adaptability, that's what I'm thinking of, any situation that has changed, and you got to fix it. One day you are married and you’ve got the second income and all of a sudden, you're divorced and you now you are a single mom struggling to pay your bills. We all have to develop an, adaptability mindset.
Who moved my cheese
We always resist change. I remember way back when I was in the corporate world, they, you know, one of my companies made us read this book, Who Moved My Cheese, and they made all employees read that book as part of the onboarding training because they know that people hate change, and everybody's gonna resist change. Corporations hire coaches to help people, adaptability mindset.
What are some of the pros the pros, of an, adaptable mindset?
Robert: If you have an, adaptable mindset, there’s room for growth? You ask yourself, what can I learn from it? If there's nothing that you can learn from it, just move on.
Myrna: Yeah, there's always something you can learn even if it's not what not to do. So, if we find that our personalities are the type of person that we don't like change, we're stuck in the same mode. You know, that our parents told us to do, you know what I mean? We're not growing, we're not curious. We're just stuck. How can someone in that space, develop adaptability? Is there like some steps that they can do?
Robert: Yeah, I think it's very beneficial to start with what you're curious about. Because what you're curious about is about, adaptability.
Myrna: A lot of people that are not curious, let's assume they're not curious. They're just gonna do what they know.
Robert: Well, there's always something that you can be curious about. It can even be a TV program or channel on discovery or whatever. You do need to have a sense of, curiosity, still in you, otherwise, there needs to be a willingness from the individual. You know, that it starts there. It starts with you taking that step forward, and putting more of the stuff in your life, which inspires you.
And if you find something even if it slightly makes you curious, then keep on exploring and keep on pulling on that thread and through more of that into your life. It could also be that you just feel that your mind is totally overflowing and you don't have any space, you don't have any time to be curious.
Myrna: With an, adaptable mindset, you can change because the mindset is your software, right? So, when you have an, adaptable mindset, that means you're going to be, adaptable, to almost anything in life. So, let's discuss what is an, adaptable mindset, your definition. How can we develop that mindset?
Robert: That's what, mindset, is that you're always able to find a fresh perspective that you have openness, openness to new ideas is a very large aspect of that. Because openness allows you to see more things. It's also about expanding our frame of mind. You know, everyone has their own specific frame of mind through which they look through the world.
And sometimes we forget that everyone has their own specific frame of mind, that the frame is like a letterbox issue to the world. It narrows your frame of view whether you notice it or not. So, it's always a good idea to start chipping away at that frame to try and expand it and expose yourself to art, to movies, to music that it lights up your soul and do that often and maybe less of the Instagram scrolling. Did you know that Kim Kardashian has a new boyfriend? Not really expanding her frame of mind?
Myrna: Yes, a lot of time and other people's business take up space in our mind. Everyone is now watching Johnny Depp.
Robert: We need to create more brain space to also filter more content, but also work on creating more cognitive flexibility through movement through sports like yoga, meditation, cycling, strength training, all of these things are scientifically proven to create more cognitive flexibility. It makes you better able to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity like strength training, strong mind and body because a strong body equals a strong mind.
It's so extremely logical, but we are we've become such sedentary creatures and we're always sitting in a chair on our phone. And of course, you'll be more flexible because you've got such so much data of solutions and possibilities and your, subconscious mind, is able to make new connections. The other important thing is it's what you see with people who have great scientific discoveries Nobel Prize winners. All of these people, they also have, mental space.
And they had ways to sort of resynthesize what they experienced by playing violin, doing juggling unicycling going for long walks, going sailing, and doing that for hours. When do we still take time ever do nothing? Absolutely nothing. Or just react to something like violin or go for a walk. It's often that we have a second device for doing something else or thinking about something to think different and to speak different as well.
So, what we see is that most people change when they encounter change. They say, Ah, it's not possible. Oh, that will never happen here. And you know, all like these walls that they put up. And it's debatable if that is very helpful. But what might be more beneficial is to always think positive and how it could be possible. And just always having that open view.
The Adaptable Mindset program
Myrna: Your, adaptable mindset program, you said that you have helped over 1000 students and a lot of entrepreneurs you know solo entrepreneurs. Tell us about your program.
Robert: So, we have an online program, which is curiosity based, it's very playful. You can choose your own boss through the program and you can start with our nature game’s philosophy, doesn't really matter. And just take all your inspiration and expand your mind. There is a masterclass in there as well on how to create, mental space. There is a segment on how to deal with a, fear of failure, like all things that you use during your development, and you can just choose what you need and what resonates with you.
You don't have to do everything or actually anything at all. I don't really mind like as long as it actually works for you. So, we've got the online program, and then we do workshops, and organizational transformation in these larger organizations as well. And then normally, the first week with Chief Technology Officer head of innovation, head of digital, someone in a leadership position, and then we talk about the ENA company. How other teams are structured, what people are lacking, how to stop being stressed out, these kinds of things and then make a custom program to support people in resolving these challenges. So, you get more creativity, more imagination, more mental space, because that is what most organizations need.
