Ep 175: Finite Thinking in The Corporate World
Join me today as I start to question some areas around finite thinking in the corporate world and how changing some of what you currently believe can bring you to your next best level.
In This Episode:
- Belief in your goals
- Finite thinking around quarterly goals
- Finite thinking around competitive share
- Using AND vs OR and the importance it holds in creating new results
- Future self goals
- Replay of recent class – email: contact@michellebourquecoaching.com
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Episode Transcript:
You are listening to the it’s your time podcast and I’m your host certified life coach Michelle Arnold Burke. In today’s episode, I’m discussing finite thinking in the corporate world. Welcome to the richer time Podcast, the podcast, we’re busy professionals, like you get the practical solutions and support you need to gain control of your schedule. So you can strive to be the best in your career, but without the stress and overwhelm. If you’re looking to increase your energy and decrease your stress, you are in the right place. Hello, hello, hello. Welcome back to the podcast friend. How are you doing in this first week of March, which by the way, March is my birthday month, so much fun. I remember thinking when 30 was old? Well, you know how I always talk about having the power to change what you think, let’s just say my thoughts, for sure have changed around that. In fact, I am grateful for every birthday that I get these days. And the truth is, when we are able to change our thinking, we are able to change our lives. I think I’m for sure mentally in the best place I’ve ever been. And pretty close to physically the best I have felt if not the best. And that’s because I have done so much work around mindset. And as it gets closer to my birthday, I’m going to do a podcast episode on reflections through the years which with my intention, I will hope for you to maybe gain some tools, concepts, ideas in order to make those changes in your life even faster. Because truly, the changes that I’ve made have allowed me to be in a totally different place. And I don’t mean location of where I live. In fact, I was just talking to a friend who I went through coach training with. And we are going on five years now. And we both said how much we have changed, maybe not so much to the outside world, but on so many levels, more in alignment with what is important. And I love to think how I can do more of this in order to help more of you. Now with that, I want to jump into some thoughts around the way people think. And I sometimes question if always for the best results in the corporate world. So for today, like everything I teach, I want you to just be open to take what works for you and to leave what doesn’t? Okay, let’s go. Now, everyone has different beliefs in life, which as a reminder, are simply thoughts that have been thought over and over. And now our brain takes on as beliefs or believes them to be facts, which is not true. We can not always believe what we think, my friend. And a belief feels so strong to us that it feels like a fact. So in today’s episode, I just want to start poking some holes, and what you might think are facts, when in fact, their beliefs and beliefs can be changed. And question if having those beliefs are useful for you where you are today in life, because oftentimes, we have to change our beliefs in order to take our life to the next level. Those beliefs obviously have worked so far to get you where you are today. But to go to the next level, to have different results. You need to start believing new things, you need to start thinking differently in order to do that. And the first concept that I want to discuss today, primarily the main concept is finite thinking versus infinite thinking. And what I want to do is just share a couple of examples of how it can play out. And this recently came up for me and I was talking to someone about the way I manage my time. The truth is a lot of times folks will question how I can do the corporate job that I have, which some may say has a crazy schedule, and I’m on call and we really don’t know what the day is going to be until the night before. And then I do the podcast, some coaching some classes. And so this conversation was around thinking or I should say questioning if it was really possible to do the coaching and give the appropriate energy to a full time corporate job and I will I’m so confused, to be completely honest with you because for me, I know, I know how to organize my time. I know things in life don’t have to be, or they get to be, and stop and take a moment to hear me when I say that. It doesn’t have to be, or it can be, and where in life, are you telling yourself, or when you could be singing? And just get curious, oftentimes, when we think things can only be a certain way, it’s this or that, when we think that that’s exactly what we get in our life. When we are open to possibilities, we are able to receive more opportunities, we have more infinite wisdom, when we are open to more possibilities. Now remember, our brain is always on a mission to look out for what we believe to be true. That’s why our beliefs are so important. And I’ll share a funny example with you years ago, years years years ago, I went to a psychic, which Yes, I was totally into, and may or may not have gone since then to. She told me, I was going to marry mark with blue eyes. And guess what? My husband is mark, and he has blue eyes now. Did she maybe know or perhaps as my family likes to tell the story? I wouldn’t talk to anyone if their name wasn’t mark. And at one point, I will say there was a mark with brown eyes. And I thought maybe the crystal ball was just a little cloudy. But no, he was not the one. The one I have now. Mark with blue eyes. He is the one he has been the one for Yikes. nearly 17 years married. And I believed it would be marked with blue eyes. And guess what? That is what I found. So what is it for you that you believe in your life? For example, where have you set a goal? And maybe not quite achieved it? Get curious? What are your beliefs around the goal. And as a side note, I just did a free class on setting and achieving goals. And if you want the replay, just send me a message contact at Michelle Bourque coaching, or if it’s easier to DM me on the socials Michelle Bourque coaching, feel free, I will send it your way I talked about the importance of belief in your goal, and so much more. It was really fun. And by the way, belief in your goal is not something we discuss much in the corporate setting. And yet, it is everything. So I really encourage you to reach out. So I can send this to you, and open up more ideas of what might be possible for you. Now, another example of finite thinking in the corporate world. Speaking of goals, is around quarterly goals. Let’s face it, quarterly goals, annual goals, they’re arbitrary. They’re all made up. And there is an end game, right? It’s not infinite thinking. At the end of the quarter, you either hit your number, or you didn’t, you either win, or you lose. Think of the ways that we talk to ourselves, sure, either hero or zero, versus a mindset like Simon Sinek discusses in his book, The Infinite game, which if you have not read, I highly recommend. And the first chapter he says, while a finite minded leader works to get something from their employees, customers and shareholders in order to meet arbitrary metrics, the infinite minded leader works to ensure their employees, customers and shareholders remain inspired to continue contributing with their efforts, their wallets, and their investments. Think about this for you. Are you in it for the long game? And what does that look like in your mind? Now listen, I like to keep it real here and the way I get paid and my corporate job is on quarterly numbers. So I have that mindset from a specific focus perspective to hit that number. But I like to open up the window of what else could be possible. How can we help more patients? How can we help more providers? How can we make a greater impact in our area because from my brain, thinking like that opens up way more possibilities. Pay attention for yourself. When you are thinking something like, I have to hit that number, I have to hit that number, I have to hit that number. What does it feel like in your body? For me, it’s much more constrictive. And it doesn’t help my brain open up to new ideas, when I think I want to help more people, or if I asked myself, How can I help more people and have fun along the way, let’s go crazy here and add that second part for ourselves right? Now that allows my brain to consider new ideas, to try new things to be more open to opportunities that come along. And you know what, when I think like that, and when my clients that I work with, from coaching, things like that, the sales numbers start to increase, it makes such a difference. And another mindset that I see in a similar area around this for finite versus infinite thinking is around beating the competition or taking competitive share. Again, when you take a quote unquote, piece of the pie, you have a finite pie. And for some folks that works, and if it does, Rock on, I am all for it. But for others, like myself, I don’t just want a piece of the pie. I want a bigger pie, right? I want to make a bigger difference. And I have seen where a company might be focused on taking competitive share, and they do, but they lose in the overall growth number. So is that really the goal at the end of the day? Maybe. But I just question, if everyone was more focused on infinite possibilities, might more ideas come up? Just something to think about right? Where in your life, can you start being more open to trying new things in order to hit higher revenue numbers, or even to help improve relationships or start losing weight or stop drinking as much wine at night, or at least stop shaming yourself about it? What might be possible, if you dropped beliefs, and the structures that society has built for us to this point around what it all looks like, especially if you are a female? What if there is even more available for you, you know, you can be grateful in your life and still want more, just because you want more, just because you want to become the next best version of yourself. And I know if you’re listening to this, you are a person who wants to evolve. Give yourself permission to want what you want. And know that as you do more of that more of what you want, you become an example for others. And as we all do more of that the collective energy of the world increases. And these days, my friends, we can use that more collective increase in positive energy. What an idea, more intention with what we want in our lives. What an idea. It starts in our own universe, within ourselves. Listen to the voice that you hear, that tells you you do want something different, who you become along the way of getting to that next goal is the goal. It’s never really about the goal itself. It’s how you feel along the way and it’s who you have to become in order to get there. So you might as well have some fun doing it right and know you’re making a difference. Keep going. Okay, friends, that’s what I have for you today. Let’s circle back next week but for now, make it a great day. Take care