5 Things that changed my MINDSET in the past year

I think we can all agree upon the fact that since the pandemic hit in February 2020, all of us have had time to think about our life choices and the state of where we were in our careers and lives. Some of us were forced to change their jobs, some were luckier (me included) and kept their jobs, but still had to re-adjust and to re-think some choices. Surely none of us remained 100% how they were before the world stopped.

Here’s a list of the things which I have discovered and that changed my mindset over the past year:

1. Be Your Own Manager or BYOM Academy is an online course held by Bernhard Kerres and is based on the book with the same name which he wrote with Bettina Mehne. I know I have been ranting about BYOM all over my social media, but it truly gave me better clarity of what I want for my life and career and how to build a strategy to achieve my goals. The course is structured into 12 lectures covering topics like: career strategy, bio, web presence, money, fanbase and others. Check it out. Highly recommended!

2. Getting things done is a method created by David Allen. I started reading his book in November 2020 and couldn’t stop highlighting various passages on my Kindle. The basic idea behind the method is that our mind works like a computer with a certain amount of RAM (processing memory). When we try to remember all the things we have to do, they take space in our brain, slowing it down on unnecessary processes. The GTD method gives useful tips on sorting out tasks, understanding projects, next steps, creating lists and following up. And as long as you know what you are not doing, you are in control of the “stuff” and not the other way around.

3. Podcasts. I think most of us got hooked up on some podcast during the pandemic and the lockdowns. Nowadays you can find podcasts on basically any topic you can think of. Horror stories, history, meditation, finances, music, psychology… you name it! During my long train travels I have listened to a lot of different podcasts and learned a lot from them. I’ve listened to podcasts focusing on financial questions, moments in history, motivation and mindset, comedy, show business, start ups and more. What I like about podcasts is that the information is received in a more direct way. Writing requires more work in finding the right words to express what you exactly mean and for the reader to understand. The podcasts are often conversations and people tend to look for the most accessible and immediate way to express themselves. I even started a podcast myself! If you haven’t listened to it yet, it’s called Everything Accordion and is available on all the major platforms.

4. Clubhouse. An audio-only social media with plenty of clubs and rooms to listen to. Based on your interests, you can join rooms and interact with people from all over the world. Just like the podcasts, it is a direct way to interact between the members and to hear from experts in some field of interest first-hand accounts of how, what, where and why. I have been listening to some business and entrepreneurial rooms and learned new things about marketing, selling, management and more. In fact, that’s what prompted me to open a shop on my website and offer a variety of services based on my knowledge and experience. Check them out on the booking page.

5. HubSpot. The online tool which I use daily to manage my career. It is really great for managing contacts, deals, tasks, follow up on projects and create newsletters. It can be rather intimidating in the beginning, but once you get a hang of it, you will feel more in control of the office work related to your career. In fact, I am holding a monthly webinar in which I introduce HubSpot and some other useful online tools. You can reserve a spot for the next available webinar here.

What major mindset changes did you experience since 2020 and what made them? I'd love to read it in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Ghenadie