If you were asked right now “are you living your dream life?” what would your answer be? Would you say you go after your dreams? Does the life you live make you happy and fulfilled?
If the answer is no to any of the above, don’t worry because that is what 98% of the population would say.
In fact, only 2% of people are willing to go after their dreams with confidence and courage. This is why the phrase 2% mindset has gained popularity recently.
These people are not special in any way. They were not born with an advantage over you. They were not lucky.
So, what sets these people apart is the next question and the answer is very much in the phrase. It is their MINDSET.
If they can do it so can you…
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The 2% Mindset
The 2% mindset people are simply dreamers who believe in themselves and their capability to make their dreams come true. They simply refused to fall into the comfort zone that the rest of the population falls into. They refused to accept that there is only one way to live life. They had the courage to step outside of their comfort zone and societal expectations and they committed to making their dreams a reality.
The 98% Mindset
Coming to the 98% people who end up being means to the ends of the people with the 2% mindset, they live in constant fear of failure or losing their job. They love their comfort zone like sweethearts and are wary of stepping out of their comfort zone. Fear is their constant companion through most of their fears are beyond logic.
The people with the 98% mindset lack the desire and inclination to stick out their necks and get counted. They would prefer to be like everyone else and merge with the crowd.
How to go after your dreams?
What the 2% do differently?
Embrace The Unknown
When you spend a majority of your life following the rest of society where the trajectory of your life can be somewhat predicted, embracing the unknown can be a huge shift.
There is certainly comfort in knowing what career you will have in a particular field, what kind of career progression you can expect, and what kind of salary you can achieve when you will be able to buy a house, get married, and have kids….you get the point.
It is easy to fall into an assumption that because the majority of people are doing something one way this is the right way. This is not the case.
In fact, most people do something because it is easier.
Embracing the unknown and taking a path that few people have walked is scary. Embracing a change when you have no way of knowing what is along the way takes courage.
But as the 2% of people who have done it and saw it through, it is so freaking worth it when you get there.
Live Without Limits
The people who live out their dreams are able to do that because they do not set any limits on themselves.
People often underestimate how much their self-beliefs limit them. Or maybe they are too afraid to face this truth and take responsibility for their actions.
I know that in the past I often blamed everyone and everything else around me when things didn’t turn out the way I wanted.
The problem with that is that you completely lose control over the situation, and you will never fix it because you will never address the true core of the problem – YOURSELF.
Living life without limits starts with you and it is vital that if there is any self-belief holding you back that you face the truth about yourself and address those limiting thoughts.
Only then you can move past them and stop limiting yourself.
Like Change
Familiarity – well there is comfort in that. But unfortunately, comfort is where dreams go to die.
Those with a 2% mindset like change, they like doing new things or finding new ways of doing things. They understand that embracing change is firstly vital for their self-growth and development and secondly allows them to stay ahead of the curve.
Act in Spite of Fear
The 2% never allow fear to stop them, they embrace every opportunity despite that fear.
I see it so often, how people allow amazing opportunities to slide by because of fear they feel. More often than not it is the fear of failure, of what people will think that stops them dead in the tracks. They feel that the fear of losing is greater than the excitement of winning. They are scared of risks and would rather get by than take a risk and achieve something big.
The 2% understand that the most amazing things in life live on the other side of fear and they allow the excitement of that push them through the uncomfortable.
Get The Most Out of Life
Some people are happy with the everyday grind that is life – get up, eat, work, sleep, repeat. Humans are creatures of habit, once we fall into a pattern and we lose some of our peripheral vision. We only focus on what is within our narrow vision, getting through one day at a time repeating the same pattern over again.
But I want you to take a moment and look at where you are now and what your life will look like in the next 30 years if you stay where you are.
And now imagine what the next 30 years could look like if you take that leap of faith and follow that idea or goal?
When you are 85, which side would you regret not pursuing the most?
Asking yourself these questions is the surest way to find out if you are getting the most out of your life. You only get one chance; you don’t want to look back and have regrets.
The 2% know that and they choose the latter side. This is what separates them out from the rest.
Have Confidence
You need a bit of edge and maybe a healthy amount of naiveite to do what only 2% of the population are willing to do.
Confidence is key. Firstly, having the confidence in yourself, that you have what it takes to pull through, not lose yourself along the way, and deal with challenges. Secondly, you need to be confident in your idea and goal, and purpose. This way you will show up every day with the right energy to pursue that dream with all that you have and without standing in the way of yourself.
Explore New Opportunities
Achieving your dream will require you to not only step outside your comfort zone once but to do it repeatedly. To a point that exploring the new and unknown and taking on new exciting opportunities whenever they present themselves, become a habit.
It can be difficult to know if an opportunity is the right one for sure but there are two things that can help you make the right decision, but it is also important that you can distinguish them.
1.Fear:
As mentioned, fear can be paralysing to an extent that often time, we convince ourselves that we do not want to do something because it is not the right thing for us. When in fact we are just scared. Other times something will truly just feel off and that uncertainty is a protective mechanism. Deep down you will know which way you are leaning but you have to be truthful with yourself. If it is fear, it will help if you can admit this to yourself and push past it.
2. Intuition:
Deep down you know what is right for you. Have a think back to the last time you made a wrong choice about something. Although at the time you convinced yourself you are making the right choice and made a load of excuses I bet when you look back now, you can recognise that the red flags were there all along. You have the experience now. So, the next time you are faced with a choice and those same feelings come up, you know it is your subconscious mind warning you. This time you can listen to it.
Seek Fulfilment
The 2% always seek fulfillment above all. They are not afraid to make a change when things stop lighting them up.
They avoid falling into that trap that the 98% fall into – the idea that having a job that makes you miserable is something you just got to take, that all relationships are hard, that working for someone you dislike is acceptable, that having Sunday blues is ok, that the knot in your stomach on a Monday morning is something everyone feels, that no one can have it all.
It is not the case!
You deserve to spend your life happy doing something that fills you up and gives you, satisfaction, gets you excited, makes you happy and content with your life. You deserve to find fulfillment in what you do.
Once you stop accepting what the masses are willing to accept and realise that it is the biggest scam in the world, you can start making choices that better align with what you need from your life.
Look For Excitement
This ties well with the previous point too. The 2% do not accept the average life – they want to explore everything that life has to offer. They look for excitement wherever they can find it.
They are constantly on the move and they keep on exploring new things. In other words, they avoid stagnation at all costs. That is why they are amenable to change. Those who resist change become victims of stagnation.
Choose Happiness
I don’t know about you but I can definitely pinpoint a few moments in my life where I made a choice that was not in alignment with my true happiness. I allowed the fear of failure, my family’s expectations, society’s expectations, they need to prove something, the fear of being alone to guide me, rather than relying on my happiness compass. I paid the price and learned a lesson. But it gave me clarity and an understanding of what led me to make these choices.
In all honesty, it all came down to fit into that 98% bubble.
With each one, I had that yearning feeling that something was not right but I ignored it.
If any of this resonates with you I am here to tell you that the moment you let go of these beliefs you are choosing your own happiness over all else.
Since I have done that I am happier than ever. I have peace of mind and a sense of inner strength that I have never experienced before. And my relationship with myself has changed because I now trust myself to always make the right choice.
Your happiness needs to be your priority. Taking responsibility for it is the ultimate power move.
Have An Abundance Mindset
In order to achieve the big dreams you have, you need to make room for them in your life. Our mindset can radically affect our choices and determine the course of our lives.
Henry Ford famously stated, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right”,
Your mind is powerful and it will believe whatever you feed it.
An abundance mindset refers to the belief that there is plenty of everything for everybody in the world.
Developing an abundant mindset impacts can impact your success. When you have an abundance mindset you feel clear, confident, and capable. When you have a scarcity mentality you fear the unknown and believe there is only so much of everything available in the world.
The 2% typically have an abundance mindset so what are the steps to achieving it?
- Believe in infinite possibilities
- Understand the power of your thoughts
- Stop comparing yourself to others
- Incorporate gratitude as a daily practice
- Build win-win situations for all
- Be willing to learn
- Create daily affirmations that encourage abundance
- Surround yourself with others with an abundance mindset
Go For Their Dreams
Simple as that!
The 2% of people who succeed and get their dream life do so because they GO AFTER THEIR DREAMS.
For them the sense of purpose and inner calling is so strong that no obstacle is too high, and no challenge stands in their way. Nothing takes them off that path.
That yearning feeling and that sense of purpose it all they need to keep them going along the journey.
If you find that one passion, that one dream, never give up on it.
If something does not work out the way you wanted it to, don’t abandon the goal, just change the approach and try again.
On a Final Note
Here is a summary of what you need to go after your goals:
- Embrace The Unknown
- Live Without Limits
- Like Change
- Act in Spite of Fear
- Get The Most Out of Life
- Have Confidence
- Explore New Opportunities
- Seek Fulfilment
- Look For Excitement
- Have An Abundance Mindset
- Choose Happiness
- Go For Their Dreams