Bazaar Finds #4

Crafting your mindset, rebooting, and keeping it simple.

Let’s end this week strong.

---

Blank slate - Source: Pixabay

---

🧠 Adjusting Our Mindsets

I wanted to kick off this edition with this post by

Neera Mahajan

who writes Author Circle. In her article, Neera explains 2 different mindsets that can be very useful to learn: the Dabbler’s Mindset and the Author’s Mindset. This article resonated with me because I have experienced a Dabbler’s mindset for the last few years. I had a fear of commitment to a solopreneurship and content creation journey due to self-doubts and what-ifs. The voices in my head would prevent me to just go ahead and do it despite many attempts of launching something of my own. Moreover, Neera teaches us the three attributes that make up the Author’s Mindset and despite what the name of this framework might imply, I think the attributes of this mindset are applicable to other personal journeys each of us might have. For me, I will be starting on a new position next year and I had already identified ways in which I can apply the core lessons Neera shares:

1. Begin With the End in Mind: I’ve been long enough in industry to know that I know I won’t retire on the position I’m starting so I already know that eventually I’ll go somewhere else. Life is constant change, there’s no other way around it, so this freedom will allow me to enjoy the most I can about this experience.

2. Map the Route: I already made a personal route about the key skills I want to learn from this new position and how to spend most of my day refining them and applying them.

3. Build a System: This is probably where I will struggle the most, as I’m more of a ‘learn-as-you-do’ type of guy, so I really can’t make up a system on my mind without having a better idea of what the scope of my job will be without actually doing it, if that makes sense.

I invite everyone who reads Neera’s piece to do some self-reflection and share what attributes they can identify that are applicable for their journey.

🚶🏽‍♂️Touch Grass

Every Substacker will relate to what

Colette Molteni

from Empathy Elevated has to say on her creative flow post. It’s no surprise that a lot of us live a life full of stimuli, instant gratification, and shorter attention spans. Colette shares some very interesting scientific publications that teach us how to reduce stress and improve our cognitive function. Thanks to her post, I learned that the average human brain has ~6,000 thoughts daily, this is mind blowing, as this translates to 1 thought every 10 seconds (assuming you’re awake 17 hours a day). I;’ve been a full-time telecommuter for the last 2 years and I can relate to what she has to say with respect of taking a break to clear our minds. To me, many times this mental break means going to my backyard and just exist for 10 minutes, attempting to free myself from the hyper stimulant world we live in.

Crazy metrics aside, Colette’s newsletter is all about “expanding our empathy” and while she says it’s oriented towards tech, I think everyone can learn a thing or two about empathy by taking a dive to her other posts. When was the last time you took a deep breath and practiced some empathy in the midst of a tense situation?

🗝️Simplicity Is Key

The last gem comes from

Lewis O’Brien

who writes Doublethink. I wanted to highlight his publication as a whole as a perfect example of “less is more”. Lewis appears to focus on capitalizing on Notes as opposed to longer posts (he only has 3 long posts). What’s more, his publication as a whole, has neutral grays that contrast really good with the colorful drawings that he creates. Lewis’ work is a great example of how to develop and craft a unique style, brand, and consistency that allows us readers to identify one of his creations. Finally, whenever you see a drawing made by Lewis, you will find a thoughtful lesson that more often than not, doesn’t exceed a couple of sentences. To be able to explain so much with so little is definitely a talent that deserves praise and to be highlighted.

---

And that’s it for this week’s finds! 🥳I want to hear your ideas, perspectives, or experiences so please comment, share, subscribe, or recommend me some pieces that have resonated with you lately!