When Is The Issue Mindset And When Is It ... Something Else? Pt1

A friend of mine who also happens to be a successful small business owner and independent professional, asked me this intriguing question. [Link to part 2]

Question:
When is the issue mindset and when is it … something else? What else could it be if I’m smart and talented?

My Answer:
It’s always mindset :)

So the question may then be better phrased - Besides mindset what else could the issue be?

Skill

That’s it, skill and mindset.

Liken skill to the sharp edge of the blade and mindset to the handle, and body of the knife. No sharp edge, no cutting, but no handle and body, well then the sharp edge is a slither of metal, useless to anyone and for anything.

Put the two together ...

Let me ask you ..., just relax and be truthful with yourself, the answer is not for me or anyone else and I’m not asking to be provocative - How much do you actually know about the human psyche, your psyche, that internal mechanism that drives your behaviour and logic?

Mindset (at least in the way I’m using it) is just a modern and in many ways, less intimidating word meaning psyche or soul.

Wikipedia

Psyche [psychology] - In psychoanalysis and other forms of depth psychology, the psyche (pronounced /ˈsaɪkiː/; etymology: Greek ψυχή psykhe "soul, mind, breath, life") refers to the forces in an individual that influence thought, behavior and personality [personality is part of psyche not influenced by psyche - PaulF]. The word is borrowed from ancient Greek animating principle, and here refers to the modern ideas of soul, self, and mind. The Greeks believed that the soul or "psyche" was responsible for behaviour. A psyche in mythology means a butterfly.

Etymology [Bible] - The only Hebrew word traditionally translated soul [nephesh] in English language Bibles refers to a life breath which returns to God at death, rather than to an immortal soul. In the New Testament, the Greek word traditionally translated soul [psyche] has substantially the same meaning as the Hebrew, without reference to an immortal soul.

Interesting, the ancient Greeks suggested mindset [psyche/soul] determines behaviour. In other words, you behave the way you behave because of mindset. Change mindset and you change behaviour, try to change behaviour without changing mindset and you end up stuggling against your very own mindset.

Behaviour is not just how you act, it’s how you feel, how you think, how you talk and how you act and it’s not just a single action it’s the entire sequence of actions and the logic connecting those actions - i.e. your life from birth to death is simply a flow of unconscious or intentionally developed logic.

From a higher or more embracing perspective, it’s neither skills nor mindset, it’s skills + mindset, which reconciled would be understood as ‘Skillful Means’.

Skill

1. the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude,etc., to do something well.
2. competent excellence in performance; expertness; dexterity.
3. a craft, trade, or job requiring manual dexterity or special training in which a person has competence and experience.

Means

1. to have in mind as one's purpose or intention; intend
2. to intend for a particular purpose, destination, etc.
3. the medium, method, or instrument used to obtain a result or achieve an end [result]

Skillful Means

1. skill in means
2. the act of striving to achieving ones purpose or intent through 'competence of behaviour'.

Take a moment to let that in ... competence [skill] of behaviour [mindset], and lets not forget that inherent in behaviour, since it’s not a single random unrelated action, but a sequence, is logic.

If you have any real intention of achieving your (evolving and developing) vision, then mastery of both skill and behaviour are required.

Mastery
The ongoing process of developing an expert understanding and skill in ... e.g. mindset or marketing.

This means mastery is impossible without 'expert' knowledge, understanding and compentency and if mindset remains unmastered, so to will skillful means, regardless of the degree of skill based compentency, which means rowing toward your purpose with one oar and wondering why your going in a circle.

The same could obviously be said about mindset mastery to the exclusion of skill based mastery.

Talent and skills development devoid of mindset mastery is unsustainable and mindset mastery devoid of talent and skills development, unrealistic

As it turned out this is Pt1, with Pt2 being a response and reply response to that.