Developing a Valuegenic Mindset: Becoming More Valuegenic
You’re probably familiar with the concept of mindset. It’s a way of thinking that develops over our entire lifetime that shapes everything we think about ourselves and our world. You’ve heard of different types of mindsets such as the fixed versus the growth mindset. The scarcity versus an abundance mindset, or maybe a positive mindset versus a negative mindset. However, if you’re like me and some of my clients, I just don’t find this talk about mindsets all that helpful. However, becoming more valuegenic is a mindset you can learn to develop, that can make a meaningful difference in your life.
Your Thoughts Shape Your Mindset
Many studies tell us that we have over 50,000 thoughts per day, and most of these are happening below the level of consciousness. These thoughts create our mindset and are developed from our life experiences. They shape how we think about ourselves and our world. These habits influence every thought we have and every action that we take. And, not being aware of these thought patterns and limited beliefs that run our lives can leave us vulnerable to acting and reacting based on programming we did not choose for ourselves. This can lead to a loop of living in the cause and effect that keeps us from creating the life we really want.
You may be wondering then; how can you begin to take control of your own thinking. And fortunately, there is an answer. You can learn how to develop a valuegenic mindset. This mindset enables you to create more value in everything you do, as your highest purpose.
Creating More Value
What does it mean to create more value? Learning to create more value is a holistic and inclusive way of looking at the world and your purpose in it. It’s a bigger way of thinking and being, where you learn to choose and use your best thinking to make better decisions. Where you learn to ask more questions and think more broadly. To take into consideration all the variables possible. Valuegenic thinking also produces superior results and creates more value for all concerned.
Learning to create more value will help you begin to think differently, and make more conscious choices, and your decisions will result in better outcomes. You will also find that developing a valuegenic mindset will help you foster a growth, abundance, and positive mindset, and much more. Learning to become more Valuegenic is also the key to Living a Richer Life.
The One Question that Changes Everything; The Central Question
So, how can you shift your thinking to become more valuegenic? It starts with the one question that changes everything. The question you must ask yourself is called The Central Question of Life, Love and Leadership. This question was developed by Peter Demarest and Harvey Schoof co-founders of Axiogenics, a leadership development company.
The Central Question is:
“What choice can I make, and action can I take, in this moment, to create the greatest net value?”
This simple question is the key to learning how to create more value for yourself and others. And just by asking this question, some very important things begin to happen.
What Choice Can I Make
First, in asking yourself this question, “What choice can I make?” you create a pause to remind yourself that you actually have a choice. So often we get stuck in our thinking and just do the same thing we always do, or maybe the first thing that comes to our mind. Asking yourself this question is an opportunity to pause, if even just for a moment to consider your options. This alone can be extremely helpful in pausing that loop of cause and effect that otherwise prevents us from living the life we really want.
What Action Can I Take
The second part of the question, “What action can I take?” asks you to consider, whether you should take action now or if no action is better. Keep in mind that no action is also a choice.
In This Moment
The third part of this question, “In this moment”, is deciding what choice and what action you should take right now. You may decide after contemplating this question that you don’t have all the information that you need. Instead, you may determine that you need to ask more questions. On the other hand, you may also choose no action, which might actually be the best choice “In this moment”. Just think, how often might it have been helpful in the past, had you realized that no action was really the best action?
To Create the Greatest Net Value
And the last part of this question, “To create the greatest net value”, the “net” value is very important to consider. This part shifts your thinking to the interests of all parties. For example, you may be in the habit of considering the needs of others before yourself. This is probably part of a script or program you have about serving others or some other kind of mental script you’ve developed over your lifetime. But remember, to truly create the greatest net value, you must consider the value for all parties created, including yourself.
In learning to ask and answer this question frequently, you create a pause for yourself. You give yourself a moment to consider your choices. You may choose to take action now, or you may determine that no action may be better in this moment. And lastly, in order to create the greatest net value, “net” needs to include yourself and others in the equation.
Benefits of a Valuegenic Mindset
Individual clients, executives, business leaders, and owners tell us that Valuegenic Self-Leadership coaching has helped them reduce self-doubt and judgment. It has helped them feel more confident and focused. They are able to enjoy their career and their lives even more. On occasion, a few have told us, “Had I learned this technique years ago, I would probably still be married”. Some have said that what they value most is the ability to have a better relationship with their teenager. And a few have even asked us to coach their spouses or other family members based on the results of what they’ve learned.
Business leaders who become good at asking and answering The Central Question believe they are better at engaging others. They realize they’re more inclusive. They ask more questions. They’re not as quick to jump to conclusions, and they recognize that they alone do not have all the answers. They share credit and accolades with their teams, and they know that together they are better.
A Valuegenic Mindset is the Key to Living a Richer Life
We hope you feel inspired about creating a valuegenic mindset and making your life work better. Learning to create more value in all you do will help you create a growth, abundance, and positive mindset. It will also help you begin to think differently, make better decisions, and is the key to Living a Richer Life.
If you want to learn how you or your team can develop a more Valuegenic mindset, see the link above to download Quick Tips on Becoming More Valuegenic or contact me to learn more.
Kristin Clark is a certified Axiogenics Coach and co-author of Living a Richer Life; It’s All in Your Head. Kristin has coached hundreds of people from a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs, industries, and professions. She teaches Valuegenic Self-Leadership, engaging, empowering, and igniting leaders’ potential to help improve their performance, relationships, and quality of life.