Being Katehasfun: The Mindset
People frequently tell me that they want to come back in their next life as Katehasfun, one of my nicknames. And while I adore the compliment, when I hear it, I just want to pull that person into my world now. So, I am going to share a few tricks on how to get into the mindset of Katehasfun.
1. Positivity is a choice.
It’s a mindset. Back in 2016, I was feeling down about a lot of things in my life, and I just felt like there was a lot of negativity circling me, and making me more negative. So, I decided to make a change, and just be personally more positive about things when I could. It isn’t easy, and there are plenty of things that upset me still. I am not perfect, but it’s like meditation, when I get out of it, pulling myself back is just a reset. When I am in a situation that could be just so-so or fun, I just choose to make it fun by being very positive and making the most out of it. That early morning board meeting, I make a point of having a positive conversation with someone I enjoy. At a bar by myself I chat up the bartender, maybe say something nice to someone friendly by me, or read a book I enjoy. I chose to make it positive. A longer walk than I expected on vacation to that site is good exercise! I find that having other people around that do this too creates a really good force!
2. People mirror your mood.
I tend to be very friendly, nice, and helpful because I find that most people are good people, and being nice is infectious. I enjoy living in that world, and I tend to have very positive results – the person who held the door open for me when my hands are full, the nice tall person who helped me reach something off a tall shelf at the grocery store, the bartender who poured me a white wine just to try before I decide, the friend who brought me chicken and noodles when I wasn’t feeling good. Sometimes, I feel like maybe I get more than my fair share of people who do kind things for me, so I try to do kind things for others when I can.
3. Structure your life to value your priorities.
I really value my time, and what I get to do with my time: seeing friends, and taking vacations. So, I give it a lot of value. I even give my time out of work an hourly value. I structure the rest of my life around it. Then I make decisions on which things are essential to preserving that time like hiring a dog walker and house cleaners or taking clothes to the cleaners. I also have chosen to own a business so that even if I am working, I am working when and how I need and want to work. And while I have a lot of responsibility to my clients and the court, I can still choose to structure my business in a way that prioritizes my ability to see friends and travel while I don’t have deadlines. We set our business up to be accessible from the Cloud and can meet virtually with clients. Because letting your brain rest sometimes and recoup means we are better when we are on. So overall, being able to prioritize things that will bring us joy makes us better at what we do too. We make life choices and when you prioritize the core things that really matter to you in those choices, you will be a lot happier.
4. It’s easier with a friend.
Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the thought of doing a complex hobby by myself. But instead of being a barrier, I just find someone who wants to do it with me. I love cooking something complicated, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed, in that moment I invite someone over and we learn together and teach each other. When I am unsure about a long run, I bring someone else with me to make it easier and actually get to the finish line. I have a big network, but there are also a ton of clubs and classes for things you want to do, but sometimes you just need that extra little push. (push)
5. Be more flexible.
The only constant is change. So, learning to roll with things helps me have a mindset to be able to enjoy things last minute. My dinner date needs to move to tomorrow night, the dog walker is already booked to walk the dog tonight, well what exercise class can I now go to, and is there a friend I want to catch up with? I text a few friends and see who is free, and look up the gym schedule! Then I send that email to the dog walker and see if they can add on tomorrow, if not, I will make it work, but chances are they will say yes. And viola, instead of being a bit annoyed, I now have a great plan for two nights this week.
