April 30, 2021, 9:17 a.m.

♾️ The Infinite Power of Reframing

swap's musings

Reframing is changing the way you look at something. It is infinitely powerful. Here are some examples from my life:

  1. Imposter syndrome is real. It's a phase; it comes and goes every now and then. Using reframing, it has become a bit easier for me to handle it. I now remind myself that if I start feeling like an imposter, that means I'm not the smartest person in the room and this is a state I like being in. This subtle mindset change is working for me now.

  2. I try to trick procrastination by reframing. If I feel like postponing an activity, I create a bigger goal based on that activity's output. For instance, when I used to postpone on hosting a meetup or a conference, I put another goal like learning analytics or advertising in front of it. Another instance was public speaking. My natural instinct prefers working from the shadows. To combat this, I've set a bigger goal in mind for 2024 - to build the best show we've ever seen. That can't happen without me developing storytelling skills. This way, public speaking becomes a stepping stone to something greater and is no more optional for me.

  3. I didn't like philosophy much as I viewed it as a rigid set of beliefs or ideals. Recently, I came across its literal definition, which is the love of wisdom. I like this definition. I might like philosophy after all!

  4. I've always seen marketing as uninteresting and not my field. Sometime back, I reframed marketing as application of psychology. It's my favorite subject of all time, and now I've realized that the best way for me to apply psychology is marketing. I feel like I can finally do marketing as well.

  5. Taking a guilt-free break was hard for me in my college days. Our group used to play Age of Empires a lot. Within a few hours, I'd start feeling guilty of wasting my time instead of doing something productive. After multiple burnouts, my outlook has changed. Now I think of breaks as a way to recharge and do better work later. I actively try to waste time now (preferably with someone else, as wasting time together is a good way to make new friends). Without breaks, I know I can't reach my peak output levels. Seeing them as a necessity, I'm able to enjoy them fully now. Reframing is powerful.

Until We Meet Again...

🖖 swap

You just read issue #127 of swap's musings. You can also browse the full archives of this newsletter.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via email
Brought to you by Buttondown, the easiest way to start and grow your newsletter.