Scott Greenberg demonstrates the incredible power of your approach to life
Planners, at their core, are in the business of human connection. Scott Greenberg, a truly inspirational speaker and one of the keynotes at Smart Meeting West National, knows first-hand the tremendous amount of work demanded of professional planners.
“Meeting planners do all the work that no one wants to deal with, plus all the surprises along the way,” he said, before adding, “None of you get paid enough money…and I don’t even know how much you make!”
Greenberg, the award-winning owner of two “Edible Arrangements” franchises, has been delivering captivating speeches about developing a high-performance mindset to groups all over the world for more than 20 years. He is an expert at leadership and presenting the path to get there.
His success connecting with audience comes, in part, from his personal story. In college, he was diagnosed with cancer after only one semester at New York University, where he had been given a scholarship to attend graduate film school. He returned to California for treatment, where he discovered the power of owning your mindset. This epiphany grew from observing others in his treatment facility. He realized that, to a degree, everyone was in the same boat. Greenberg asked himself, “But why do some struggle more than others?” and, more importantly, “Why do some get consistently better results than others?”
According to Greenberg, the big three determiners of success are: circumstance, work and mindset. Yet, he believes circumstance doesn’t tell the whole story. Our focus should be on the actions we take and, more specifically, the mindset we choose to maintain—that’s what directs these actions. Greenberg acknowledges that of course it’s terrific when circumstance is favorable, but its power is limited.
While work is also important, far too many buy into the myth that sweat automatically converts into success. It’s not that simple, and that belief is an easy way to miss the bigger picture. Instead, we have to focus on working toward accomplishing things in the best way.
Ultimately mindset is not only the biggest determiner of success, but also the greatest “mental edge.” It clears the mind and allows for the most rational decisions. It’s what great relationships are built on. Mindset is truly how we manage everything.
One secret to maintaining the right mindset is to focus on perceiving our situations and surroundings in a clear, objective manner. Greenberg offered a terrific example of why inflexibility can be detrimental. He recalled that in 2014, a 14-year-old discovered that the government could save more than $400 million in public funds by simply switching its font to light-stroked typeface Garamond. So why not make the switch and save massively on toner? “Change is hard, especially for old dogs,” Greenberg says. Inflexibility can be blinding.
4 Methods for Snapping into the Right Mindset
- First and foremost, Greenberg recommends taking a big, deep breath. People don’t realize how much they need a mere five seconds to themselves. The mind’s junk and clutter instantly dissipates.
- Ignore the “mental heckler” in our mind. This is the voice in our heads causing self-doubt. It comes out every so often. If we don’t listen, however, it loses power.
- Ignore cliches such as “look on the bright side” and “be positive.” It’s unreasonable to always have a smile on our faces. It’s better to be realistic than force an unattainable level of optimism.
- Be open to change. Often, people resist it, since it’s the more difficult route. Unfortunately, this resistance causes many to frequently miss opportunities for improvement.
