Mindset and the power of your mind and thoughts have always seemed overrated to me. Like they’re just a buzzword. But, I’ve realized that your thoughts and mindset are some of the most important things to make it. Your thoughts and your beliefs determine what choices you make. We have become facts in our minds. But just like fake news can come across as truth, you can have beliefs that you start to think of as facts that you can’t do anything about. 

And since what you believe is a big part of what you end up doing, believing the right things and seeing what’s possible is so important. You have to build up your beliefs. Because you’ll start looking for evidence to support those beliefs, that’s just how your brain is wired. 

Imagine if you start thinking about buying a new camera. You’ll see “everyone” having that exact camera. You’ll see it when it’s on offer. It’ll start showing up all over. (yeah, I know that’s partly due to cookies and ads, but my point is that you’ll notice it when it’s on your mind) The same thing is true for thoughts about how well you’re doing and what’s possible for you.

Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

The four-minute mile

It used to be said that it was physically impossible to run a mile in under 4 minutes. People tried and failed. But in 1954, Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier and ran the distance in 3.59.4. That meant the impossible was suddenly possible. 

When training Bannister would visualize how it would feel about breaking the record. He imagined how it would feel and was sure he could do it – Even without any evidence that it could be possible. And he was right- he did it! But it only took 46 days for someone to beat this new record. And since then, many have broken the impossible barrier, and the current world record is 3:43.13 What does this tell you?

If you believe something is possible, you do more. You show up in a different way. 

In the US, it’s quite common to have big weddings with equally big paychecks for the photographer. While here in Norway, the cap is usually $3-4000. My own coach and the photographers she mentors do weddings at $10-150000- 20000. And my initial thought was that that’s insane. 

But, since knowing that that’s possible, I’ve actually managed to do the same thing, and it happened to me as well, and I got paid $15000 for a local wedding where I live. Including album and prints, but still. My point is that things become easier once you believe that it’s possible and when you’ve seen others do it. 

Your mindset can hold us back from success

The problem is that most of us don’t realize that our mindset can hold us back from success.

Your attitude and outlook on the world have a huge impact on what you accomplish in life. The things you think about are the things you do, which is why it’s important to make sure they’re productive rather than destructive thoughts. If you fight for your limitations, you will keep them.

It’s easy to get stuck in negative thinking patterns without realizing it.

Imposter syndrome is one example where you’re feeling like a fraud. 

I’ve seen a lot of people question if they’re good enough. And common thoughts can be: Who am I to be charging this much? To be teaching. To be shooting this. To pitch these people. 

Being scared to raise prices is too common for a photographer, thinking it has to take a certain about of time, like “I can’t raise my prices until January first.” Or I have to wait two more years before I can be profitable.

This wrong idea of thinking that you need a bigger portfolio by doing free model sessions after model session because you feel you need to improve and build. While setting prices and being clear on what you do and who you are most likely will get you further faster. 

To reach your goals, you will need to create a business strategy to know how to price your work, find your ideal client, and create your personal brand. That’s why I want to introduce you to The Sustainable Photography mentor program, where we work on creating a business strategy to build a profitable and sustainable business by diving into who YOU are as an individual so that you can do what works best for YOU. 

Another thing you might recognize is fear of visibility, fear of showing who you are. Fear of showing your face live. Thoughts like “What will people say if they see me” or “what will people think” are common. 

There is also a common thought that followers + likes = success. That might be the case for some influencers. But for most of us, the amount of followers we have or the amount of likes we get has nothing to do with how well our photography business does. Getting in front of the right handful of people matters infinitely more than being popular. 

The solution

Start by getting rid of any negative self-talk or beliefs that might be holding you back from what you want. Then focus on building positive habits and behaviors that will help move you forward with confidence! Oftentimes, we know what we should be doing, but we don’t because of fear. And often, we’re consuming tons of content, perfecting our business, or just being busy rather than doing the right things. All because we’re scared.

Keep in mind that your thoughts matter. You can start small, and you can allow yourself to show up in an imperfect way even before you’re ready.

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Sustainable Photography

09. The power of your mind

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