This research has been conducted by Robin Sharma, and inspired by his book, “The 5am Club.”

Introduction

You have probably encountered the term “mindset”. 

This term refers to the way that we think about the world, ourselves, others, and how to react to situations. Mindset no doubt plays a very important role in our quality of life. 

Unfortunately, many approaches to self improvement are solely focused on mindset while neglecting other internal foundations essential for our overall growth. 

In this article, we will be talking about the four specific foundations of self-mastery, including, but not limited to, mindset, and the ways in which you can calibrate and develop each of these areas.

Calibrating these four inner dimensions to world-class is the very DNA of greatness, when it comes to creativity, productivity, prosperity and impact.

The Four Pillars

For many centuries, philosophers emphasized rationality and logic as the end-all, but we know today that this is a limited view of the human potential. We have other aspects, like an emotional state, a physical body, and a spiritual entity. These are the three supporting pillars to mindset that sustain our growth and give us the power to produce our best work.

1. Heartset

Our emotions determine our well-being.

Even with a world-class mindset, if your emotional state is in disarray, you cannot deliver intellectually.

As Sigmund Freud noted, “unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and they will come forth later in uglier ways.” This quote highlights the purification that needs to be done internally to relieve trauma, grudges, betrayal, envy, and insecurity.

You will know if your heartset is damaged if you feel difficulty connecting with people, feelings of isolation, envy, greed, or disdain for others.

Your heartset is about how you treat those around you, with ultimate giving and love. To be a source of energy and radiance to those around you, and by living each action with passion and love.

Calibrate a healthy Heartset and you’ll soon feel a profound difference in your relationship with yourself and others.

2. Healthset

Even with the right mindset and heartset, if our physical body fails, we can’t succeed.

Compromising our health for money is something we often do but that can have unwanted consequences – so it’s a good idea to start taking care of yourself as early as possible.

Jokingly, as well as literally, you can’t be a titan of industry if you’re dead.

That means dead on the inside; While your body withers away under continual bad habits. 

What’s more, elite performers realize that every day becomes far better with exercise.

Health allows you to operate at your peak performance, while instilling powerful confidence and mental acuity.

This energy exudes into all areas of our lives, as it instills our belief within ourselves to commit to a goal and complete it.

Committing to your healthset allows you extra ultra-healthy and productive decades to build a greater legacy.

But that isn’t enough, as there’s another interior empire to cultivate.

3. Soulset

Now, we have the Soulset. This refers to our spiritual dimension. Every day, life pulls us towards the superficial and the material.

Your soulset allows you to connect with yourself and bond with the aspects of you that are transcendent. To bond with the hero inside of you.

The Soulset comes from the books you read, the philosophies you believe in, and your moral guiding compass.

This includes meditation, journaling, and time spent in the solitude of nature. This also means connecting to your highest and most powerful self, allowing the divine essence of life to permeate your life and guide you.

Focus on your Soulset, and you’ll reconnect with the very best part of yourself.

4. Mindset

The mindset concerns your beliefs, ideas, and logic.

When we are limited in our mindset, we might not pursue our goals even when we have the energy, desire, and will to do so.

Your mindset includes your beliefs and mindsets. The subconscious programming that determines your thoughts and actions.

Your ability to see life as “Glass half empty” or “Glass half full”.

This relates to how to react to situations, how to adapt, and how to problem solve.

The ability to analyze challenges, break them down into actionable steps, and follow through until the end.

For more on how to access and break your subconscious thought patterns, view our article here.

Flow, and Your Mindset

Mindset includes the power of ‘Flow’. Flow is the elite mindset that all top performers, from violinists to scientists, possess in their finest and most productive moments.

One of the pioneers of the research on flow is Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,

Csikszentmihalyi describes eight characteristics of flow:

1. Complete concentration on the task;

2. Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;

3. Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);

4. The experience is intrinsically rewarding;

5. Effortlessness and ease;

6. There is a balance between challenge and skills;

7. Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination;

8. There is a feeling of control over the task. 

The Scientific Link : Transient Hypo-Frontality

The prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions such as self-reflective consciousness, memory, temporal integration, and working memory. It’s an area that’s responsible for our conscious and explicit state of mind.

However, in a state of flow, this area is believed to temporarily down-regulate in a process called Transient Hypo-Frontality.

This temporary inactivation of the prefrontal area may trigger the feelings of distortion of time, loss of self-consciousness, and loss of inner critic.

Conclusion

To develop world class DNA, there must be a calibration of four crucial foundations.

1. Our Heartset is where our heart touches our life.

2. The Soulset connects us to our highest and most courageous self.

3. Our Healthset primes our physical body.

4. And the Mindset focuses on flow and the execution of elaborate plans and ideas.

Often, we are solely focused on our mindset. But lacking in any one of these pillars is detrimental to our overall productivity, execution, purpose, and passion.

Combine these four pillars to truly elevate yourself to world class, and find that you will see balance and incredible strength in your life. 

References 

Bennet, C. (2019). Mindset is everything. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_9cyPIvdyo

Csikszentmihalyi , M. (2004). Flow, the secret to happiness. Ted Talks. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow

Sharma, R. [Robin Sharma]. (2018, 05, 31). The 4 Interior Empires of History-Makers | Robin Sharma [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=986RpUg8FCc&feature=youtu.be 

Sharma, R. (2018). The 5 am Club. Retrieved from https://conscioused.org/books/the-5-am-club-robin-sharma-review-summary

The Pursuit of Happiness. (2018). Flow. Retrieved from https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/science-of-happiness/getting-in-the-flow/