Are You Needy Or Greedy?

At first the words needy and greedy bring up uncomfortable thoughts about corporate indifference or bad relationships but let's take a step beyond that. Just for a moment consider these words in the framework of your mindset for success. The question that will be asked with this perspective is "How is your mindset limiting your success?"

But what is mindset anyway? Wikipedia describes it as: "A set of assumptions, methods or notations held by one or more people or groups of people which is so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviors, choices, or tools."

In other words, your mindset is what determines the choices you make, the limits you set for yourself and the methods you use for creating change. When it comes to success it would seem that in this context mindset might be really important! So let's examine what these two possible mindsets of needy and greedy might bring to your success.

In the context of mindset for success let's define needy as the way of seeing limit. Someone who is needy often feels like there is a sense of lack and thus tries to cling onto the bits and scraps as they come by. However, the mindset of greedy could be seen as an unlimited viewpoint. Someone who is greedy recognizes that there are vast options and opportunities for more. If you apply these ways of thinking to your success which do you think will be more likely to help you?

The needy mindset is one built on inherent limits. Ideas with a needy mindset talk about "sufficient levels" or "minimum requirements". This mindset is built on bottom levels and acceptable results. The needy mindset is based on the idea that there is only a certain amount available or reasonable.

The greedy mindset, on the other hand, is built on dreams of potential. Ideas with a greedy mindset talk about "maximum impact", "ripple effects" and "viral results". This way of thinking is about seeing fantastic results. The greedy mindset isn't about getting everything you can but about seeing the possibilities that exist.

But how do these mindsets play out in your business or career? It can be as simple as asking yourself "Am I looking for enough or planning on more tha
I can possibly handle?" If you are planning for just enough then that's exactly what you will get. Remember that mindset is "so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviors, choices, or tools."

If you are operating from the needy mindset you are likely doing everything the same way all the time every time. Maybe you are doing this because it works and that's not entirely unreasonable. But maybe you are doing it because you just haven't looked for another option. As Babe Ruth once said: "If I'd just tried for them dinky singles I could've batted around .600."

Adopting the greedy mindset is about hitting for the home run rather than just making sure you get on base. It is about wanting more than you ever thought possible and learning how to handle it along the way. By unlimiting yourself and allowing for the possibility that you could hit a home run with every swing you open up an entire new set of possibilities, motivations, tools, behaviors and choices.

Getting away from the needy mindset is as simple as deciding that there is plenty of potential and that you deserve it. Getting greedy means understanding that there is always more available and you and everyone else can have everything you desire.

So which mindset are you using right now? Which will you bring you the results you truly crave? What do you need to do to even able to answer these questions? Here is just a suggestion, start by asking yourself "How is my mindset limiting my success?"