Do you have an Adventurous Mindset?
Adventure can be defined as a great many things. Travel, learning a new skill, getting to grips with something creative, or just stepping outside of your comfort zone.
The power of an adventurous mindset can be quite liberating. “What’s beautiful is that we get to define it to each of ourselves.” explains Polly Brennan, founder of Adventurous Coaching.
When we begin an adventure, we need to equip ourselves with the supplies we need for a successful endeavour. And part of that is to ensure we are mentally fit to deal with any challenges to our wellbeing, and our progress, along the way.
Applying an Adventurous Mindset in Life and Work for Robust Mental Fitness
MSP Community Manager, Stephen McCormick, speaks to the founder of Adventurous Coaching, Polly Brennan.
In this interview they discuss the challenges of mental wellbeing in the post-pandemic age. Plus, how adventures can improve our mental fitness, and tips for marketing in front of the camera.
An Interview with Polly Brennan
Polly Brennan is an entrepreneur based in the northeast of England. She’s a business coach, founder of Adventurous Coaching, and creator of The Mental Fitness Kitbag model.
She delivers group and individual coaching, as well asd coaching for organisations, and she’s appeared as a keynote speaker and guested on podcasts. She has also worked with schools to promote her mental fitness message.
Polly is a keen on the outdoors, likes to keep fit and active, and often records videos on the go.
Video: Applying an Adventurous Mindset – Polly Brennan Interview
What is Mental Fitness and Why is it So Important?
Mental health is something that we all have to reckon with as human beings. It’s something that is in constant flux. Sometimes our mental health is strong and positive, and other times it can be weak, and we can be unwell.
It’s a scale that can be affected by a number of factors.
Mental Fitness is the practice of building resilience through habits, practicing skills and techniques, and using the tools to improve our mental defences.
Polly describes this as an ‘investment’, and when you invest in your mental fitness, it can lead to mental wealth.
What are the Challenges to Our Mental Health in the Post-Pandemic Age?
When we think about the days of the pandemic, we remember what it was like to be fearful. At first, we feared the virus, and then during lockdown, we feared going out. As restrictions lifted we had to adapt again, and we responded in different ways.
For some of us, we went from ‘fear of missing out’ to ‘fear of going out’. For others though, they were more keen than ever to get back to in-person events and face-to-face meetings.
The pandemic allowed us all to invoke the ‘power of the pause’, and a few of us started adventures of our own or embraced the ordinary. We decided to choose to focus on things we may have taken for granted before, and things you can do on your doorstep.
Learning new skills, embracing our creativity, taking in nature and exploring the outdoors, and more.
The challenge for us now, is to continue with an adventure mindset, and make the most of our freedom.
The Mental Fitness Kitbag: What is it and how Does it Work?
Just like a regular kitbag contains all the tools and supplies you’ll need to achieve success in a physical endeavour. The mental fitness kitbag contains all the things you need to achieve success in the face of any mental challenges you may face.
It’s a metaphor for all the strategies, skills and preparation you need to have the confidence, wits and focus to deliver what you need to be successful in both work and in life.
Polly says: “We already have what we need in our kitbags to have made it this far in life.” It’s about knowing when to use what we have effectively.
In a kitbag, for example, you might have a first aid kit, so in your mental fitness kitbag, you’ll have a way of protecting yourself and recovering quickly.
Likewise, you may have a whistle to use to call for help if you need it in your kitbag. Knowing when to call for help is vital to our mental fitness; we can’t always carry everything alone. Having a strong network of people around us is vital to our success in business and in our day-to-day lives.
Every adventure is easier when we have a well-equipped kitbag at the ready!
Polly’s Top Three Tips for Mental Fitness
Polly gave us her top three tips for mental fitness:
Adopt a Positive Mindset – setting yourself a positive mental attitude is really important. It’s a frame through which we view our world, and if we can remove the nagging doubts, we can achieve so much more.
Cultivate a Strong Network – we have to assemble the right team of people around us, who not only encourage our successes, but also tell us the honest truths we sometimes need to hear. We shouldn’t be afraid to fire, retire and re-hire when necessary, and hold on to those who have our best interests at heart.
Seek Adventures in Everything – challenge yourself to solve problems, learn new things and embrace the extraordinary. Know when to pause and rethink a problem, and take some time for the things that make you happy. Then, return to your problem, reinvigorated and ready to strive for success again – even if that means reassessing your goals.
Video Marketing and Tips for Getting in Front of the Camera
When it comes to marketing in front of a camera, Polly has found it easier to communicate in spoken form than in written form.
To help coach others, she’s found that taking some videos of them speaking has helped build up confidence.
It’s more important to get out there and do it, rather than waiting for it to be perfect.
“People want to see your passion, not your polish,” I added, and that only comes with practice.
You can make your videos look better by filming in a suitable environment, with good lighting. You can also employ a video editor to spruce them up if you want to.
In the end though, you’ve just got to get out there and do it. People are human, and they’ll forgive your mistakes. You’ve just got to try and connect with people – that’s the important thing.
What Does Your Next Adventure Look Like?
What does YOUR next adventure look like?
It could be any number of things:
- A big project that needs to be completed to a tight deadline
- Implementing a new marketing strategy
- Learning a new programming language
- Climbing Mount Snowdon?
We’d love to hear about your next adventure. Please let us know in the comments.
How to Connect With Polly Brennan
- Continue the conversation on mental fitness adventures: Email Polly Brennan
- Visit her website: Adventurous Coaching
- Subscribe to her YouTube channel
- Follow Polly on Facebook
- Connect with Polly on LinkedIn
- Follow Polly on Instagram
Applying an Adventurous Mindset: Interview Transcript
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I'm the MSP Community Manager for Tubblog. A small business owner, technical writer and blogger, with 15 years experience in corporate IT. I frequently attend MSP peer groups and create content relevant to IT service providers and business owners.
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