The Mindset Shift That Helps You Handle Setbacks

A baking moment turned into an unexpected test of mindset.

It’s been a long time since I last baked.

Baking takes time and effort.
You need to be in the right mood for it.

The past few months haven’t been easy with my mum’s situation.
So I just didn’t feel it was the right time.

Over the weekend, I finally baked again.
I made truffle mushroom pizza, my dad’s favourite, and our helper loves it too.

I prepared everything, even made the dough from scratch.
Ready to bake.

So I turned on the oven.
And guess what?

To my dismay, the oven wasn’t working.

At that moment, I felt my frustration:
the “all that effort wasted” and “all that washing for nothing” thoughts creeping in.

But I quickly caught myself thinking negatively and did not allow myself to spiral down that path.

Because I know it doesn’t help, a negative mindset leads to negative behaviours and results.

If I continue thinking this way, it drains my energy, lowers my mood, and can ruin my whole day.

This is what I’ve trained myself to do over time, to notice and shift.

So I shifted my thoughts to think positively.

At least I could still salvage the situation by using my small oven toaster.
It would take longer, but it could still work.
And I was thankful for that.

So I adapted.
Two small pizzas instead of one big round one, shaped to fit the tray.

Double the time.
But it came out just as well.

And when I saw my dad and our helper enjoying it,
I knew it was worth it.

This experience reinforced what I often share in my work:
• Our mindset influences our behaviour and the results we get
• Things don’t always go as planned, but we can choose how we respond
• Negative thoughts will show up as we have a negativity bias, that’s human nature

But the difference is this:
• How quickly we notice
• How quickly we shift

Because we always have that choice.
It just takes practice.
And over time, it becomes more natural to notice and shift.

A small baking moment,
but a meaningful reminder of how we live our lives.

With C.A.R.E.®

Founder, Xel Consulting

Contact Xi Ren