There’s no doubt that mining is full of opportunity and the potential for great wealth. But it can also be a hard taskmaster that, if your mindset isn’t right, can lead you down a path of disappointment. You don’t have to go too far to find tales of miners who have struggled with poor health, relationship breakdown, alcohol and drugs, and worse.
Ultimately, it all comes down to mindset. That might sound a little woo-woo, but all we’re talking about here is getting your mind in the right place so that you can take full advantage of all the great things that mining has to offer as an industry, and not find yourself alone, sour and sore, and face down in the local pub.
If you’re looking for a great example of how to get your mindset right and really make a success of your time in mining then my recent guest on the Full Production podcast is it. His name is Josh Doutch from Perth.
For a guy in his 30s, he’s done a lot more than most. Starting out as an apprentice on a Kalgoorlie mine site straight after school, he’s gone on to get three, yes three, trades and now owns his auto electrical business that employs 10 people.
But as Josh was keen to point out during our conversation, it wasn’t all beer and skittles. He had real struggles with his health and the mental effects of working away for long periods of time, to the point where he had to get out of mining for a time.
For Josh, it was a process of actively working on his mindset that helped him rediscover his passion for the mining business. What he’s achieved since then is there for all to see. Here’s how he went about it:
Find Your Why
This is really the key. Your why is what gets you up in the morning. It’s what keeps you sane on a long shift. If you have a family (or want to have one) this is a strong why for many. You might have a passion for something outside of mining, or maybe starting a business of your own. Your why might be to simply retire comfortably, it could be buying your first home or even a pursuing your passion for travel.
Find Something Outside of Work For The Mind And Body
Finding something (or somethings) outside of mining to keep the mind and body healthy is another aspect of getting your mindset right for success in the business. For Josh, finding a passion for martial arts – both the mental and physical aspects – was key for him along his journey.
Ask the Tough Questions of Yourself
Josh summed this up nicely in our conversation: “I think the toughest questions are, while you’re here, what sort of impact are you going to have, what sort of meaningful stuff are you doing in your life right now? That’s the only real fulfilment you’re going to get is by doing something that’s truly meaningful to yourself.
“Even working out what’s meaningful to you is quite hard. I suppose I got to a point when I was doing my personal development that the meaningful action for me was to sort of give back and help people that had been in similar situations as me, and they’re not performing or thriving,” Josh says.
“The mining industry is a beautiful industry. You can earn massive money, have time off, you can do amazing things in the mining industry, but you’ve got to have the right mindset and the right tools to do that.” Well said, Josh.
You can hear the entire conversation with Josh Doutch here.
