Whether you want to live a healthy lifestyle, lose weight, overcome pain, overcome/manage a medical condition or be successful, mindset is important. If your mind is not set in the right place, achieving goals may be difficult and may not occur at all.
I didn’t realize the significance of mindset until I started researching how to be more successful. I was looking for answers as it relates to business and professional success in books, podcasts and articles.
What I discovered was that successful people have a particular mindset that allows them to continue in the face of challenges. They did not become successful just by luck. They knew exactly why they wanted to do something and were optimistic that they would find a way to achieve it.
There are 2 important ingredients I just mentioned, which are worth mentioning again. You need to know your why and then you need to have a positive mindset.
Prior to learning about this, I was a bit of a negative Nancy, no offense to any Nancy’s, its just a saying, I focused on what’s not working and being very emotionally involved with things that did not go my way. This was creating so much stress and burnout. For every step I tried to take forward, I took 2-3 steps back with my negativity.
It just so happened I heard of a on a podcast that really resonated with me, called The Magic of Thinking Big. It was after reading this book that the importance of mindset really started sinking.
Instead of focusing on “I can’t” start focusing on “I can” attitude. Don’t focus on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have. Start your day with positive self talk or gratitude. Successful people don’t make excuses they make things happen or learn from short-comings so that they can try again. Frame your thoughts from a place of hopefulness, learning and growing.
Prime the brain with positive thoughts. Have visions, daydreams of what success looks like for you. Lastly, get very clear about your WHY.
Why are you doing what you are doing? Eg. Because I want to get healthy. Why is getting healthy important to you? Eg. Because I want to be around for my family. Then ask yourself why again. Why is being around for my family important to me? Hopefully by the 3rd WHY you will see the true value of why you are making a change in your life.
Challenges will come so its important to know why you are doing something and then back it up with a mindset of I can do this.
When your mind is set on something your brain goes to work for you. It starts scanning your memories for information or experiences that may help you move toward your goal. The brain will also start scanning the environment making you more hyper alert to people, knowledge, experiences to achieve your goals or at least get you to the next level. The mindset of “I can” puts your brain into an optimistic perspective and seeks out optimistic solutions.
The mindset of “I can’t” puts your brain to work as well, except in this case the brain scans for reasons you can’t. Instead of moving you closer to your goal it moves you further. It does this by searching your memory or experiences of why it won’t work. It stalls your actions. It discourages you and makes it seem that your goal is unachievable so why bother trying. It sets self sabotage into action.
Your brain can also attract you to information, people, experiences to prove that the thoughts you are having are true. If you believe you can’t, you will oddly attract people who believe you can’t too. It can appear in a subtle way, for example friends or family members agreeing with you, that, yes in fact your idea or plan is impossible.
“Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right”
I have heard sayings like these throughout my life and never really stopped to think about it more deeply. These sayings exist because people have found truth in them. What makes a person successful? Hopefully I this article has given you a place to start.