Change Your Mindset For Success

In today’s post, we’re exploring how attitudes and beliefs can ultimately make or break success and how you can change your mindset to aid your efforts, instead of hindering them, so you can achieve your goals.

For many people, January is a time for rebirth. We set resolutions for the new year and resolve to do things differently – to do things better. You can almost feel the enthusiasm and motivation in the air, especially in the gym or the produce section of your local grocery store. 

Some folks are able to keep this fire burning all year. They are able to successfully stay motivated long enough for change to take root. What was once a conscious effort is now a habit. These people were able to make it through the transitional period when lots of us give up and fall back into old, familiar routines. Those routines and habits that keep us from achieving our goals. 

So how do they do that? How do those “successful” people stay focused on their goals?

Is it just that those people are not met with any adversity? Do they have the perfect schedule and endless time to devote to their goals? Probably not. I would guess that most people who reach their goals are met with the same challenges and obstacles as the rest of us. But instead of giving up when things go awry or things get hard – they keep going. They keep moving forward. They do not let a slip turn into a landslide. 

It’s all in the mindset.

First, let’s get on the same page. What exactly is your mindset?

Mindset Definition

According to an article in Psychology Today, your mindset consists of your beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts about yourself and the world around you. 

These things are formed over a lifetime of experiences – your individual circumstances and characteristics, your cultural upbringing, day to day interactions with those around you, challenges, opportunities, perceived successes and failures, etc.

These and SO many more, shape our general outlook on life and how we see ourselves. For better or for worse.

Types of Mindset

Considering our diverse range of experiences over a lifetime, it’s no wonder that we all think a little differently. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to characterize mindset.

Pessimism vs. Optimism 

The classic “glass half-empty vs. glass half-full” outlook. Are you someone who tries to see the positive side of a situation or do you only see the negative?

When you focus on the negative aspects of a situation (half-empty) or have a tendency to assume the worst, you have probably been called a pessimist. Think Eeyore. Maybe you have a hard time believing that good things will happen because your past experiences have been clouded by adversity. 

Having a pessimistic outlook can make reaching your goals really challenging. If you do not believe you will be successful, then you probably won’t. You may look for reasons or signs not to do something. Or you may use adversity as an excuse to give up. You let the inevitable challenges that you encounter put an end to your journey instead of pushing onward.

Someone who is an optimist sees the glass as half-full. They look for and see the positive aspects in life. They see challenges as opportunities instead of roadblocks. 

Having an optimistic outlook is really helpful when it comes to reaching goals and making lifestyle changes. This type of mindset means you are more likely to look for a solution to a problem rather than to be completely defeated by it. You keep trying until something works, increasing your chances of success.

Growth Vs Fixed Mindset

If you have a growth mindset, you generally believe that you can get better at something by practicing. A fixed mindset believes that you are either born with an ability or not. 

For example, let’s say you are not very good at math. Perhaps your belief is that you are not good at math because you didn’t pay attention in school, but if you worked hard enough you could improve your math skills (growth-mindset). If you believe that no matter how hard you work, math will always be hard for you, then you have a fixed mindset.

Having a growth mindset when it comes to achieving success around lifestyle change and reaching your goals is crucial. You need to believe that your goal is within reach. If you dismiss your desires for being too difficult, too outlandish, or only for “lucky” people, you will likely not put in the time or effort needed to be successful. 

Locus of Control

Do you generally believe that you have control over your life? Or that your circumstances are determined by other influences, like luck? 

Your Locus of Control is the belief you have over your own destiny. If you have an Internal Locus of Control then you believe that your actions determine your destiny. If you have an External Locus of Control, then you believe that luck or maybe other people or influences determine your destiny. 

When you believe that your actions directly affect your circumstances, it’s easier to persevere. You believe that your hard work will pay off, so you are more likely to keep moving forward, to keep trying until something works. You believe that you have control over your destiny.

When you have an External Locus of Control, it’s easier to let the fates decide what happens to you. If you try something and it doesn’t work out the first time, you may believe that it wasn’t meant to be, so you stop trying. You may believe that only “lucky” people can be successful. It’s much easier to slide back into old patterns instead of creating new ones.

Sound familiar? Don’t throw in the towel just yet – it gets better.

None of these mindsets are set in stone. You CAN change. You have the ability to change your thought patterns. If you consider yourself to have a pessimistic attitude, a fixed mindset, and/or an external locus of control, you can still be successful. 

Do not let your current attitudes and beliefs determine your future. All it takes is a little work.

How Does Your Mindset Affect Your Success?

As you can see, your attitudes and beliefs about yourself and the world around you, can impact your probability of success. 

If you do not believe that you have the ability to be successful, your chances of actually being successful decrease. For example, you may be less likely to

• Work through obstacles and adversity
• Make additional attempts when something didn’t work
• Take calculated risks 
• Capitalize on opportunities

Mindset and the Law of Attraction

If you’re familiar with the law of attraction, then you’ve heard that “like attracts like”. 

Generally speaking, whatever you put out into the universe eventually comes back to you – the good and the bad. 

Some people see this in a very literal way, like if you want to lose weight all you need to do is picture yourself thinner or at your ideal weight and it eventually happens for you – without any effort.

Personally, I take a broader view. If you want to reach a goal, then you should keep a tight focus on your ideal end result – but you also have to do the work. 

It’s the combination of holding a positive outcome in your mind AND taking action, PLUS a heaping spoonful of sticktoitiveness. 

But whether you subscribe to this way of thinking or not, keeping an open and positive mind about your possibilities is important.

Common Mindset Problems 

If all we need to do is think the right thoughts to attract positive outcomes, why doesn’t everyone do this? Why aren’t we just walking around manifesting everything we want all of the time?

There are lots of challenges when it comes to controlling your mindset. 

Remember, all of those past experiences that we discussed earlier that make up our attitudes and beliefs? Well, these things are deeply rooted and are quite difficult to change, starting with our own beliefs about ourselves.

Self-Esteem

Your self-esteem is your core belief about yourself and includes factors such as appearance, abilities, perceived intelligence, and social confidence.

Self-esteem begins developing in childhood from the feedback we get from those around us. As we grow older, however, we have more control over our own thoughts and opinions.

Self-Efficacy

A person’s self-efficacy is their belief in their ability to do something. In keeping with our weight-loss example, self-efficacy can be seen in the confidence of completing a workout plan or following a particular diet. 

When you believe you have the necessary capabilities to accomplish a task, you improve your self-efficacy and your self-esteem.

Self-Worth

Another spin-off of your self-esteem is your self-worth – your personal belief about your value and deserved respect.

When your self-esteem is on the lower side, you struggle with self-worth. This can make reaching your goals nearly impossible. Perhaps you struggle to ask for support or resist taking advantage of opportunities.

You may even feel undeserving of success.

Limiting Beliefs

Limiting Beliefs are exactly what they sound like – a core belief about yourself or your abilities that limits your potential in some way.

Think back to the example I used for a growth vs fixed mindset regarding math. If I truly believe that I am bad at math (limiting belief) that I will most likely not pursue anything that involves math. I may feel inadequate or inferior when it comes to anything regarding numbers and steer clear.

I am limiting my focus to things that do not involve any math because I believe I am bad at it.

Consider what you tell yourself about your limitations? How are these beliefs holding you back?

Yes, it’s true that we all have different talents and strengths and weaknesses – but these things alone do not define us. We can always improve (growth mindset). We can choose to learn, to practice, to put in the effort. We can choose to work toward a goal instead of allowing our past experiences to dictate our future.

Imagine what doors may open for you if you let go of your limiting beliefs.

The Power of Mindset To Achieve Your Goals

Understand that this is not a perfect science – not even a perfect pseudoscience. 

Sometimes good things will happen to you even when you are feeling (and thinking) your worst. Sometimes you will do everything in your power, including perfectly aligning your thoughts and beliefs to achieve a particular outcome, and it won’t happen. 

The power of mindset is that you are 100%  in control. It’s a choice. It’s choosing to believe that you have the power to make things happen for yourself. No matter how long it takes.

This is where those “successful” people live. 

They choose to keep going when things get hard. They do not allow a bad day (or few days) to determine their success. They believe that they will be successful if they just keep going. Maybe they need to occasionally tweak their approach or completely start over, but they stoke that internal fire with a determined mindset. They can dig in and find inspiration and motivation in the darkest places.

Call it toughness, perseverance, determination, resilience, sticktoitiveness, or any other number of words buzzing around the same ideal.

It all boils down to believing in yourself and your ability to be successful.

A Mindset Shift Takes Time

I’m sure many of you reading this identify as pessimists – or realists. 

No doubt, you have a lifetime of experiences and lessons learned that have made you a cautious and skeptical person – and probably for good reason. 

If you want to change your mindset, give yourself plenty of time and grace to do it. Go slowly and get support. Consider working with a professional to work through the really hard stuff.

You are worthy of good things. You deserve love and respect, especially from yourself.

Key Take-A-Ways

If you want to be successful in reaching your goals, you need to believe it’s possible. 

Improving your mindset takes time and work. To me, having the “right” mindset is more about believing you are worthy AND taking an active role in your destiny, rather than a passive one. If you want to change your mindset, then you must:

• Believe in your own self-worth and self-efficacy
• Be open to possibilities
• Position yourself so you can be in the right place at the right time
• Make choices that align with your goals
• Watch out for negative self-talk and limiting beliefs
• Be gentle with yourself and go slowly

Perfection vs. Contentment

Do not forget to enjoy the present and find satisfaction in your current daily life. I am all for self-improvement, but there is a difference between personal development and relentlessly seeking your idea of perfection.

This is a very slippery slope, but one worth considering.

For some, no matter how much success they achieve, it will never be enough. They will never truly feel content.

Some would say that we already have everything we need right now to find peace and contentment and it’s just a matter of changing your perspective. I believe this.

But I also believe we are meant to grow throughout our lives. It’s a balancing act.

So, another key take-a-way:

• Be cautious of chasing something that doesn’t really exist. Keep both eyes open when setting your goals and don’t forget to see and appreciate what you already have.
• Find balance between growth and contentment.
• Seek self-acceptance.

Your mindset really is about so much than reaching your goals. It’s ultimately your attitude towards life.

Lao Tzu said it best:

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

---

Learn More

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-adaptive-mind/201911/how-upgrade-your-mindset-succeed-in-life https://positivepsychology.com/self-worth/

Educational Purposes Only.

This website is created for educational purposes only and does not provide any professional advice of any kind. Professional advice can only be given with a full understanding of a client’s unique personal situation, and typically can only be given with a license. Accordingly, any recommendations, advice, or information provided on this website should be viewed within the context of general information and education. If you require additional advice or guidance, we recommend you seek out the assistance of a professional in your local area.