Successful Change Starts in Your Mind

If you want to make positive lifestyle changes, you must embrace challenges, learn from your mistakes, enjoy the effort and persevere. This way, you can build upon and repair any damage to your self-confidence. Never allow stereotypes to creep in when building theories about yourself in order to increase your performance and fix personal inadequacies. Regardless of your circumstances, successful change starts in your mind. Sports psychologist Gary Mack said, "While positive thinking doesn't always work, negative thinking unfortunately almost always does."

Are you accomplishing your goals? If "yes", read on and you'll probably recognize why. If "no", try these game-changing tips:

• Identify Counter Mindsets - People who are successful at making changes in their life are confident with the just the right amount of humility.
• Don't Get Philosophical - There's tons of good and bad information available online. Focus on the best advice available and develop the critical personal skills to understand how to avoid the rest.
• White-Knuckling Doesn't Work - It is important that you have a clear vision of your end goal and take a proactive approach to implement the changes needed to support your new mindset.
• Take Control of Your Mindset - Focus your attention inward. Your effort and energy should always be targeting a constant state of becoming who you want to be.
• Change Your Results Now - Telling someone you have it under control is a fixed mindset, whereas taking action to put forth the hard work and effort needed for achievement cultivates a growth mindset.
• Personal Growth is Self-Paced - Adopting a growth mindset actually reduces aggression as you learn to rely on your own assertiveness to drive your personal achievements.
• Invest in the New You - Changing you mindsets doesn't happen by chance... it happens by choice and investing in a new mindset creates positive results.

Understand that unrealistic thinking can lead to self-defeating results. It is important for you to experience setbacks. However, they must be viewed with a growth mindset fueled by your emotions. You were not programmed just to do one thing, so allow yourself to grow. Once you achieve your goals and become good at something, apply your new mindsets and become good at something else. If you live a hectic life with a busy schedule, start out slow and build one new habit at a time. Once you are comfortable with your new behavior, it is time to tackle your next challenge.