Change Your Internal Monologue to Enable Change

Having a fixed or growth mindset has huge implications when it comes to how motivated someone is when confronted by a personal need for a change in attitude or behavior. To be more successful in life, sometimes you simply need to get out of your own way by adopting a new mindset. Changing your internal monologue from judging to one that is growth-oriented will enable you to set and pursue goals more effectively. Civil rights activist and American poet Maya Angelou said, "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."

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

• Accept the Fact Your Thinking Needs an Adjustment - People who are successful at making changes in their life are confident with the just the right amount of humility.
• Believe You Can Change - 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.
• Understand and Focus on Your Why - How you interpret setbacks and criticism is your choice, but converting challenges into goals supports a growth mindset.
• Don't Talk About It...Take Action - Those who are more successful at making changes are not luckier or smarter, they are simply more likely to take action.
• Follow Your Pace - Allow your creativity to incite and energize accomplishments that are uniquely yours and achieved at your own pace.
• Create the Momentum for Positive Results - Changing your mindset doesn't happen by chance... it happens by choice and investing in a new mindset creates positive results.

There's no shortage of self-help gurus that contend anyone can easily adopt a new mindset and make major changes in their life. Unfortunately, it's not that easy, as beliefs are often deeply held. For change to stick, it is important for you to visualize the action and not the results. Experiencing a wide range of feelings, such as disappointment or grief, is not your enemy. The discomfort that occurs when you fail to live up to your own expectations is called cognitive dissonance. It is not surprising that it triggers an area of the brain that is sensitive to pain. However, management of that discomfort is possible with your new growth mindset.