Do Not Limit Yourself to a Previous Personal Best

It is important that you understand that your mindset affects everything you tell yourself. Your mindset is a complete collection of your beliefs, thoughts and knowledge about yourself and the world you live in. Your attitude is the filter that determines how you receive information and react to it. When one of the most creative forces in the music industry of the twentieth century was asked about his success, Duke Ellington responded, "I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues." To affect change in your life, rise above any fixed mindset of achievement and never limit yourself to your past personal best.

If you are someone who wants to get different results in your life, check out the list below for tips on making it happen:

• Nothing is Predestined - Don't ball up your emotions about things in the past. That will only distract your thinking and make it impossible to bring out the happiness that is already waiting inside you.
• Stop Talking and Start Changing - Once you have identified a problem area that has historically caused you problems, flip the switch and change your mindsets to set and accomplish new goals.
• Grow Self Confidence - Finding your own voice and taking control of your mindset requires you to be critical about every input but confident about every decision.
• Be Aware..But Get Started - We can all agree that there never seems to be enough time in a day. The key is to start using your time more wisely.
• Never Doubt Change is Possible - It is important to ask yourself the right questions to uncover negative beliefs that may be standing in your way.
• It's Not a Race Follow Your Pace - Adopting a growth mindset actually reduces aggression as you learn to rely on your own assertiveness to drive your personal achievements.
• Create the Momentum for Positive Results - It is easy to feel demoralized when faced with adversity. Invest in your future by lifting your spirits and become a person that is determined to take up the challenge.

Researchers at UCLA found people who visualize the process of what needed to be done in order to change their habits were more likely to adopt the habit than those who visualized the result. For change to stick, it is important for you to visualize your new habits. Studies have shown visualizing the process helps focus attention on what needs to be done. The discomfort that occurs when you fail to live up to your own expectations is cognitive dissonance. It is not surprising that it triggers an area of the brain that is sensitive to pain. You will have to manage the discomfort with your newly-acquired growth mindset.