Do You Have a History of Starting and Then Quitting?

Your mindset may have become fixed after a few bad experiences that led to destructive patterns of self-speak. It is important to be sensitive to both positive and negative information, as long as the input is used for constructive actions. People with a fixed or rigid mindset blame others for their own shortcomings instead of choosing to learn from them to become more successful in life. Self-help guru Wayne Dyer said, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

To condition your mind, your to-do-list requires focusing on achieving results with personal changes that include:

• Start with Yourself - There are many biographies of inspiration people that may serve as a role model for boosting your self confidence by mimicking their thinking or advice regarding what they did.
• Don't Get Philosophical - The maladaptive concept of mid-life crisis has led to discussions of a quarter-life crisis. Stop externalizing your achievements and implement a growth mindset to gain validation from within.
• Believe Change is Possible - Your mindset was formed through prior experiences and emotional milestones, so acknowledge the fact that you need an adjustment before setting new goals.
• Stop Complaining and Get Started - Studies have shown that as a person's mindset changes from rigid to growth-oriented, it leads to more motivated goal setting with faster results.
• Don't Talk About It... Take Action - Hanging out in a doubting social circle of people with fixed-mindsets will act as an echo chamber for discussing bad ideas.
• Set the Right Pace - Never hurry to chase an elusive state of stability that is really a future filled with regret over your unrealized personal potential. Allow your creativity to energize accomplishments that are uniquely yours and achieved at your own pace.

If you are going to change your life's circumstances, you will have to change the things you do each day. This requires a growth mindset that is focused on challenges and not your routine. For change to stick, it is important for you to visualize the end results of your new habit. 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 called cognitive dissonance. It is not surprising that it triggers an area of the brain that is sensitive to pain.