Why You Need a Success Mindset
You hear it
all the time: "success is a state of mind." There are people who would argue that success
is a natural result of proper planning, preparation and focused action, and
that viewpoint certainly holds a grain of truth - but there are also many exceptions
to disprove that "rule." Have
you ever wondered how two people can attempt the same objective in the same way
and only one of them succeed? Is it
sheer luck? Timing? Tenacity?
More often than not, it's a person's mind-set that determines whether
they fail or succeed.
What is a mind-set, anyway? Typically a mind-set refers to your predominant state of mind day to day. It's what you think about, focus on, and expect from your daily experiences. Think negatively, expect the worst, feel pessimistic about your options and that's exactly what you'll seem to draw into your life. Likewise, think positively, expect the best and focus on a successful outcome and you get it most of the time.
Makes sense, right? But how exactly does this work? Why is a success mind-set so important? There are three big reasons:
1) A success mind-set boosts your confidence and self-belief.
A lack of belief in yourself usually comes along with a sense of powerlessness and futility, which is the exact opposite of a success mind-set. Lack of confidence means you see no point in trying to be successful because it won't happen anyway. Obviously, this type of mind-set is a recipe for failure in any endeavor.
Having a
true success mind-set, on the other hand, means you believe in yourself and your
capabilities. You believe you can
succeed at nearly anything you try, and you're willing to give it your best
shot. Even better, the more you do try,
the more confidence and self-belief you build - until you're virtually
unstoppable!
2) A success mind-set strengthens your
determination.
Without a success mind-set, one failure is enough to convince you that pursuing your goals is a waste of time. Tenacity and determination don't exist in your world. If you don't become a raging success the first time you try, you surmise that it simply wasn't meant to be. Unfortunately, few things worth having are obtained so easily!
A success
mind-set, however, strengthens your awareness that a failure is not the end of
the story - it's just one more way that didn't work out the way you
planned. In fact, a true success
mind-set makes it obvious that the only true failure occurs when you stop
trying.
3) A success mind-set encourages fruitful actions.
Have you
ever found yourself wandering in circles because you didn't know the best way
to approach a specific goal? Perhaps you
had an idea of the best course of action but you felt intimidated by some of
the action steps required. As a result,
you may have kept sabotaging your efforts as you searched in vain for an easier
or less frightening way to your goal.
With a true
success mind-set, you'll always know the most effective action steps that will
lead directly to your goal. As already
discussed, you'll also have the inner confidence and determination to pursue
them - which is a sure recipe for . . . you guessed it; success!
If I had to sum up how to develop a success mind-set into as few words as possible, I'd say this:
- Go for your dreams.
- Think
positively.
- Believe
in yourself.
- Believe
you can do better.
- Learn,
grow and develop yourself.
- Be
willing to take chances.
- Give it
your all.
- Expect
the best in every situation.
- Be
willing to fail.
- When you
fall down, get back up and try again.
Keep doing that and you can't help but become successful, from the inside out.