How to Change Your Mindset for Success by Auditing Your Mental Diet

In my early-to-mid 20s, I didn’t have a whole lot of faith that I would accomplish much. I didn’t have an academic mind and took the “minimalist approach” to high school. The write-ups and dismissals from my first couple of part-time jobs also indicated I was decidedly not the model employee. I scraped through college with the lowest possible passing grades and graduated with no desire to pursue a career in my field of study. (Music.)

I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and I thought it would be a miracle to find a job I was competent enough at to pay my bills.

It’s been more than a decade since then, and while I am not what anyone would call “wildly successful,” I’ve come much further than I ever dreamed I would. I certainly never anticipated I’d start a 5-figure side-business on top of a fulfilling full-time career.

Even more importantly, I believe I can still go much further yet.

My life did a 180 because I changed from a primarily fixed mindset to more of a growth mindset. It’s such a great thing to believe in your potential. Everyone should have that.

And if you don’t, the good news is, you can.

What is a Growth Mindset?

According to American psychologist Carol Dwek:

“A growth mindset is when students understand that their abilities can be developed.”

In other words, it’s the belief that one can continually improve themselves with effort and practice, regardless of how much natural ability they started with.

On the other hand, someone with a predominately fixed mindset believes that their inherent qualities cannot change, and it’s only through one’s natural talent that anyone achieves success.

The truth is, everyone has a combination of the “fixed” and “growth” mindset. But embracing a growth mindset is critical for achieving your goals and living your best life.

Growth Mindset vs. Positive Thinking

Mindset is everything. Whether you’re trying to get fit, start a business, or be a happier person, you’re not going to reach your goals if you’re not in the right headspace.

But sometimes, achieving a growth mindset is a lot easier said than done. That’s because, in most cases, an actual change in outlook is more than just a conscious thought.

For example, choosing to think a positive thought is rarely enough on its own to change your perspective about something.

That’s why I think that a true mindset change comes from a culmination of what you feed your mind every day.

If you are what you eat, then you are what you think.

That’s why today, I want to talk about some ideas on how to change your mindset for success by being aware of what’s making up your daily mental diet.

1. Habitually Appreciate the Good Things

Or, as pretty much every self-help book calls it, “practice gratitude.” I know the whole “just count your blessings and be grateful!” platitude can be facepalm-inducing, but hear me out for a second.

If you make a habit of recounting the good things in your life, it starts to shift your outlook and give you hope. I admit, it’s not easy to do every day, especially when it feels like everything is going wrong.

It takes active practice.

Although exercises like journaling and meditation are great, your approach can be even more straightforward than that.

For example, before I roll out of bed every morning, I try to take a minute to think about two or three good things going on in my life and be appreciative of them. And I get to start my day with just a bit more positivity.

It’s incredible how much a simple practice like that can make a difference over time!

2. Listen to the Voices That Fire You Up

The truth is, setting a positive tone for yourself isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve been trapped in a fixed mindset for a long time. In the early stages, it can be tough to talk positively to yourself in a way that feels authentic.

That’s when you need to listen to someone else. But make sure you listen to the right voice.

How do you know if it’s right?

It’s anyone who makes you feel like a boss after listening to what they have to say. It’s that hopeful, encouraging, and caring voice.

Any voice that makes you feel anxious, angry, resentful, spiteful, or less than you want to be, is the wrong voice.

Sadly, those wrong voices can sometimes include close friends and family. These people usually aren’t intentionally trying to make you feel bad. They may even mean well but don’t understand how their words affect you. (Heck, you may not even consciously realize how they’re affecting you.)

Other people have their hangups and — either intentionally or unintentionally — try to cast that onto you.

I’ve been fortunate to have a few beautiful people in my life who are that lifting voice for me.

But if you’re struggling to find those positive voices that inspire you in your life, start looking for personal development blogs, podcasts, and books to find someone whose message resonates with you.

For example, I love listening to Jillian Michaels’s podcasts. I started listening to her show because I love fitness, but she also talks about success, business, and relationships in an authentic, inspiring way.

3. Set a New Goal for Yourself

Having a dream isn’t enough on its own; they’re too passive. There needs to be something tangible to work towards to turn your dream into a reality.

Goals lend themselves to a sense of drive and purpose, which is the foundation for empowerment and authentic positivity.

Pursuing a big goal is to seek joy.

Of course, the keyword here is “pursue”; a goal is only a goal if you have an action plan to get there.

So write yourself an action plan and make sure you assign a due day for each step. If it seems too overwhelming, set smaller, milestone goals between where you are now and your ultimate goal.

Each step to get there should be a tangible action. For example, if you want to lose 20 lbs, don’t just write “exercise and eat better” as your action plan.

Ask yourself specific questions: How long will you exercise each day? What kind of exercises will you do? What kind of foods will you eat? How will you track your diet? What do you need to learn or do to get to the next step?

There’s nothing wrong with starting small to set yourself up for success, either. With the celebration of each small win, you’re nurturing that growth mindset.

4. Use “Yet”

To change your mindset for success, you need to embrace the role of the eternal student. Honestly, I can see how this one comes across as pretentious-sounding, especially considering my less-than-stellar college transcripts.

I’m not going to lie; I hated being a student when I was younger. But it’s never too late to change.

(Plus, it’s a lot more motivating when you’ve chosen to learn rather than when you’re feeling forced to.)

The most successful people in the world are the ones who know they never finish learning. They’re the ones who find the lessons in failures and use them to keep growing.

Lifelong learners are the ones who use the word “yet.”

I don’t know how to do that — yet.

That’s something I don’t understand — yet.

I haven’t been successful at this — yet.

Whenever you feel defeated by something, practice tagging “yet” at the end of those defeated-sounding thoughts. “Yet” inherently implies you aren’t giving up.

And as Elbert Hubbard once put it:

“There is no failure except in no longer trying.”

The Takeaway

It’s common knowledge that if you eat crap, you’re going to feel like crap.

It only makes sense that if you feed your brain crap, you’re also going to feel like crap.

Make a conscious effort to control the things you feed your mind, and over time you will notice a real difference.

Remember that a fundamental mindset change isn’t “pretending”; it’s a genuine shift in perspective where you approach life with an attitude of growth.

This process can take time, and, in my opinion, it’s not something that you ever achieve with perfection. (Because we’re human!) Think of it more as an ongoing practice.

If you’re actively working towards adopting that growth mindset as part of your daily routine, you will start seeing significant changes in your life.

You can achieve genuine positivity, gratitude, growth through practice. And that kind of mindset change can transform your life the same way exercise can transform your physical health.

Originally published in Better Advice on Medium.

Author's Note:

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