How to Train Your Mindset for Growth
Estimated reading time: 10 Min
Learn how to train your mindset with practical mental exercises, daily habits, and reframing strategies that help you grow with clarity and resilience.
I’m going to introduce you to a concept that might just revolutionise the way you approach success and personal development.
This is primarily about understanding the power of an automatic process within your brain that can steer you towards your goals—the automatic success mechanism.
The brain is an incredible tool, and just like any sophisticated tech, it has its own kind of auto-pilot setting.
Initially described by plastic surgeon Matthew Maltz in his work “Psycho-cybernetics,” this function of our brain acts like an internal guidance system, nudging us towards our strongest beliefs and deepest intentions.
In any case, believe it or not, you control this mechanism through the thoughts you choose to allow and the beliefs you hold on to.
But there’s a twist.
This powerful resource is built into your own head – and you can program it.
Careful thought is vital here.
What you program into your automatic success mechanism determines how it will, in turn, shape your actions and therefore your achievements.
In the next section, ‘The Power of Belief: You’re In Control,’ we’re going explore how your belief system acts as the software for this success mechanism.
I’ll explain how you can cultivate beliefs that propel you forward rather than hold you back.
The Power of Belief: You’re In Control
Whether you know it or not, the power of belief is no small thing.
It’s the silent force behind every triumph and the whisper in times of doubt.
This power is at the helm of your automatic success mechanism.
As the captain of your ship, you can direct your mentality towards the shores of success or the rocks of defeat.
When you start to unwrap the layers, you’ll find a wealth of evidence that belief is the fuel for action and the bedrock of resilience.
Consider athletes who visualise winning a race, or entrepreneurs who believe in their start-up dreams against all odds—these are prime examples of belief sculpting reality.
But don’t just take my word for it.
Let’s talk about how you can start building a fortress of belief that stands up against the storms of scepticism.
It begins with understanding the nature of belief and its profound influence on your life.
By feeding your mind positive affirmations, and shunning the nagging doubts, you’re essentially programming your brain’s success mechanism.
Planting seeds of belief isn’t just an exercise in positive thinking; it’s about nurturing a mindset that not only expects achievement but also actively works towards it.
The great news?
You can always adjust your approach down the road, which means it’s never too late to develop a dynamic belief system that pushes you to excel.
Mental Programming: Choosing Your Success Codes
Imagine your mind as a computer; every day, you’re programming it, consciously or not.
It’s so important to be intentional with this process, because, in much the same way as you’d install only the best software on your computer, you need to be programming your mind with the best possible thoughts and beliefs.
You might be wrestling with thoughts that you’re not even aware of—thoughts that might be dragging you down.
These are the mental programmes we need to pinpoint and transform.
Replace the “I can’ts” with “I can,” and the “It’s impossible” with “Let’s make it possible.”
Affirmations are a fantastic tool here.
They’re like your mind’s software updates, rewriting old, buggy code.
Start your day with powerful affirmations.
There’s no need to be public about it if that’s not your style; just commit to yourself.
Repeating phrases like “I am capable of overcoming any challenge that comes my way” can fortify your mental programming for success.
Visualisation is your mind’s eye envisioning your success.
Professional athletes use this technique all the time; they see themselves winning races, scoring goals before they even step onto the field.
If they can, why not you?
Think of a goal you have, and visualise yourself reaching it.
Feel the success and triumph, and let those emotions flood your system.
By carefully choosing the programs for your mental computer, you set the stage to act and react in ways that lead to success.
Cultivating mental habits that promote resilience and a positive outlook is key.
It’s like setting yourself up with the best team in a relay race—each positive thought passes the baton to the next one, propelling you forward.
Allow The Mind’s Autopilot Steer Towards Success
Now we move on to how the brain’s autopilot feature significantly affects your day-to-day life.
It’s like having a powerful assistant silently working behind the scenes.
Most of our actions, from brushing our teeth to driving, are conducted on autopilot, without conscious thought.
This frees up mental resources for more complex tasks, but there’s a catch: these automatic behaviours are based on our programming, both the good and the bad.
You need to, and can take charge of this incredible feature so that it works in your favour.
Think about how you learned to tie your shoes.
At first, it required concentration, but over time, it became an automatic process.
This is a simple example of how you’ve successfully programmed a skill into your subconscious.
Now, it’s about applying this ability to larger life goals.
By consciously choosing the behaviours and thoughts you repeat, you ensure they become the automatic responses that lead you to success.
Don’t worry too much about the occasional slip-up or negative thought.
You can always adjust your approach down the road.
The key is consistency and repetition.
With enough practice, your success-oriented behaviours and thought patterns will become second nature, like your shoe-tying skills, steering you automatically towards your ambitions.
In my opinion, it’s enormously empowering to realise that you can tailor the workings of your mind’s autopilot.
As you move through life, continually assess whether your automatic behaviours are serving your goals.
If they aren’t, it’s within your capacity to realign them, just as you would recalibrate a misdirected GPS to reach your desired destination.
Safeguarding Your Success: The Caution in Programming
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: your mind is like the most sophisticated software ever created, but without careful oversight, even the most advanced system can run awry.
This is why understanding the risks of negative mental programming is crucial to your success.
Negative thoughts and self-talk aren’t just unpleasant; they’re like coding errors that can lead to major malfunctions in your automatic success mechanism.
Imagine feeding your GPS the wrong destination and then wondering why you never arrived where you intended to go.
That’s precisely what happens when you allow negativity to seep into your subconscious.
Don’t worry too much about the occasional negative thought, though.
No one’s perfect.
The key is to maintain mental hygiene, which means being vigilant about the quality of thoughts you allow to take root.
Negative programming can be insidious, leading to self-sabotage without you even realising it.
Regular reflection and mindfulness can help catch these unhelpful patterns.
You can always adjust your approach down the road, but it’s wise to periodically evaluate and adjust your success mechanism to ensure it’s in tip-top shape.
If you find yourself veering off course, don’t be afraid to hit the reset button on your mental programming.
Up next, I’m going to discuss the importance of the feedback loop.
It’s how you’ll measure your progress, recalibrate your actions, and sharpen your success mechanism.
Trust me, this is a powerful part of the process that can lead to extraordinary improvements in your life.
The Feedback Loop: Learn and Adapt for Continued Success
Here I highlight something that’s fundamental yet often overlooked: the feedback loop.
This isn’t just about receiving feedback; it’s about what you do with it, which dramatically shapes your journey towards success.
So, just what is feedback in the context of your automatic success mechanism?
It’s the information you get about the outcomes of your actions.
Think of it as a reality check for your mental programming.
If the results don’t match your expectations, it’s a signal that your internal success codes may need tweaking.
So, here’s how to take advantage of this powerful tool.
Pay attention
- First, pay attention to the results you’re getting in various areas of your life.
- This includes your career, personal relationships, and personal development.
- Are you making progress, or do you keep hitting the same roadblocks?
Be honest with yourself
- Next, it’s time for some honesty with yourself.
- Reflect on the feedback you’ve gathered.
- What is it telling you?
- Don’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths.
- Remember, your brain’s programming can either propel you forward or keep you stuck in a loop of repeated patterns.
- Your approach to handling feedback is also critical.
- View it as constructive insight rather than criticism.
- Each piece of feedback is a nugget of knowledge you can use to refine your strategy and better align your mindset with your goals.
Design actions to make changes
- After discerning the value from your feedback, create actionable steps for change.
- This is where the magic of adaptation comes in.
You’re now ready to tweak your internal programming, not overhaul it entirely.
It’s about making small, deliberate adjustments that compound over time.
Don’t worry too much about getting it perfect on the first attempt.
This process is iterative and continuous.
You can always adjust your mindset as you gather more feedback and insights.
You’re going to find out that these incremental adjustments will lead to profound changes in your automatic success mechanism.
And guess what?
They pave the way for the next piece of the puzzle: building mental resilience, which I’ll be discussing in the following section.
Creating Lasting Change: Building Your Mental Resilience
If you want to create lasting change in your life, you’re going to have to develop something called mental resilience.
This refers to the strength that lets you bounce back from setbacks and keep pushing forward.
Now we’ll explore how to build this critical skill.
First off, mental resilience is like a muscle; the more you work it out, the stronger it gets.
So how do you exercise this muscle?
You start by setting small challenges for yourself and striving to overcome them.
This doesn’t need to be anything huge to begin with.
Choose something that’s mildly challenging and commit to it.
When you experience setbacks—and you will—it’s important not to be too hard on yourself.
Your first attempt doesn’t need to be your last.
Learn from what went wrong, and then adjust your approach down the road.
This is the essence of resilience: not giving up at the first sign of trouble.
Also, it’s not just about bouncing back but also bouncing forward.
The thing is that every challenge you face is a stepping stone to a stronger you.
Develop a mindset that views obstacles as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable problems.
Now, let’s talk about instilling habits that support this adaptive mindset.
Consistent routines such as regular reflection, journaling, and mindfulness practice can bolster your mental resilience.
By making these practices part of your daily life, you’ll find that your ability to handle stress and change improves significantly.
A lot happens fast in our world, and mental resilience is your best shield against the barrage of changes and challenges.
And the strategies I’ve outlined are going to be just as important as you continue to fine-tune this internal success mechanism.
Summary: How To Train Your Mindset
You are now aware of your brain’s incredible ability to shape your life’s trajectory by programming the “automatic success mechanism” of your mindset.
It’s remarkable how much influence you hold over your own achievements.
In this journey, grasping the fine balance between autopilot functionality and conscious control is vital.
Regular mental maintenance isn’t something to be overlooked.
Just as machines require tune-ups, your mindset benefits from consistent check-ins and adjustments.
Whether it’s through meditation, reflective journaling, or engaging in stimulating conversations, staying mentally agile ensures you’re ready for whatever challenges come your way.
Bringing experts into the conversation can provide a wealth of knowledge.
Absorbing insights from those who have effectively fine-tuned their own mindset embodies the principle of standing on the shoulders of giants.
Embrace their wisdom, while carving out your personal path to success.
And let’s not forget that growth is a continuous effort.
No pinnacle of achievement signals the end of the road.
Rather, it’s a signpost for further exploration.
As you travel along this incredible journey, celebrate each milestone, reflect on the lessons learned, and set your sights on new horizons.
I really hope that you find these strategies as enlightening and empowering as I have.
Remember, your first attempt at reprogramming your mindset doesn’t need to be your last.
Keep iterating, and you’ll cultivate a mindset conducive to success.
I encourage you to share your progress to inspire others on the same route.
😉
Richard
