What would you say about a situation when someone asks, "is the glass half-full or is it half-empty?"

Your answer depends on your perception. How is it that two people can have such differing views of the same situation? The answer is simple: they have a different mindset.

The way you view the world is a reflection of the way your brain interprets a situation. We all come from different circumstances, and have had different life experiences. It makes sense that you could have a completely different view from the person standing next to you.

Data Entry

Your brain is like a hard-drive in some ways. Both consciously and unconsciously, it stores what you put into it—especially the emotions you associate with an experience. What your brain doesn’t do is determine an unbiased value of that information—it recalls what has been stored, just like a hard drive would on a computer. In the case of a positive or negative experience, your brain takes that information in but does not “fact check” it for accuracy. For example; to a child, a stove is neither good nor bad. But if they are to touch it and burn their hand, their mind will associate a hot stove with pain. The same goes for many thoughts and experiences you may have.

How many times in your life have you heard people or yourself say things like this:

“I’m not good enough to…….”

“Why can’t you be more like…….”

“I don’t have a degree from a prestigious university so I can’t ...”

“Starting your own company is too risky.”

To even the most confident of people, criticisms such as these can cause you to dramatically alter your outlook on life. When your brain stores this feedback, just like the child afraid of touching the stove, you could subconsciously be putting limits on your potential for success. After years of hearing these limitations, your brain will begin to program itself into believing they are true. 

Successful people think differently from the average person. They believe they will be successful. They take all their mental data and focus on the desired outcomes verses letting negative thoughts clog up their mind. With a few simple shifts in the way you think and talk to yourself, you too can reprogram your brain into believing you’re the successful, happy person you’ve always dreamed you could become.

1. Write It Down
   Step one in changing your mindset is to write down 21 self-affirming thoughts. We call these “I Am Statements.” For example: “I am an effective communicator. I am a great provider for my family. I am a terrific boss to my employees.” When you write something down, your brain must coordinate your thoughts with your movement systems. This process can help you more easily visualize these concepts as part of your reality. Just like a hard drive, the purpose is to fill your mind with positive information.

2. Practice Makes Perfect
   Step two is to stand in front of the mirror and read your “I Am Statements” aloud until they are memorized. Say them with confidence while you are looking directly at yourself. Similar to the reasons why you wrote them down, saying them aloud offers another way for your brain to store and interpret this data.
   
   This step may be awkward to complete initially. You may have difficulty looking at yourself while saying these or you might even laugh, that's ok. Once you practice several times, it will start to feel natural. As you reprogram your mind overtime, the new, self-affirming information you are feeding it will eventually start to rewrite past limitations. 

3. Keep It Consistent
   The last step and key to your “I Am Statement” success is consistency. It is critical to practice these at least twice a day, everyday. Change doesn't happen overnight. After several months of consistency, you will start to feel a difference in your everyday thoughts and actions. Your outlook on life will change, your thoughts about yourself will shift, and most importantly, your confidence level will skyrocket. Just like going to the gym to improve your health or appearance, significant progress will only happen if you work on changing your mindset every day.

Confidence Is Key
Your confidence is a reflection of your mindset, but for most people, it doesn’t come naturally. Confidence is the result of a constant investment in yourself. Reprogramming your mind with positive affirmations will foster growth, change, and ultimately, success.

The more you believe this to be true and believe in the positive aspects of your life, the more you will attract these things. We all have the power to create the life we’ve always dreamed of—we just need the right tools to get there.

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