Everything starts with your perspective. So, if you want to change your life, start with chaining your perspective.
How you see the world, and how you interpret different situations, creates your unique perception. This will determine your decisions, actions, and reactions (and you do have some control over this).
So, if you want to be something, you have to have the right mindset to get there. You have to get into the right frame of mind so you can be focused, motivated, disciplined, accountable, driven, committed, and ultimately, successful.
Change Your Life By Changing Your Perspective
But how is it done? How can you change your mindset?
Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there”. And he hit the nail right on the head. Your beliefs are powerful things! They can steer you in the direction of your choice.
So, when you’ve decided it’s time for a change, and you are ready to achieve a goal, now what?
Now, it’s time to figure out what you really want, why you want it, what you are willing to do for it, and then stay positive. Let’s look at these steps in more detail:
1. Figure out what it is that you want
Now, this point might appear to be fairly obvious, but it’s not as clear-cut as it might seem.
For example, you might have someone who says: “Okay, what I want is a promotion. I want to be the big boss”. Now, let’s say we asked that person, “Why do you want a promotion?” They might respond with, “I want financial security for my family.” Now, that is gold.
What that person really wants, is financial security and to be a good provider. They want to make sure that their family has everything they need. The promotion and the boss stuff, that’s just fluff.
If you’re going to pick a goal, it’s important to really get right down to it. The superficial ‘stuff’ doesn’t make us happy. Not really. Deep down inside, there are things that we really want. These are the things that we should be striving for. Dig deep here- skip over the fluff and figure out what will really make you happy.
“The important things in life aren’t things” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
2. Ask yourself: Why do I want this?
Once you’ve figured out what you truly want, the next step is to figure out why this is important to you.
The truth is, you will not succeed unless the goal you choose truly means something to you.
It has to be something that you are passionate about and that touches an emotional chord for you…
This isn’t about what you ‘deserve.’ It can’t be something you think you should have. Even worse, it can’t be something that someone else thinks you should have. If those are your motivations, you won’t stick with your goal when the going gets tough.
To figure out if your motivations are true to your beliefs and values, ask yourself the following questions:
- Why is this important to me?
- How will this make me happy?
- Will my life be different if I become this?
- How will this affect the people in my life?
3. Decide if you are willing to do what it takes to become what you want
When you have a specific goal in mind, something that you are passionate about, you need to know what you are willing to do to achieve that goal.
Are you willing to work hard? Take risks? Get out of your comfort zone? Make sacrifices for this goal?
If it is something that you truly want, you’ll do what it takes to get there. But if you are not willing to put yourself out there and take a chance, then your goal is probably not the right goal for you.
If you have any doubts that your goal is what is right for you, then you need to head back to steps 1 and 2. You have to be sure about this; sure that you are going to give this goal your all and sure that this goal is going to get you somewhere you want to be.
“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done” – Thomas Jefferson
If this goal is something you’d do whatever it takes to achieve, then you can move on to step 4.
4. Keep positivity close by
The truth is, there will be challenges and tough days.
We can’t avoid that. It’s times like these when your mind can start to really get negative, and eventually give up. In order to work through these difficult times, make sure you have tools to bring you back into focus (before you even get started).
The tools you choose are up to you:
- It can be quotes that are uplifting, that you have posted around you.
- Maybe it is a kind of talisman that you can carry as a personal reminder of your end goal.
- It can be a support system that you can share your journey with.
- Keep a journal that holds your successes, your excitement, and your strategies (no negatives).
- It can be activities that you can do for fun, when you are starting to feel down.
Find what works for you; whatever it takes for you to mentally turn around and get back on track when you are faced with a challenge or roadblock. These reminders will be the lifesavers you are grateful for when you finally become what you want. They will be your lifelong motivators to see things through to the end.
No one expects you to be on top of your game all the time- sometimes you will struggle, and sometimes you will fail. And that’s okay. But, mentally, you can always turn that around, if you believe in what you are doing, and have the right tools to help you stay on track.
Don’t allow yourself to dwell on the negative.
Many people fail to follow through with their dreams, simply because they don’t have the right mindset to get them to success. Some don’t pick the right goals, some aren’t willing to dive out of their comfort zones, and others succumb to negativity.
Before you jump into any project, lifestyle change, decision, etc., you have to make sure that you are prepared to succeed. Prepping your mind will allow you to stay strong throughout your new journey. And in order to prep your mind, you have to be able to connect with yourself.
No goal is too big if you are serious about achieving it
There really is no such thing as thinking ‘too big’. Your own self-imposed limitations can hold you back more than anything else. But those limitations are just that: self-imposed.
Our minds can play tricks on us, convince us that we will fail and make excuses…but you are so much stronger than that pesky little negative voice in there.
You’ve connected with yourself, you’ve figured out what you truly want, you’ve committed to doing whatever it takes to get there, and you’ve surrounded yourself with positivity.
Like a soldier prepping to fight for what he truly values, through these steps, you’ve just done the same thing.
So go out there and become whatever it is that you want to be.