Let’s talk about how to strengthen your mindset and change your thoughts
If you’re looking to master your mindset and become the best version of yourself with the help of personal development, keep reading!
Mastering your mind begins with understanding the power of your thoughts and how they can shape your life. This blog post shares tips and tricks on how to level up your mindset by changing the way you think.
What’s the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset?
As you might already know, there are two types of mindsets.
A fixed mindset is defined by the belief that our abilities and talents are innate and unchangeable. People with a fixed mindset may believe that they are either good or bad at something. They may be resistant to trying new things or taking on challenges that may challenge their self-perception.
For example, someone with a fixed mindset may believe that they are simply not good at math and thus avoid taking math classes or attempting to improve their skills in that area.
A growth mindset is characterized by the belief that our abilities and talents can be developed and improved through hard work and dedication. People with a growth mindset view challenges and failures as opportunities to learn and grow rather than as evidence of their inherent limitations.
For example, someone with a growth mindset may struggle with math at first, but they will see that struggle as an opportunity to learn and improve rather than a reflection of their abilities.
The primary difference between the two mindsets is that a fixed mindset severely limits our potential and prevents us from taking risks and growing, whereas a growth mindset encourages us to embrace challenges and pursue our goals with eagerness and determination.
It takes time and effort to cultivate a growth mindset, but it can lead to greater success and fulfillment in all aspects of life.
How do you manage the thoughts that control your life?
The system is incredibly straightforward: whatever you give your attention to in life gains power and takes on an increasingly dominant role.
You need to get rid of the things you don’t need from your life if you want to master your mindset and create the changes you want.
There are dark and light forces. Very simply put, these forces are our thoughts. Some thoughts, like anger, the desire for vengeance, envy, etc., have a negative impact. Positive thoughts like love, care, joy, etc. also exist at the same time.
We’re constantly thinking about various things (nearly 6,000 thoughts a day). We aren’t even aware of many of them. They appear unintentionally and are connected to the various networks we’re surrounded by. It largely depends on us how the world and the people around us are.
If you have control over your thoughts, you can choose how to respond to them and seize opportunities to mold your life and achieve your goals. You must first become aware of your thoughts in order to release them and make room for fresh ideas.
Changing your thoughts entails replacing your current ones with new ones. The moment you become aware that you’re thinking unfavorable thoughts, the exchange of thoughts begins.
Depending on where you are in the development process, changing thoughts depends on your ability to consistently notice your thoughts and alter them.
Thinking differently takes time and effort. As with any skill, we need practice in order to change our minds. You need to get practice at noticing your thoughts, letting them go, and accepting new thoughts if you want to change your thoughts.
It’s never too late to make a change for yourself! I assure you that it will significantly improve your quality of life. All of these practices, which I will mention soon, can help you to strengthen your mindset and create the best life of balance and joy. I know you’re eager to start reading, so let’s get started!
This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link and purchase something I recommend, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Let me show you the tips I use to gain control over my thoughts
1. Ask yourself questions
We ask ourselves questions every morning when we wake up. What do you think about when the alarm clock goes off? “Why do I have to get up now?”, “Why aren’t there more hours in the day?”, “What if I hit the snooze button one more time?”
What questions do you ask yourself in the shower? “Why do I have to go to work?”, “How bad is the traffic today?”, “What kind of dull duties await me today?”
What if you asked yourself questions every day that guided you and reminded you of how grateful, happy, and excited you are? What sort of day do you think you’d have if you focused on these positive aspects?
It would almost certainly improve your mood. The nice thing about it is that you can do it while shaving, combing your hair, and so on.
Why not ask the right questions if you’re going to ask them? I realized that if we want to be happy and successful, we should all cultivate certain positive emotions. So now is the time to ask these questions. Consider how they make you feel.
- Is there anything that is preventing you from being your most authentic, vibrant self? If so, what is stopping you?
- Do you greet each new day with joy, enthusiasm, and curiosity?
- What do you admire and value about yourself?
- What do you place a high value on in your life today?
- Which of your life’s rules would you like to break?
- Do you have a companion? Are you pleased with them? Do you have feelings for them? (Have you informed them of this?)
- Do you have a respectful and supportive relationship with your parents?
- Do you sense your coworkers’ goodwill and support?
- Do you fill your days with meaningful activities that make your eyes sparkle and nourish your soul?
- Are you happy with your job? Do you help others with your work? Are you making the world a better place? Or do you have to sell your soul and sacrifice your integrity in order to work?
- Do you have a strong sense of your life’s purpose?
- Do you use your creativity to express yourself? Is your soul capable of singing?
- Do you have a tendency to daydream?
- Do you consider yourself to be financially healthy, or does money cause you stress?
- Do you have the ability to express yourself and fulfill your fantasies?
- Is your lifestyle healthy and supportive of your body’s physical health (proper nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, avoidance of health-damaging addictions)?
- Do you have a connection to the sacred, to something bigger than yourself?
- What do you feel is missing in your life? What would you change in your life if a fairy godmother could help you?
RELATED: 130 monthly reflection questions to ask yourself every month
2. Be aware of your beliefs and attitudes
Everything begins with awareness, which is the “mother” of mastering your mindset.
On the other hand, attitudes and beliefs can be considered the “father” of mastering your mindset because they are so “close” and inherent to you that they’re difficult to notice (be aware of), but their influence on your daily lives is undeniable.
What exactly are beliefs? Beliefs are your subconscious understandings of how the world works. Beliefs are an integral part of your identity and worldview, which makes it difficult to become aware of and eliminate harmful beliefs.
However, if you’ve ever had an argument or discussion with someone, you’ve been held hostage by your beliefs.
When you notice that someone else thinks differently about something than you do, it indicates that you have different beliefs about the subject. You’re neither right nor wrong; you simply hold opposing viewpoints.
The goal of strengthening your mindset is to start seeing through or becoming aware of your beliefs (particularly limiting ones) in order to broaden your understanding and behavior.
Start noticing how other people see things differently than you, and instead of immediately labeling them as “wrong,” say to yourself, “We have different beliefs about this.”
In this way, you create space between yourself and your beliefs, allowing you to see the world as a much larger place with more possibilities.
3. Be aware of your thoughts and feelings
Start paying more attention to your thought patterns, particularly your inner speech, which has a direct impact on your feelings and moods (emotions).
According to psychologists, some people have positive self-talk, while others have negative self-talk. Positive self-talk “paints” the world as a happy place, whereas negative self-talk “paints” it as a sad place. Which world do you prefer—positive or negative?
Start paying attention to what’s going on in your head. There are 6,000 thoughts per day, and noticing them all is difficult, so start with the ones that make you feel bad.
When you’re thinking and analyzing the negative, ask yourself, “Is this fact or fantasy what I’m thinking right now? Is that really how it is, or am I making it up?”
I promise you, most of the time we think negatively and feel bad about it because we imagine how things could go wrong, why someone did or said something, how we can’t handle things, and so on. Learn to recognize and eliminate these types of thoughts.
Even if nothing in your life changes objectively, your subjective assessment of life and, as a result, your sense of well-being will improve quickly. The same is true at work.
Consider your thoughts about work: how much time do you spend thinking about the things that bother you about your job and team, and how much time do you spend thinking about the things you enjoy?
Just take note of it. You may discover that your negative self-talk is largely responsible for how you feel about your work, your team, and your manager. The world changes much faster than we can imagine by changing our inner speech (our thoughts).
If you start to feel worse while observing your thoughts, tell yourself: These are just thoughts. Your task is to separate yourself from your thoughts. You are not your ideas. You have ideas. You select the thoughts. These are just ideas.
RELATED: Get out of a bad headspace with the help of these practical tips
4. We’re constantly changing
The past is for remembering, the present is for being, and the future is for creating.
We can’t change our past actions, but we can influence how they affect our future. We must lay a solid foundation for the future in order for it to be beautiful.
We must recognize that we aren’t the same people we were yesterday or a few years ago; we are constantly evolving. It’s critical not to become stuck in one place; instead, one must constantly move and develop.
Assume you’re constructing a house. The foundation is the past, the walls are the present, and the roof is the future. What kind of happy future are we talking about if the warehouse walls and foundation are so shifted that the walls are barely standing?
We must take control and try to adjust the foundation so that it is solid and good; then the walls will stand up, and putting on the roof will be pure joy! This is one of the key elements when you’re learning how to master your mindset.
Things start to sour when we get stuck somewhere, like stagnant water. Comfort zones and routinely safe environments can become oppressive; this indicates that human development has stalled and that it’s time to move on.
The phrase “comfort zone” doesn’t imply that being there is beneficial. You simply don’t dare to try anything new for fear of something even worse happening. This is how you become trapped in a “space” that is familiar to you.
There are several techniques for breaking out of your comfort zone and learning to master your mindset. But they all have the same premise: do something different.
It takes determination and courage to take charge and overcome your fears. It becomes easier if it appears difficult at first.
For example, you consciously begin to do things differently, beginning with changing your movement route, such as choosing a different way to go home, purchasing slightly different products at the store, or dressing differently.
This is a simple method for acclimating to minor changes. Because of this, you can more easily make big changes. When you’ve overcome this stage, start taking on bigger and bigger challenges, such as going out and meeting new people, speaking up in a strange group, and so on.
A simple written task such as drawing two columns on a blank sheet of paper can also be beneficial.
On one side, write down what you enjoy doing and your best qualities. In the second column, write down what you dislike doing and where you are dissatisfied with yourself.
Be it behavior, attitude, hairstyle, or anything else. And begin to consider whether and how you can transform unpleasant situations into pleasant ones, thereby adding more positive elements to your life.
Here are three books that I absolutely love and that have helped me on my personal growth journey:
1. The Positive Thinking Workbook: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Build a Strong Foundation for a Positive Mindset
2. True You: A Self-Discovery Journal of Prompts and Exercises to Inspire Reflection and Growth
3. Self-Love Workbook for Women: Release Self-Doubt, Build Self-Compassion, and Embrace Who You Are
5. Straighten your back and look in the mirror
One of the common misconceptions we have is that life is a struggle. It casts people in the role of competitors, which can be stressful. It’s difficult to break free from such a pattern, but it’s possible.
First and foremost, you must accept yourself as you are and stop comparing yourself to others. That is a fact: We are all unique and different.
We all have characteristics that set us apart and help to make the world a better place. Striving for greater heights is admirable, but striving to be better than others may not always result in success.
First and foremost, you must accept yourself as you are and stop comparing yourself to others. Everyone must learn to love and trust themselves. It makes no difference what a person looks like. A cheerful and bright person is always appealing to the eye.
Look at yourself in the mirror and smile. Learn to appreciate your own beauty, straighten your back, and you’ll gain self-confidence. Seeing the beauty in yourself and your surroundings helps a lot.
I, for one, try to see the bright side of everything; I am both an optimist and a pessimist. The ability to see the beauty in the smallest details transforms the world into a magical and beautiful place.
Dare to think outside the box and stand out. Make it clear what you truly desire! People don’t always know what they want. To be “normal” and accepted in society, one simply blends into the gray mass. On such a path, it is easy to lose yourself and your inner motivation.
Look for activities that will make your eyes sparkle. If you can’t find them, ask a friend for assistance. We frequently see ourselves through a “curved mirror,” and the other person may see you better from the side.
RELATED: Learn all about talking to yourself like someone you truly care about
6. How to master your mind? Learn to forgive
Disappointments, bad words, feelings of inferiority, fears, condemnation, and other past experiences can affect our development throughout our lives. The solution is simple: forgiveness is really the most powerful tool.
Many people believe that a bad person doesn’t deserve such a kind act. But you do a good deed for yourself instead, and the stone falls from your heart instead, giving you a great sense of relief.
However, forgiveness must be genuine and not just a hollow gesture. Forgiveness must come from deep within you so that you can feel its effects. It’s like being liberated from a tyrannical situation.
You can return to that certain situation in your mind and forgive the person who wronged you. To be honest, this person probably had no idea how much pain their actions caused you.
They were probably confused, stressed, tense, afraid, and so on. They acted that way at the time because they didn’t know any other way.
But keep in mind that while forgiveness is good for you, it doesn’t obligate you to trust the person who let you down again. If you have ever wronged someone, ask for forgiveness in your mind and heart in the same way. If at all possible, do it in person; believe me, they will appreciate it.
RELATED: These forgiveness journal prompts are guaranteed to help you forgive yourself
7. Discover awareness for yourself
Awareness is at the heart of mastering your mind. The ability to see yourself from the outside is the simplest way to understand awareness.
We’re frequently so caught up in our thoughts and feelings that we lose our so-called clear mind and obey everything our thoughts and feelings tell us.
Unfortunately, a lack of awareness of your own thoughts and feelings frequently results in chaos. We worry about things we don’t need to worry about if we don’t know how to become aware of our negative thoughts and inner speech.
And if we are unaware of the emotions that have gripped us, we may be compelled to say or do something we later regret.
We can all recall at least one instance in our lives when we did something we later realized we overdid. If we had enough awareness, we would have been able to see through it right away when we were overdoing it, avoiding future problems.
We are all conscious. However, because our attention is always directed outward, it hasn’t proven to be a very useful tool. Instead of conscious choice, we are driven by automatism—automatic thoughts and feelings.
So, how do you cultivate self-awareness and reach your full potential? How can you become more self-aware and find peace of mind? How do you level up your mindset?
Simply put, awareness is the ability to notice things within yourself. Simply begin noticing what is going on inside you without immediately reacting to it (automatically). If your mind wanders to how bad everything is, just notice it and don’t worry about it right away.
If you occasionally feel bad, just notice it; don’t try to suppress or get rid of it right away. The inner capacity to notice—the freedom to notice what is happening without succumbing to it—is referred to as awareness.
I also recommend that you write down your thoughts. It’s the type of exercise in which you’re not attempting to change anything.
You’re merely an observer, and your job is to remain calm regardless of what you hear yourself saying. There are no negative or positive thoughts; there are only thoughts.
8. Here’s a four-step rule that I personally use
Step 1: Identify patterns
Negative thoughts are those that are unproductive and repetitive. They serve no purpose and directly cause negative emotions.
However, once we recognize them, we can choose how to respond to them. Anxiety and worry, self-criticism, guilt, problems, and feeling inadequate are the most common thought patterns.
Step 2: Remove yourself from negative thoughts
If you’re stuck in a negative thought pattern, you may feel helpless and unsure of what to do. You can’t always think about certain things because you have to face your problems and plan for the future.
You can’t hide your head in the sand, and trying to “think in a positive light” in a bad situation isn’t very sincere.
So, what should you do? To begin, you must become more aware of your thoughts. Pay more attention to what is going on inside you at any given time.
You become aware and develop the ability to distance yourself from the negative vortex swirling around in your head when you become a curious observer.
Even if your first instinct is to try to change, ignore, or divert the thoughts, try to be an unbiased observer. Allow them to be. It can be difficult at first, but it becomes easier with practice. As an unbiased observer, you do not believe or take all of your thoughts seriously.
Step 3: Be present in the moment
It’s worth noting that negative thoughts tend to come from two places: the past (you keep thinking about what went wrong) and the future (fear of what may or may not happen to you).
It’s important to note that in order for negative thought patterns to appear, your mind must be focused on either the past or the future, which means you are no longer aware of the present moment.
To master your mindset, take a step back and give the moment your full attention. Don’t engage in a mental dialogue with yourself; instead, listen, feel, smell, and notice what is going on around you at the time. When you are truly present, the past and future have no hold on you.
Step 4: Select constructive thoughts over destructive ones
You can intentionally change your thinking now that you are more aware. Positive and constructive thoughts can help you deal with everyday situations more effectively.
Living in the past is unhelpful and causes negative emotions, but it’s possible to learn from it. Constructive thinking allows you to remain optimistic even when things are not going well; it allows you to put things into perspective and deal with them in a practical manner.
These are the questions that you can ask yourself to help you have constructive thoughts:
- What are my feelings about this situation?
- Is this true or false?
- How significant is it really? How significant will it be in 6 months?
- Is my expectation of this person or situation realistic?
- What could possibly go wrong?
- Is it possible that I am seeing everything through a dark lens and am missing the accompanying positive circumstances?
- What would I tell a friend who was in the same situation as I am now?
- Isn’t it true that my expectations of myself are unrealistically high?
- Do I have a vicious mental cycle in which I keep thinking about the past and worrying about the future? What would be more beneficial than running these thoughts through my mind right now?
- Am I jumping to conclusions without thoroughly analyzing the situation or opportunities?
- Are there any other explanations for this situation?
RELATED: Learn to deal with life’s obstacles with the help of my favorite tips
9. Make use of the power of gratitude
If your life is currently difficult, you have almost certainly heard of the gratitude exercise.
I recommend starting a gratitude journal (here’s a one-minute gratitude journal for beginners), but let me add one more thought here: the purpose of the gratitude exercise is to shift our thoughts from lack to abundance.
Gratitude distracts you from the problem you don’t know how to solve today, but that doesn’t mean you should bury your head in the sand.
Keeping your feelings in the background of gratitude allows you to keep your feelings in the background of gratitude, and thus the answers to the problem find their way into your consciousness.
If you want to practice more gratitude, here are three gratitude journals that are suitable for beginners as well:
1. Start With Gratitude: Daily Gratitude Journal | Positivity Diary for a Happier You in Just 5 Minutes a Day
2. The One-Minute Gratitude Journal (it’s the best!!!)
3. Gratitude Journal for Women: A Daily 5 Minute Guide for Mindfulness, Positivity, Affirmation and Self Care
RELATED: The only A-Z gratitude list you need to change your mindset about gratitude
10. Define your goals
Set a goal for yourself in terms of the type of change you want to bring about with your thoughts. It’s not our task to change minds for the sake of changing them; rather, it’s a matter of purpose.
Ask yourself: What thoughts will assist me in becoming the type of person who owns my dream? What will help me take action and get closer to what I want if my current thoughts don’t?
What exactly is the issue? What exactly am I concerned about? Do I have concerns for the future, the present, or the past? What are my options? What is beyond my control?
11. Relaxation is another good tool
Relax and allow yourself to accept the new concept. Affirmation statements are the most commonly used technique for changing thoughts, but few people understand how to use them effectively.
One of the most common mistakes is forcing repetition. We try to force new ideas into our consciousness, but it never works because consciousness operates solely through allowing.
Using force only keeps us stuck in old thoughts, blocking access to the subconscious. Relaxation, on the other hand, teaches us how to accept new, desired thoughts and think what we want to think.
RELATED: These divine feminine affirmations will contribute to mastering your mindset
12. How to level up your mindset? Rewire your brain
Look for free audios on the Internet, purchase a program you enjoy, or read an audiobook that you listen to every day.
We need new ideas that are not in line with our current thought patterns in order to change our thinking. We can get new ideas by reading, listening to audio material, conversing with others, and so on.
However, if these ideas contradict our beliefs, we may reject them or pay little attention to them. We need repetition to learn new things.
But just because we like a new idea doesn’t mean we understand it and will act on it right away. It’s necessary to move an idea from the conscious mind to the subconscious mind in order for it to become fixed in our minds.
Repetition is absolutely necessary for this. Repetition is defined as thinking about the same thought several times, reading the same book several times, or listening to or watching the same CD or video several times.
Listening once sends information to your conscious mind, while listening multiple times aids in the adoption of this concept (subconsciously).
RELATED: Learn to rewire your brain for happiness this year
13. Keep track of what you want to change and how it will affect you
Studying, gathering information, reading books, attending seminars—all of this gives the false impression that we have changed significantly. The reality may be quite different; we have simply gathered more data.
If you’ve written down the reason for changing your mind—the goal—then you only need a few tweaks to begin tracking your progress. The first and most important consideration is accounting.
14. Smile
First, laughing increases blood flow. More oxygen is delivered by increased blood flow, which also improves nutrient absorption by the body. People are more likely to smile back at you when you do. Therefore, a smile makes everyone feel good.
Start smiling more today, and watch your life change. Watch comedy classics on TV or go see a comedy in the theater.
Spend time with friends who make you laugh endlessly at your jokes and watch comedy films. Start today by making every effort to add joy and laughter to your life.
15. Direct your anger
Anger, according to studies, increases the risk of injury and accidents. If you are prone to rage, take classroom or online courses to learn how to control your negative emotions and keep a diary in which you write down causes, reactions, and solutions.
Make a list of times when controlling your anger resulted in a positive outcome. Read the diary frequently.
16. Take a look at yourself from the outside
Try to see yourself through other people’s eyes. To master your mindset, take a look at yourself from the outside. Address yourself in the third person and ask if they are enjoying life to the fullest.
Are they making the most of their chances? Why do they always have a frown on their face? What can be done to change this? When will they change their mind?
RELATED: Here are the tips I use while trying to boost my self-confidence on a daily basis
17. Reward yourself
One night, leave work early and do something that truly makes you happy. Go to the movies, the theater, a restaurant, the forest, the sea, or a friend’s country house. Do something that opens your heart and opens your soul. Give yourself a gift as a reward.
18. Constantly learn and discover new things
Life is a journey; don’t struggle to get to a specific destination; instead, enjoy the journey—stop, explore, and learn; get out of your comfort zone; and dive into the unknown because that’s the only way you’ll find miracles you couldn’t even imagine and you’ll always be happy.
Read books, books, and more books. Read professional literature to increase your professional value; books to help you grow as a person; and classic fiction on occasion.
Making reading a daily habit is a good idea. Every day, read for an hour or ten pages. It adds up to 3,650 pages after a year!
Carol Dweck has written a book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, that will help you cultivate the right mindset in no time. Think and Grow Rich is another book that taught me to keep an open mind and took me to the right place mentally.
Read blogs. There are millions of them, but look for the best in your field, whether it’s food, photography, or anything else.
Determine which blogs are read by leaders in your field. Because there is as much junk information as there is real knowledge on the internet, it’s critical to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Listen to podcasts. Podcasts are a great way to grow and broaden your horizons because you can listen to them while doing something else, such as cleaning.
Watch videos on the internet. TED talks are brief but powerful. Set a daily goal of watching one video; it only takes 15 minutes. YouTube is also a great source of information.
Watch documentaries. In addition to providing new information, many documentaries are of high artistic quality, providing additional aesthetic pleasure.
Participate in courses or training. In addition to new knowledge, the training provides new valuable business contacts, and you will undoubtedly meet like-minded individuals with whom you will stay in touch even after the training is completed.
The extra energy you get from such events is unavailable elsewhere.
Pick up a new hobby that has long piqued your interest. I know people who started their businesses as a hobby. If you have a hobby that you want to pursue but haven’t had the time to do so, go ahead and do it. You never know where it will lead.
Educate yourself financially. Fortunately, much has been written and spoken about this subject, so anyone can become acquainted with the financial ABCs.
RELATED: Let go of these things this year to truly master your mindset
Learning to master your mindset doesn’t have to be hard
Take the first step toward a more positive mindset right now! You have nothing to lose. If you’ve already started your journey, I’d love to hear how you’ve learned to master your thoughts and which tips you used along the way.