How to Build a Success Mindset in Four Simple Steps

Photo: Create & Cultivate

So, you’re ready to take on the workday. “Cute outfit? Check. Phone and laptop? Check. Coffee? Check. Wait. Am I missing something?” 

You might feel like you’ve checked all the boxes needed to be successful but still find that next level of achievement to be elusive.

Here’s the deal, mindset is often the deciding factor between an individual’s success or failure. It’s the invisible “X factor.” We see this in life, business, with our clients, and in our own lives. Every action we take starts in our mind, making it essential that we maintain a mindset that will propel us in a direction of positive growth and the accomplishment of our goals.

While you’re probably familiar with this topic, what most people don’t talk about is exactly how to create the right kind of mindset to get the results we’re all looking for.

It might seem like successful people just instinctively know how to do this, but when we take a closer look, it’s not something that is reserved for the chosen few. It can be cultivated, and it’s not as complicated as you might think. 

Ready? 

Here are four simple steps to help you build the mindset that will set you up for success.

1. Check Your Input

What are you feeding your mind? Just as we focus on what we feed our body in order to feel our best and maintain good physical health, we need to give the same attention to the information we consume to maintain good mental health. 

So many people watch, read, and listen to content without giving any thought to the impact it’s having on their life. According to this study, adults in the United States spend a daily average of 12 hours and 21 minutes (over 50% of their day!) consuming some form of media...and that doesn’t even account for reading printed content! 

Consuming information isn’t the problem, because that’s just part of life; rather, it’s all about the kind of information you are taking in. What we focus on shapes who we become.

Use input to help you build a success mindset by intentionally seeking out good, positive material that will help you grow personally and professionally. Wondering where to start? Look for a good book, an inspiring podcast, or attend an event. 

Get in the habit of asking yourself: Is this {show, book, music, movie, etc.} helping me to get better, filling me with positive emotion, and adding value to my life? If not, think twice before investing your time there.

2. Establish Healthy Habits

Habits are incredible time savers, helping our brains to make decisions easier by avoiding conscious deliberation about what to do. Consequently, habits make up a large part of our daily activity, and the right ones will fast-track us to success.

Here are four that we recommend (we like to call them the four power practices): gratitude, setting goals, positive affirmations, and reflection. We make it a habit to practice these every morning and every night. Though simple, they are powerful tools for creating a mindset that produces growth and achievement.

3. Cultivate Your Community

It’s been said that you are the average of the five people closest to you. One of the ways that we can build a success mindset is by intentionally investing time with people who inspire us to be better, think differently, and achieve more. Do your close friends make you feel encouraged and uplifted when you are around them? 

Are you making connections with new people? Not only does this add excitement and fun to life, it also helps us to broaden our perspectives and stay inspired.

Connecting with a community is a crucial component to maintaining the right kind of mindset. Surround yourself with other like-minded, high achievers who will support and propel your ambitions forward.

4. Reevaluate Your Self-Talk

Ok, admit it, you talk to yourself. The truth is we all do, and our words have power. In order to build a success mindset, we need to first become aware of our internal dialogue. What do you say to yourself when you feel pressured, make a mistake, win big, or when you are trying something new? It can be easy to encourage a friend, yet sometimes we don’t speak to ourselves as kindly. 

Catch yourself when you start to think “Ugh. How could I have messed up again? So stupid.” and switch your self-talk to something more encouraging like, “That’s alright. I can do this. I’ll get it next time!”

Reading and saying statements of positive self-talk can help to dilute the negative and make these positive beliefs about ourselves our first response. 

We believe in you, and now it’s time for you to believe in yourself too.

Remember, the best version of you, in both life and work, is closer than you think, and these four simple steps to a success mindset will help you get there!

“...So, let’s try this again. Cute outfit? Check. Phone & Laptop? Check. Coffee? Check... Mindset? CHECK! Let’s do this!”

Photo: Courtesy of Candice Henry and Lauren Henry

About the authors: Candice Henry and Lauren Henry are success and influence strategists for the next generation of leaders and co-founders of Aretios. When these sisters aren’t in the classroom teaching leadership and personal development as professors, you’ll find this dynamic duo traveling the world, living out their dreams, and teaching other young professionals how to do the same! Ready to start living your best life? Connect with Candice and Lauren at aretios.com and @aretiosofficial.

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