In order to create lasting change, we must first shift our mindset.

Do you have dreams and goals that you haven’t achieved?

Are you frustrated and overwhelmed?

If so, you’re not alone.

Sometimes, it feels like there are a select few people who reach great heights – and then there’s the rest of us.

So what is it that separates the people who realise their aspirations from those who always seem to struggle?

The difference is that successful people are in control of their thoughts, beliefs, and the way they view the world.

They have mastered the key mindsets essential to success.

No one is born with this success-oriented attitude.

You can achieve it by uncovering the way you think, mastering new skills and techniques, and taking control of your outlook.

What Is a “Mindset” and How Can It Help?

A mindset is a set of related beliefs that shape how you see the world and function in it.

For example, if you have a positive mindset, you focus on the good things and stay optimistic, rather than dwelling on the negative.

Mindset is important because it influences how you act.

Your behaviours come from what you think and believe.

We all operate from a certain mindset, even if we’re not aware of it.

Mastering these patterns of thought is a matter of choice.

An important thing to remember about mindsets is that they’re learned.

You’re not born thinking a certain way, you pick it up from others and from your experiences in the world.

This is great news.

It means that anyone can deliberately transform their mindset.

The Benefits of Having the Right Mindset

Making a mindset shift can have a huge impact on your personal and professional life. Benefits include:

Greater happiness and well-being. By seeing the world in a positive light, you’ll be healthier and more satisfied.

Higher self-esteem. You’ll have more confidence. You’ll view the things you currently can’t do as skills you have yet to master.

A healthy attitude towards failure and setbacks. You’ll bounce back from bumps in the road and use each challenge as a valuable learning experience.

A successful career or business owner. You’ll be able to identify opportunities and act on them.

Improvements in your relationships. With your focus on growth and development, you’ll be an inspiration to others and surround yourself with like-minded people.

Stress reduction. You’ll be better able to handle stress and won’t feel overwhelmed even when you’re busy or under pressure.

Increased creativity. You’ll incorporate creativity and innovative thinking into all areas of your life.

The 5 Key Mindsets for Success

There are 5 key mindsets that foster success:

1. Growth Mindset. This mindset is the foundation for all change. Without it, you’ll have difficulty adopting other positive mindsets. People with a growth mindset, believe they can develop talents, intelligence, and skills through a combination of hard work, effective practice, and guidance from others.

2. Abundance Mindset. The abundance mindset says that there’s more than enough to go around for everybody. When we operate from a perspective of abundance, we make better decisions and radiate generosity.

3. Creativity Mindset. The creativity mindset says that anyone can be creative, not only artists. It uses various tools to unlock imagination and innovation and apply it to a variety of issues.

4. Problem-Solving Mindset. This mindset says no problem is too much to overcome. It uses brainstorming and other techniques to identify and solve problems.

5. Entrepreneurial Mindset. CEOs and business owners with this mindset seek out opportunities and act on them. They innovate in the face of challenges and don’t let risk dissuade them from pursuing a new idea.

If you learn skills and techniques to adopt and nurture these 5 mindsets, you’ll experience benefits in every area of your personal and professional life.

It takes time to start seeing results, but there are things you can do each day to get one step closer.

Be Aware of Your Own Thinking

A good place to start is to assess your current mindset. This is the way of thinking that’s been unconsciously shaped through your experiences and the influence of others.

Here are some things to ask yourself:

• How positive are you?
• How do you view issues, problems, and challenges?
• Do you celebrate the successes of others or feel envious?
• Are you overly concerned with how others see you?
• Are you focused on what you don’t have rather than what you do?
• Do you see the world’s resources as limited and scarce, or abundant?
• Are you a creative person?
• Where do you use creativity in your daily life?

These questions will help you understand where you’re starting from. Find areas for improvement that you can start working on right away.

Let Yourself Make Mistakes

One of the areas most of us need to work on is how we view mistakes and failures.

Do you give yourself a hard time when something goes wrong?

One thing that sets success-minded people apart from the rest is how they view setbacks.

To them, every failure is a valuable learning experience.

Start reorienting your mind to think this way as well.

When you make a mistake, be kind to yourself.

Try to fix it and then let it go.

Look for the lesson.

Note what went wrong and what you could have done differently, and increase your chances of success in the future.

Practice Gratitude

What do you focus on – the things you have or the things you want?

People who practice gratitude are much happier and more successful than those who only notice what they are lacking.

You can start practicing gratitude right now by brainstorming a list of things you’re grateful for.

There’s no item too small or seemingly insignificant to go on this list.

Think about your family, friends, job, health, and hobbies.

A daily practice of giving thanks is even more effective.

Buy a notebook and make it your gratitude journal.

Each day, jot down a few things you’re grateful for.

This reminds you of the abundance that is present in your life.

Find Your Inspiration

Inspiration helps when we’re trying to come up with ideas or solve problems.

We mistakenly believe that it comes in a flash out of the sky, but this is not how creativity works.

People who are in touch with their creativity make it a daily practice and can tap into it when they need it.

There are many sources of inspiration that you can use, including:

• A walk in the park
• Yoga or meditation
• Music
• Quotes
• Painting, playing music, or some other creative activity
• Blogs or books
• Good conversation
• Good memories
• Your gratitude list
• Friends or family members

It can be anything that makes you feel inspired.

Choose something that always gets you excited that you can turn to whenever you need a boost.

Try New Things

All 5 of the success mindsets concern growth and a love of learning.

A great way to transform your mindset is to find something new to learn.

It doesn’t have to be something related to your career or something practical.

And you don’t have to be good at it.

The process of learning itself will help you transform.

Pick up a musical instrument or a new language.

Take up a new sport or delve into a topic like chemistry or philosophy.

Learn about the history of your neighbourhood.

Remember, the whole point is to get you learning and expanding your perspective.

It shouldn’t be stressful. Choose something interesting and fun.

Study Successful Lives

It’s much easier to transform your mindset when you see how it’s done.

This is why it’s a good idea to learn from people who’ve mastered this process.

One way to do this is to read biographies and autobiographies of successful people.

Choose celebrities and business leaders and read about how they did it.

If you’re not a big reader, you can listen to interviews and watch videos.

Try to get insight into how they think and operate.

Even better, seek out people you consider successful and hang out with them.

Pick their brain and feel their positive influence transform your mindset – and your life.