If you’ve read any of the 10 million pieces on professional development in recent years, you have likely heard people talk about having a success mindset. This type of mindset is a lifestyle shift that is designed to help you to develop personal improvement goals—but what does it really mean? Can changing your mindset really lead to success? Let’s find out.
What Does a Successful Mindset Even Look Like?
Having a mindset that is geared towards success means understanding the difference between self-improvement and personal development. Yeah, they sound the same—but they’re not.
Self-improvement is all about just being better in general. There are no big goals other than improving a little bit each day. It’s easy—just be better than yesterday’s you.
Personal development, on the other hand, is a strategic (big word for long term goals) and committed approach to developing yourself. When you choose to develop yourself, you are going to make a set of goals, make plans, and then figure out a schedule. It sounds simple on paper, but it takes a little work—work that can really pay off in the end.
When you focus on your personal and professional development, magic happens. You’ll feel more prepared, more confident, and more motivated.
How Motivational Rituals Shift Your Mindset
Rituals have been used throughout most of humanity’s time on this planet, and there’s a pretty obvious reason why—they work. If you are looking to create a success mindset, you will need the right rules and rituals to get you there.
Motivational rituals can help you to empower yourself and push you towards your goals, whether you’re trying to get a promotion or create a startup. By making motivation a big part of your day, you can give yourself a positive kick in the you know—even when you oversleep, you’re late for work, and you miss breakfast too.
Need Motivation—Try This
What you find to be motivating might differ from what your peers are motivated by—and that’s fine. Don’t worry about them. This is about you. We are all different and motivated by different things. Of course, there are a few classic approaches that always seem to hit right.
- Clean Up Your Space
Cleaning and maintaining your space are actions that are deeply focused on pride and success. Take pride in your space and remind yourself that you are putting in the work now, so working is easier. Is it a chore? Absolutely. Does it work? Yep! - Seek Out Inspiration
Inspiration is everywhere, but don’t use that as an excuse to get lazy. Sometimes you need to find it for yourself. Enrich your mind by putting aside time for content that can help you to get inspired. Read about your idols, look for success cases in your industry, and train your mind to focus on your goals. This is how you shift your mindset—by surrounding yourself with success. - Define and Revisit Your Why
Behind every success mindset, there is a why—or two or three in some cases. You have to know what you are aiming for. What is your reason for making the improvements that you are making? Figure out the big picture, and remind yourself of it constantly. - Get Moving
Physical movement is a powerful motivational tool that can activate our minds and help us to take more into our day. Motivate yourself to be more successful by putting in the time to give your body the support that it needs to help you meet all of those other goals. The mind-body connection can influence us a lot.
The Takeaway
When you take the time to develop personal improvement goals and empower your mindset for success with motivational rituals, you’ll feel it. You will be more focused, more inspired, and more committed to putting in the work to be successful. You might start off by feeling a little tired, sure, but don’t be surprised when that it’s so much effort turns into what else can I do?