We have all succeeded and failed at something, at some point in our lives. Some of us do it without ever wondering what is different between the times we succeed and the times we fail. Like with everything else, success and failure have a structure, a formula, a strategy. Most of us assume that being good at something can only be second nature, that it’s either you can naturally do it or you just can’t. My intention is to discuss how that is not the case, even when it is indeed someone’s second nature. Every time anyone achieved success, they followed an often unconscious, specific formula, driven primarily by Mindset. In this post, I will discuss why mindset is the common factor of all success stories and how becoming more aware of it, can vastly impact our success.
HOW MINDSET IMPACTS SUCCESS
Being mindful of how we achieve our success is irrefutable proof that we already have what it takes to achieve our goals. This awareness allows us to tap into our internal and external resources to channel them strategically towards achieving success.
Mindset is the set of beliefs, perspectives, values that influence how we think, feel and behave concerning a specific context or thing. What we believe about something, the way we specifically think of and feel about it, is what ultimately drives any action we take or don’t take regarding that thing.
Mindset is the cornerstone of success. How you think and feel about something and what you believe to be true about it, will decide how you interact with it, the quality of your efforts and results, or lack thereof. According to Carol Dweck, Stanford psychologist and author of the book Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, mindset determines the achievement of goals and success [1].
Think about that specific thing that you can do extremely well. It can be anything, from trivial lifestyle things to a specific professional or sports activity, or even a bad habit. Chances are, you have no doubts about your ability to do it, you have good reasons to do it, it is important to you, you probably enjoy doing it or you need whatever it gives you. I am certain there are plenty of compelling reasons you can think of for doing it, beliefs and perceptions that underlie your actions, even though you might not be aware of them.
WHY MINDSET MATTERS
The source of this mental and emotional activity that underlies our behaviour and affects our results, takes place in our unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is where our very own “operating system” is found. What we like to believe is our conscious choice, action, or results, is in reality a by-product or a mere manifestation of the software that runs our lives. You, your life, your action, your results, failures or successes, are thus a print-out of the coding of your mental software.
I find the notion that we are born loaded and coded with the ability to create and succeed at anything, phenomenally fascinating, exciting, and empowering. This idea not only reveals that we already have one or many formulas that work, but also that formulas of success of others, can be learned, modelled or even improved.
I know that after reading this, your mind might start to consider all the ways where this might not be the case, for example, in cases where people are simply born with unique attributes, skills, and talents that allow them to be more successful. Such a perspective or view of success is part of a limiting mindset. These very thought processes are a result of a mindset that would prevent anyone from achieving the same result as the person who does. One will never take a specific action, master a specific skill, develop a required attribute and ultimately achieve a specific result if they believe that “they were not born with those unique abilities to achieve the same results”.
Healthy human beings are born with pristine and powerful brains, full of potential, with the ability to process, download, learn, edit and apply infinite amounts of information. Except for vital functions, such as eating, breathing, etc., no one is born knowing or mastering anything. The geniuses this world has witnessed, the best of the best we have seen so far, all learned or developed their abilities, perfected their strategies throughout their lives. From the time they were born, how they think, feel, and what they believe about the specific thing they excelled at, was being formed, strengthened, improved, and reinforced until it became what we deem “second nature”. They have simply become unconsciously skilled at it.
“Success is a science until it becomes an art”
Modelling excellence is one of the fundamental pillars of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). As a framework, NLP is interested in what works and what constitutes the structure of success. When we know the formula of success, we can replicate it, install it in ourselves or others to achieve the same results. We all already do it or have done it, in some area or aspect of our lives. Modelling excellence is the very essential motivator of any athlete’s training and developing program. Corporations model excellence in the models they use to devise their strategies, processes, and workflows. As Reid Hoffman’s rightly said
“Silicon Valley is a Mindset, not a location.”
YOUR MINDSET AND YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
What implications could this have on how successful you are in your personal, financial, or professional life? What could change if you started being aware of your mindset, the mental and emotional aspects that sustain your actions and impacts your results? If your mindset maintains your actions, which in turn affect your results, could you change your results by redesigning your mindset? Peter Diamandis explained:
“Your mindset matters. It affects everything – from the business and investment decisions you make to the way you raise your children, to your stress levels and overall well-being.”
One common trait of successful people is the awareness of where they are in their journey, the resources they have and need, the level of their abilities or skills, and a relentless commitment to doing what it takes to get to where they want to be. That mindset is what drives their strategies, fuels the development of the empowering attributes and skills that ultimately lead to their success.
I invite you to think of that thing that you are consistently good at. Ask yourself what are the mental and emotional reasons that support your results. Be mindful of what you believe to be true and what you think is important about it. For each answer you come up with, continue to enquire what makes it important to you, what does it allow you. This is a powerful questioning technique that reveals the underlying meaning and motivation that supports your success.
Being aware of your thought, emotional, and behavioural patterns and developing the ability to break through the limitations they bring about, is one of the greatest benefits that NLP coaching can add to your life. With a good NLP Coach, you will identify the mental and emotional strategy you have been using to achieve success or failure. Becoming aware of the contents of your unconscious mind that are fuelling your attitudes, your actions, and therefore your results afford you the power to replace them with a better solution.
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[1] O’Keefe PA, Dweck CS, Walton GM. Implicit theories of interest: Finding your passion or developing it?Psychol Sci. 2018;29(10):1653-1664. doi:10.1177/0956797618780643