How To Shift Your Mindset: 7 Mindset Shifts To Live A Better Life

Can you guess which factor can shift the balance toward success or failure when pursuing big goals? The answer is surprisingly not great efforts and hard work, albeit necessary. The answer is your mindset!

I know your mind instantly goes, “but how to shift your mindset?” but no worries, I’m sharing all the details in this post.

What Is Mindset?

Our mindset is a set of beliefs that form our world perception. It affects how we process, react, feel, and make decisions. Our mindset regulates our understanding of the world, therefore, our reality.

Any effort to chase after big dreams or go through significant life changes will go to waste without the proper mindset to support it. You need first to shift your mindset to achieve personal growth then.

Read on to discover seven mindset shifts to help you live a better life.

How To Shift Your Mindset: 7 Mindset Shifts To Live A Better Life

Embody Your Future Self: First Become, Then Do

We all have a future version of ourselves we aspire to become. A person that will have achieved the goals we keep inside notebooks or in the back of our minds. We make our way to becoming that person by acting toward our goals.

What if you shifted your mindset from doing to being? If you embody the person you want to become, you alter your perspective, which affects everything from your decisions to your actions.

For example, if you wish to become a writer, live your life as if you were already one. When you operate from a state of embodiment, you are more likely to build the habits that will bring you closer to your desired reality.

But how can you embody your future self? According to Benjamin Hardy, organizational psychologist and bestselling author of “Be your future self now,” becoming your future self takes three simple steps.

First, recognize that your future self will be different from who you are. Second, visualize your future self. But not only envision – you need to be specific! Journal about the experience of this future self. How do they feel? How do they lead their lives? And third, redefine your identity to match that person. Recognize the shifts you can make in your everyday life in the present to reflect your future self.

A simple trick to train the brain is to change your language. Use the phrase “I am” more often. Following the example from above, instead of saying, “I will write a book,” try, “I am a writer.”

On the other side, avoid using the powerful phrase “I am” with a negative meaning. For example, instead of saying, “I am lazy,” opt for the gentler: “I did not manage to make everything work today.”

Find Your State Of Being

What is a state of being, and how is it related to mindset shifts?

According to Josh Kaufman, bestselling author of “The Personal MBA,” a state of being is a quality of your present experience. States of being are not goals or achievements but rather decision criteria.

Take happiness, for example. If you want to live happily, then happiness is not your destination. It is the outcome your decisions should result in. You can shift your mindset from setting happiness as your distant goal to adjusting your life to be happier every day.

In other words, the states of being you wish to experience dictate the quality of the life you want to lead. So, how can you use them to change your mindset and improve your life?  

After thoroughly inspecting your values and dreams, you should be able to pinpoint a few states of being that are important to you.

Then, according to Kaufman, you should understand what these complex states of being mean for you and break them down into more digestible bits. For example, happiness for you might translate to everyday walks with your dog and long chats with your friends.

Finally, evaluate and asses whether your actions result in your desired quality of life. If not, what could you possibly change to come closer to the life you want to be living?

Believe In Yourself And Your Dreams

Although it sounds trivial, believing in yourself and your dreams is one of the most overlooked mindset shifts. Every person with a dream hits a wall at some point—a wall of expectations, disapproval, or lack of support.

Make sure that your life decisions serve only you. They do not have to suit anyone’s preferences but yours. Shift your mindset from seeking the approval of others to giving that approval to yourself.

Even if you are a lone sailor, the boat will never sink as long as you stand up for yourself. However, more often than not, we lack faith in our powers or are overwhelmed by dim circumstances.

We may not consciously understand it, but sometimes, we give up on hope before we even start. One thing is for sure… If you start a journey not even you believe you can finish, you never will.

Kickstart your journey with the firm belief that you are enough and worthy of achieving every goal you set. Identify your limiting beliefs and the negative inner dialogue. Limiting beliefs are the narrative we tell ourselves about who we are and what we can do. Challenge those perceptions of yourself and dare to walk outside your comfort zone.

Dare To Act

If you are an overthinker, raise your hand! I certainly did… Avoiding reckless decisions is fantastic, but being stuck in your thoughts will never get you where you want to be.

We often procrastinate out of fear of rejection, failure, or negative counteractions. Reframe your mindset to prioritize action. Because if you don’t get started, you will never reach your destination!

Avoid stalling by overanalyzing all things that could potentially go wrong. No matter how many negative scenarios you manage to come up with, life will surprise you in the most unexpected ways. You will never know how things will evolve unless you allow them to unfold as they will.

It is also crucial to familiarize yourself with the concept of failure. Failure may be a most hated outcome, but it is hardly ever the epilogue of our journey. It is an integral part of any process. Failure teaches us the foolproof lessons that eventually lead us to success.

Struggling with failure and negative thoughts? Learn to find the good in the bad here.

Focus On The Present

We waste so much of our brainpower worrying about the future and what it will bring. Where attention goes, energy flows. And if you channel your energy toward scenarios you cannot control, you limit your ability to take action in the present.

But the current moment is the only reality you have the power to influence. No matter how harrowing the circumstances you are going through, you always have control over your decisions and reactions.

Shift your mindset from worrying about the future to centering yourself in the present, where you are in control. If you catch yourself drifting apart into thought, practice mindfulness to regain your focus.

Remind yourself to take one step at a time. Whether you are spiritual or not, you will agree that when it comes to the future, “man plans, and god laughs.” If you can see where your next step is, take it!  

Understand That Life Is Not A Competition

Life is not a competition, just like it is not a destination. Shift your mindset from viewing life as a competitive sport to enjoying it as it happens. 

To manage that, you need to realize that everyone is unique. Thus, our life experiences are going to look different. Avoid comparing yourself to others or judging your success based on their achievements.

There is also no need to rush yourself to hit your goals. Everyone assumes progress at their own pace. And sometimes, realizing your dreams may take longer than you predicted.

Finally, try to expel the idea you are obliged to achieve perfection. There will be no time when you or your life will be perfect simply because everything is ever-changing.

Instead of agonizing over the result, show up with all you have and enjoy the process!

View Yourself As A Work In Progress

There is always something new to learn and achieve. No version of yourself is the final product because there is always room for personal growth. Shift your mindset to believe that you can always better yourself. 

Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University first defined the growth mindset as believing that your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. The growth mindset requires believing in your ability to develop, welcoming challenges as opportunities, and making peace with setbacks.  

Benjamin Hardy says, “You need routines to move forward, but your routines must involve continually pushing beyond them. Your routine must continually challenge yourself beyond what you’ve ever done before.”

In other words, the growth mindset is making a habit of constantly evolving. Like Aileen Xu, content creator, and entrepreneur, says, “You are a work of art and a work in progress simultaneously.”

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Conclusion On How To Shift Your Mindset

Shifting your mindset is an important step in improving your life. It can help you gain insight into why you think and act the way you do, and it can help you to create positive changes that may lead to a more fulfilling and successful life.

With the right attitude and tools, you can make the most of every opportunity and become the person you want to be.