Focus on These 4 Successful Mindsets to Rise to the Top

Success is a mind game. If you don’t believe this, take a look around.

There are plenty of people who have extraordinary talent, passion and skills but aren’t succeeding in business or winning the game of life. Do you know a gifted web designer or coach who’s barely making ends meet? Maybe you’re friends with an incredibly smart and driven entrepreneur who can’t pay the rent. Or maybe you think that talented yet not so successful person is you. You could be thinking, “I know I have the skills to succeed, but I have no idea how I’m going to pay the bills this month.”

When it comes to rising to the top, talent, skills and passion are just part of the game plan. The rest is all about your mindset.

Here are four of the most powerful mindsets successful people share. Play up the ones you have and work on the ones you don’t.

 

Mindset No. 1: Start, Then Finish

 

You have all you need to achieve your goals. You’re driven, geared up, and you don’t mind doing the work to get there. In fact, you’re looking forward to it.

So, when exciting projects and collaborations enter your radar, you say yes – to all of them. You think being successful is about having lots of amazing projects going on at the same time. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’re wrong.

I was quite competitive in my early career, always eager to take on new projects with high goals. Sometimes I got really lucky and hit my goals, but I used to fail a lot more than I used to win. I realized after some time that it wasn’t because of a lack of skills or knowledge. I wasn’t focusing on the things that really mattered.

Truly successful people are very careful about choosing what projects to work on. Their main focus is to follow through and finish what they start. No matter how good the project, no matter how great the idea, you won’t see results or massive forward movement in your life and business if you never finish what you start.

Remember, going all out for one or two good projects beats going halfway on 100 great projects. Always.

 

Mindset No. 2: Go for Growth

 

In her book, Mindset: Changing the Way You Think to Fulfill Your Potential, Stanford University Psychologist Dr. Carol S. Dweck explains that successful people focus on growth.

A growth mindset arises from the belief that achieving success is ab

out continuous, consistent improvement. If you focus on growth, you see success as a journey rather than a destination. This means you’re always open to learning and improving until you achieve your goals.

Successful people are happy to keep trying until they get what they want. They’re willing to try all kinds of strategies and techniques because they know they’ll eventually get where they want to go. And they’re right.

 

Mindset No. 3: Develop a Positive Inner Belief

 

Check your negative beliefs at the door. Your beliefs influence your outer behaviors and actions, meaning you need to believe you can succeed before you actually do.

When you have a strong will to succeed, you’ll naturally direct your focus toward solutions rather than problems. If your beliefs about yourself and your ability to hit your goals are negative, it’s almost impossible to achieve what you set out to do.

Think about it like this. Imagine you want to sell a product or service. If you don’t believe in what you’re selling or doing, then why would the client buy it? Now, if you started the conversation believing in yourself and the value of what you are selling, then the potential client would feel it too. Your approach, communication and body movement change. This is the ultimate mind shift.

Even if you manage to reach your goal, the road to success will be a very steep, uphill climb. Every win will feel like a hard won war. Every obstacle will feel insurmountable. Most people give up long before they get to the top.

Successful people avoid this pitfall because they can take forward actions that are consistent with their positive inner beliefs. They’re able to get up off the couch and take the right actions that help them become achievers.

There are different activities you can follow to develop this, like positive thinking, visualization, meditation and yoga. I start my mornings with some rituals, including meditation, that give me the positive energy and clarity I need to kick off my day in the best way.

 

Mindset No. 4: Accept Yourself

 

Successful people understand who they are. They know their goals and dreams inside out. They know their values, their skills and their abilities. They are also incredibly clear about their weaknesses. They don’t try to be amazing at everything and they don’t try to be someone they’re not.

If you can’t stand parties and networking events, stay at home and connect via online events. If you know you can’t navigate the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, work for someone you like, and trust that this path will bring you the most joy and fulfillment.

High achievers never forget that their mindset is what helps them achieve ongoing success. When you make an effort to shift your mindset, all your other incredible personality traits and skills will come together to propel you forward.

The added benefit? You’ll have a lot more fun getting there.

This article originally appeared on BusinessCollective.com.

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