The mind can be a beautiful thing, but it can also cause trouble. Believe it or not, you often are held back in life because of the way you think. Your mind can fuel your success in life and career or it can be your downfall.  The good news is, you can train your brain for success by learning to side step the negatives and engage with the positive. If you want to bring to fruition a dream for your life or career, but feel as though you have things holding you back, read this article and learn how you can train your mind to reach its full potential, and actively create the life and career you long for.

You CAN train the brain for success

1. Train your brain to turn a negative into a positive.

Shifting a habitual negative mindset to a positive outlook requires training and practice. Negative thinking is like gravity. It will keep holding you down unless you make conscious effort to negate the negatives.  Focus your energy into turning a negative into a positive.  When you run up against an unpleasant or particularly challenging situation, actively look for what there is good about this situation. What good might come out of this? What can you learn from this?  There is something to the old saying about looking for the silver lining in every cloud.

It’s all too easy to allow your mind to fall into patterns of noticing the negative without actively seeking the positive.  The field of positive psychology has taken off since Martin Seligman’s theories and practices took root in the late1990’s. Positive psychology focuses on the innate strengths of every person, the power of optimism, striving for life satisfaction, whole wellbeing, a practice of active gratitude, feeling compassion for self and others and finding hope.

In my own work with therapy clients and all the therapists I coach and mentor, I have seen first hand the power of positivity. You can train the brain for success by always looking for the strengths, the hope, the learning opportunity in every situation and you will wire yourself to naturally land in a fulfilling life and career.

2. Train your brain to screen hires for right fit.

Your mind can do wonderful things if you start putting it to use in the right way. The ability to effectively screen potential hires for right fit is easy to do, you just need to train your brain to be able to do it. For example, if you are ready to level-up in your career, you have to consider your work-flow process and the need for hiring the right people to support your vision for your business. Train the brain for success by getting laser focused on who your ideal team members are, what their natural talents are, how they will best support you. Train your brain to seek out the best of the best and to spot who is not a good fit.

This same practice works in your personal life as well. While remaining firmly rooted in your belief in the strengths of all people, you will realize that not all people are the right people for you and your life. Give yourself permission to be discerning about who you hang out with. Who are you surrounding yourself with? Train your brain to “screen” as to which people are those you want to invest your time and energy.

3. Train your brain to find solution.

Problem solving is something that you may be able to do very naturally If not, you’re going to need to practice. If you’re good at it, then it’s going to be easier for you to get through some of the challenges that your life and career will throw at you. If you’re not a natural problem solver, then you might need a little help on how to turn it around. When faced with a problem, the first thing to do is figure out how this problem developed in the first place. Figuring out what triggered the problem will give you a clearer picture on how to move forward, and how to prevent it happening in the future. 

As a business manager of team members and staff, I have a policy that says, “If you come to me with a complaint or problem in one hand, be sure you come to the conversation with a suggested solution in the other.”  Operating your career and your personal life with a solution focused approach will train your brain to BELIEVE there is always a solution to be found and this will help you to remain in a positive mindset instead of a negative one.

4. Train your brain to always see your own potential.

In order to have success in your life and career, you must believe in yourself and your own potential at all times. An “I can do it OR I can LEARN to do it!” attitude is KEY to experiencing a deep and broad sense of fulfillment in your life and career. You have to have belief in yourself, and belief in your professional pursuits. With most things in life, you may lack belief that you’re able to succeed, because your brain is wired for preparing for the worst case scenario. While it is important to be practical and be prepared for the worst, you need to train your brain to hope for the best and BELIEVE you have what it takes to create that best case scenario.

Train the brain for success by actively choosing to believe in your own potential in every situation. 

When you doubt yourself, or doubt the direction your business is heading, think back to the reasons you had the dream and vision for what you began in the first place. This is true for marriage. It’s true for the long journey of raising children. It’s true for professional pursuits and business ownership. You must remember how you were so driven by that original idea in the beginning, and you need to now be driven by that, believing that you have what it takes to bring it to fruition.

Want to learn more about how I can help you dig into the power of positive psychology for your personal or professional life success? CONTACT me personally and let’s set up a complimentary brief consultation.