All of us want what’s best for ourselves. And yet, many of us feel lost because our goals aren’t clear. Since we don’t know what we want, we also don’t know what needs to be addressed in our lives.

Both our values and our self-confidence are missing.

Those two elements originate mentally. Before we take action, we form mentalities that are either positive or negative. Then we generate positive or negative habits.

And while it’s true that positive results won’t always stem from a positive mentality, having the right mindset is still crucial for improvement.

It boils down to this: You become what you believe yourself to be.

If that’s someone who never accomplishes anything, someone who always gets it wrong and never right, then that’s who you’ll become. And if that’s someone who moves closer to their goals one step at a time, you’ll find yourself living that reality.

A Strong Mental Framework Leads to Confidence

One of the biggest points of interest often gets overlooked: goals. When you have something to aim for, you position yourself accordingly. The process of improvement becomes just as important to you as the goal itself.

Another benefit of having goals is developing a strong mental framework. Those who take those goals seriously block out distractions and focus on the work. They build momentum by showing up consistently.

And when you show up consistently, self-perception is strengthened. That’s not to say that your identity is found in overworking yourself. Instead, it’s present in pursuing what is most important to you.

The truth is you can change the dimensions of a room with your mind. It’s as small or as big as you want it to be.

We sell ourselves short by allowing the room to determine how we respond to what happens next in our lives.

The majority of what we experience stems from what happens in our heads. And sometimes, it’s because we lack the awareness of our thinking patterns that we end up eating a pile of overcooked spaghetti. Disclosing those factors, then, becomes one of our greatest assets.

Herein lies the foundation of confidence.

Success Begins in Your Head

Visualization is powerful. It’s the mental process of seeing things before they happen. Most people claim to understand its benefits, but few implement it.

Australian Psychologist, Alan Richardson, tested the power of visualization by experimenting with basketball players. He separated the players into three groups to see how their perceptions impacted their free throw attempts.

One group practiced each day for twenty minutes. The other only visualized themselves shooting free throws but didn’t practice. And the last group neither practiced nor used visualization.

Here’s what he discovered: The group that visualized themselves shooting free throws was as accurate as the group that practiced twenty minutes a day.

They saw themselves making those shots before the ball landed in their hands. They could hear the sound of a made basket before it actually happened.

Am I saying you shouldn’t practice honing your craft? No.

This shows us that seeing things before they happen encourages results. It gives us the confidence to execute what we set out to achieve. And when paired with action, visualization becomes a key component to accomplishing any goal.

Be Mindful of What You Absorb

From childhood, we either build self-esteem from the affirmations of those closest to us, or we find it hard to see any value in ourselves because no one has ever said those things.

In the same vein, you define who you are in this world. But you can easily forget how powerful your perception can be. What you have to do is identify the reason(s) behind your self-identification.

How we see the world is influenced by what people tell us, what we take in regularly. Our eyes are darkened or enlightened by our source of information. Then the world either becomes one with hope or one without it.

The result is a change in behavior. You feel that there is no point in contributing anything to a world that is on the brink of decay. So you just sit back and watch the fire burn.

You could also feel that your potential hasn’t been reached, that your work is just getting started. Then you move because you know it will pay off. But your movements aren’t random like someone who drifts through life expecting money to grow on a tree in their backyard.

No, you’ve seen it happen.

The Takeaway

So, here’s what you need to remember:

• Goals make developing strong mental frameworks possible, which builds confidence.
• Visualization, when paired with action, becomes a key component to accomplishing any goal.
• Staying aware of what you allow into your mind creates positive habits and behaviors necessary for achieving your goals.

In the words of J. M. Barrie,

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”

Kevin Horton is a 24-year-old photographer, student, modest bookworm, and wanna-be web developer with a new-found love for writing. He writes helpful words about creativity, productivity, and the enjoyably simple life.

Image courtesy of JESSICA TICOZZELLI.