1. Shift Language to Change Beliefs
Consciously change the language you use, especially by cutting out negative self-talk and mantras (e.g., “I’m so busy,” “I’m sick”), because your words guide your brain and can prime outcomes, making symptoms more acute or shifting your perception.
2. Cultivate Belief in Possibilities
Believe that good things are possible and actively look for opportunities, as this devotes more attentional resources and increases your likelihood of seizing them. This shifts your perception from a world where only bad things happen to one where change and positive outcomes are achievable.
3. Ground Beliefs with Actionable Qualifiers
When setting audacious goals, ground your beliefs with “if-then” qualifiers (e.g., “if I study hard”) and warrants (reasons based on past success) to provide a foothold for action and increase the likelihood of achieving your goals. This moves beyond naive hope to concrete steps.
4. Believe Your Behavior Matters
Overcome paralysis by identifying specific areas where your past actions have made a difference and where your current behavior can have an impact, then focus your attention and efforts there. This counters the pessimistic belief that problems are permanent and pervasive.
5. Cultivate Present Gratitude
Shift your focus from what you’re missing out on to what you are grateful for in the present moment, as this provides fuel for action and helps accelerate your brain out of negative situations. This doesn’t mean being grateful for trauma, but finding benefits or meaning within difficult experiences.
6. Cultivate a Sense of Mattering
Actively recognize and affirm your self-worth by identifying roles or contributions (e.g., parent, friend, teammate, author) that make you feel important. This belief improves longevity, work performance, and present experience.
7. Adopt a Giving Mindset
Believe you have resources (time, attention, not just money) to give, as this signals to your brain that you have agency and matter, reinforcing other positive beliefs and increasing generosity and kindness. Even small acts like a two-minute text can make a difference.
8. Foster Social Connection
Actively connect with others and believe you are not alone, as this reduces the perceived difficulty of challenges and increases your likelihood of taking on new opportunities. Social connection can dramatically improve performance and potential.
9. Find Meaning in Your Work
Connect your current tasks to a larger, meaningful outcome in your life or for others, as perceiving work as meaningful dramatically increases engagement, retention, and success rates. This also combats brain fatigue from repetitive, seemingly meaningless actions.
10. Cultivate Belief in the Transcendent
Develop a belief in something greater than yourself (e.g., justice, nature, connection, a higher power), as this is a strong predictor of human flourishing, improving longevity, happiness, and altruism, and reinforcing other positive beliefs.