Changing your mindset can have a significant impact on achieving your goals.

We've all heard about the power of positive thinking but does it work? How does your thinking influence your actions and get you the results you want?

Understanding Your Mindset

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about the significance of our beliefs and the mental models, or mindsets that shape our behavior. According to the psychologists interviewed for the piece, we act and perform in accordance with the beliefs these models tell us is true.

Yet most of us have some flawed or erroneous beliefs, which in turn misguide our interpretation of our world. As a result, we see the world not as it is, but as we are ? and it's this flawed interpretation that drives our attitude and behavior.

For example, if you think something is not possible or out of your reach, you're probably not going to commit much energy and resources to accomplishing that goal. Whether it's gathering new assets, landing a big client, or simply getting out of the office at five o'clock, your thoughts influence your actions.

The bottom line is that our beliefs become our truths and reality. Henry Ford explained it best when he said, "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right."

What This Means to You

The professionals I work with are highly skilled and well-educated individuals with rewarding compensation plans. They also have mindsets that support or inhibit their ability to optimize their performance and results. Over the course of my career I've witnessed just how significantly these mindsets influence success.

As changes in the industry and your market occur, so do the demands on you and your business. No longer is skills training sufficient enough to ensure that you will accomplish your goals. Old habits die slowly because they are driven by an outdated mindset. And despite the efforts of many corporations and businesses, behavior-based training and monetary incentives don't have a lasting effect on performance. It's your mindset that needs changing and then lasting behavior change will follow.

Insanity is often defined as doing the same things over and over again, while expecting different results. If this rings a bell, it may be time to change your mindset so you can get different results.

Changing Your Mindset

In order to replace old habits though a change in your mindset, there are three steps you should follow:

1. First, begin by specifically identifying the results you want.

2. Then create and develop actions that will accomplish those results.

3. Lastly, examine your beliefs about those actions to determine if they are holding you back.

For example, a common goal among speakers is to be listed with several speaker bureaus. Many speakers have the credentials and experience to be on a list but don't take the steps necessary to make it happen.

Why is this right? They know the bureaus requirements so why don't they just get on with it? Do they believe they will be accepted for listing?

Beliefs that put a damper on expectations and behavior are like mushrooms - they thrive in darkness. Yet if you shine a little light on those beliefs, you'll develop a different mindset about the affluent market.

These questions are the light that can change your mindset:

1. What does my research say about the market for my speaking topics?

2. Do I know other speakers like me that are listed with several bureaus?

3. Exactly what are my obstacles to getting their attention? Can they be overcome?

No matter what your goal, saying you haven't done something before is not justification for not being able to do it now. Everyone has overcome adversity and accomplished things they never thought they'd do. Whether it's learning to drive a car, graduating college, or reaching an income goal, we all have our accomplishments. This is no different, and by questioning your beliefs, you'll find evidence that supports new beliefs about what you can accomplish.

"Seeing" truly is believing, and once you see that old habits and assumptions are holding you back from finding and working with several bureaus, you'll begin to use your talent and skills to make it become your reality.

Most dictionaries define a belief as a conviction that certain things are true, so if you want to achieve your goals, create a mindset made of beliefs that support the truth you want in your future.

Bob Lodie is a speaker, business strategy coach and consultant to financial advisors. He is author of Three Steps to Million Dollar Production and Personal Success from the Inside Out. He can be reached bob@boblodie.com or direct at 310-552-6064