7 ways to be better at controlling mental barriers that stop progress.

You’ve heard the expression mind over matter.

There’s plenty of evidence supporting the idea our mind has the capacity to impact our reaction to stressful situations, pain, unpleasant circumstances, and “perceived” realities.

The placebo is a perfect example.

In one study a group of Princeton students hosted a “nonalcoholic” party for their classmates.

Later that night, people were rolling around on the ground, slurring their words and acting inebriated.?

The students had such a strong belief they were getting drunk it effected their behavior.

The medical industry has used similar studies to confirm the power of confirmation.?If people “believe” a drug is making a difference, it works, even if it’s a sugar pill.

Jack Schwarz was a Dutch Jewish writer who also endured the Holocaust in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. He was beaten, starved, and tortured beyond comprehension. To cope he began practicing meditation and prayer, which helped him block out the pain despite his horrific situation and survive the atrocity.

So how can we use the power of our mind to improve our prospects for success?

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.” Zig Ziglar

Here are 7 suggestions for concurring mental barriers that prevent progress.

Emotional excellence

Cultivating better emotional intelligence should be top priority.?Once we learn to better manage our emotions our response to challenging situations improves.?Gaining deeper insight into our emotional makeup helps us better manage fear, unpredictability, and unpleasant circumstances.?Achieving better balance emotionally will greatly improve our ability to make difficult decisions and improve our prospects for success!?

Define purpose

Successful people have purpose, and that purpose is the product of having conviction.?Once we get serious about creating greater purpose, we eliminate the uncertainty and fear that inhibit most people from succeeding.?We embrace pain, hard work, the value of time and the importance of patience in achieving our goals.?Defining purpose is a major mental hurdle that needs to be overcome.

“The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph but whether he can overcome obstacles.” Garth Stein

Nonconformists

Great entrepreneurs can’t stand conformity.?while most people follow the crowd and succumb to dangerous trends successful people innovate.?True entrepreneurs learn how to dismiss the skeptics and push forward with great ideas.?Original thinkers are easy to spot because they don’t recycle the same tired formulas, ideas and strategies everyone else regurgitates.?They have clear direction, and their path is flexible.?Being a conformist is a great way to ensure failure and produce unnecessary mental barriers.?????

Commitment

I have encountered many people eager to institute positive changes, new businesses, and personal improvement, only to fizzle quickly once their efforts to begin.?Huge success requires massive commitment.?I see many entrepreneurs make this mistake as well.?They start off strong but enthusiasm fades once the reality of building a business sets in.?Learning to concur the mental challenge of commitment is essential for success.????

Honor your word

Many people love to announce their elaborate plans for success. They find the energy for conducting grand performances dedicated to convincing people they are destined for greatness.?The problem, the hard work hasn’t begun and the reality of implementing a long-term plan hasn’t begun.?When we make a commitment to ourselves that includes embracing the struggle of making that commitment materialize.?Talking about success is easy, doing the work and focusing on results is another story.

Stay curious and creative

Many people lose curiosity as they get older.?Well intended parents and teachers often contribute to this problem.?We need to reclaim our curiosity.?Curiosity gives us the inspiration to crack the status quo and push forward with our goals, despite the cynics.?Curiosity motivates innovation and creativity; it also keeps us energized to pursue our ambitions.

Motivation in peculiar places

We often hear people evangelize the dangers of self-doubt.?However, a little self-doubt is healthy and offers excellent motivation.?Whenever we dare to dream big and tackle huge challenges, we will occasionally suffer doubt.?That’s a sign of needing to carefully contemplate all our decisions and explore every angle to improve our prospects for success.?A little doubt is good, too much doubt is a mental obstacle.????

“Obstacles are designed to make you stronger, only the weak avoid them.”?

Sum it up

Do find it difficult to overcome mental barriers? Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.??Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming.?Steve is an author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success.?Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn.?Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!