Mindful Choices Trough Mental Habits

Your mental habits are crafting your path right now, as you read this. Are they paving a road to where you want to go?

Listen up, readers, because we are diving deep, very deep, into the brain sphere, where the essence of your being - your mind - is created. The most legendary icons, those names engraved for eternity in the annals of history, all had something extremely common, and no, it wasn't luck. It was their rock-solid habits of mind!

Aristotle said it best long before we even thought about it, he said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” So, in the vast realms of our minds, habits are the discreet architects that silently shape our destiny, piece by piece.

Let's talk about Michael Jordan. An icon of pure perseverance and a masterclass in mental toughness. When he missed that crucial shot, was he destroyed? Absolutely. But did he collapse, pack his bags, and quit? No way! His mental habits, painstakingly built through failures, setbacks, and recoveries, were his tacit architects, creating not only his comeback but also his legendary status.

Now, let's get that research out because science is not sleeping on this! A study published in 2009, led by Dr. Phillippa Lally at the University College London, navigates the flows of habit formation, illustrating a key point: consistency is king. It reveals that simple action when repeated for 66 days on average, becomes anchored in a habit. Jordan didn't multiply his mental toughness overnight. It was those consistent hits, persistent practices, and relentless mental dialogue that solidified his mindset.

It's not about making a change overnight. It's about those tiny, seemingly trivial actions, thoughts, and decisions that you introduce every day, every day, carving your habits of mind, brick by brick, thought by thought. Research from Duke University found that a whopping 45% of our daily actions are not decisions, but habits. Autopilot mode: engaged.

“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” Timely words from Malcolm Gladwell, who, in his book Outliers, talks about the 10,000-hour rule, proclaiming the quintessence of practice in mastering any skill. But if you dig deeper, it's not just the physical repetition; it's the mental repetition, the cognitive engagement, and the habitual mindset that makes you unbreakable, unbeatable, and invincible.

Have you ever wondered why some people can grit their teeth, look adversity in the face, and say: "Is that all you've got?" while others crumble at the mere mention of a fight? Let's dust off some truths and talk about habits of mind. The secret is not only the physical effort but also the mental marathon, constantly overcoming doubts, fears, and failures with unshakable determination and steely endurance.

Let's turn our attention for a second to the fascinating world of neural plasticity. Your brain, that magnificent organ nestled in your skull, is not a static entity. It is a powerhouse that evolves, adapts, and learns. Studies showed that repeating a thought or action fortifies neural pathways, creating a habitual mental highway. As you consistently travel down a specific mental route, be it resilience, positivity, or unyielding perseverance, that neural pathway gets stronger, becoming your default mental route. It’s a deliberate, persistent, and sometimes grueling repetition of thoughts and actions that sculpt that mental pathway.

Your mind, that powerful entity, is yours to sculpt, yours to command, and yours to navigate toward your lofty visions. It's an intricate dance between the art of mental perseverance and the science of habit formation. The journey is yours, the mind is yours, and the sculpture you create, that’s yours too. Chip away, create, and conquer because your future awaits, and it starts with that first mental pathway.

Thoughts either elevate you, propelling you towards your goals, or they are your greatest adversaries, barricading your path to success. Every one of us, every giant whose name echoes through the corridors of success - has stood in this arena, battling the adversaries of doubt, fear, and failure.

What's the difference? They have protected themselves, and guarded their mental territory with such fierce strength that no negative can penetrate! It's not about eradicating the negative; it's about arming yourself, shield in hand, fighting it with a relentless, unstoppable positive attack. How?

Here is how:

Knowledge & Skill Acquisition: Arm yourself with the skills, the knowledge that’s going to be your weapon against every doubt, and every failure that tries to breach your mind. Dive into books, plunge into courses, and arm yourself with the knowledge that transforms your mind patterns.

The Shield of Self-Belief: This isn’t about puffing your chest out with baseless arrogance; it's about a belief so grounded, so unshakeable that it forms an impermeable shield against every naysayer, every setback.

Infiltrate the Negative: Get down and dirty with your negatives, understand them, dissect them, and use them. Allow every "no", every failure to be the fuel that feeds your mental attitude, giving it an unbeatable ferocity.

Fortify Your Positives: This isn’t about mere affirmations; this is about actions, about embodying the positives in every step, every decision, and every thought that’s sculpting your mental framework.

Your routine either propels you into an epic tale of victory or silently pushes you into a mundane existence. Control your rhythms, and make sure every beat and every pulse is in sync with the future you visualize. Let’s get this straight, your mind-canvas, it’s not just a physical entity, it’s a soulful resonance that’s silently, yet profoundly echoing through your actions, your habits, and your future.

Your consistency, it’s king. It's not the sporadic bursts of brilliance, but the unrelenting, undeterred consistency that’s crafting your daily routine. Get your rhythms in check, and ensure every beat, and every action is synchronized with the future you visualize.

Immerse yourself in diverse experiences, shatter comfort zones, and let old cognitive frameworks fall away as you shape a robust and relentless mindset that is always pushing boundaries and challenging norms.

Build habits that reinforce this mindset. Whether it's meditation, mental and physical challenges, or exposure to new and divergent worlds - solidify them into your routine, let them seep into your cognitive pores, and become inseparable components of your mental machinery.

Let’s get after it. Today. Now. This moment.

Read more about building good habits and breaking the bad ones in this next article. Enjoy and subscribe!