My awareness has been focused on the mental diet, not just monitoring the thoughts that arise, but actively redirecting them. The more I dive into this practice, the more I realize how much energy I’ve spent on *“improving things”* in my life.

I never saw this as negative thinking, but a constant desire to fix situations or outcomes, is defiantly focusing on lack masked as self improvement.

These patterns are deeply ingrained in me, and they’ve been running the show a long time.

As an athlete, my mindset has always been about improvement at all cost.

Get better.

Fix it, improve.

Push harder.

It’s a mentality that works, for a while. The problem is, this mindset trains your brain to constantly search for what’s wrong. You start to see life through the lens of what needs to be fixed, and success feels like it’s always one more step away. I’ve lived in that cycle, and here’s what I’ve learned:

It’s never-ending. If you let your mind focus only on what needs improvement, you’ll always find something else to fix.

I’ve been training my mind to flip that script. I’m shifting to an 80/20 mindset: spend 20% of my time evaluating what isn’t working, and 80% of my time focusing on what *is* working.

The difference is subtle but powerful. Instead of pouring energy into unsatisfactory conditions, which only feeds their growth, I’m redirecting my thoughts to the areas that are already aligned with success.

Acting As If Success

This isn’t about ignoring reality or pretending challenges don’t exist.

It’s about shifting my focus and energy to the version of me that has already succeeded. When I approach life from this mindset, everything feels lighter. Decisions come easier. Progress feels natural.

I came across a passage this week that summed it up perfectly: “The withdrawal of your thought from the contemplation of unsatisfactory conditions will gradually, but surely, terminate these conditions.”

It’s like cutting the roots of a plant. The plant doesn’t disappear overnight, but without its source of energy, it fades and eventually disappears. The same goes for negative thoughts and limiting beliefs. The less energy I give them, the less power they have.

This practice has reminded me that my mind is like a muscle. For years, I’ve trained it to spot flaws, to critique, to push for constant improvement.

That kind of focus has its place, but it’s not sustainable long-term, and there is very little satisfaction from the need to fix all the time.

Now, I’m retraining my mind to prioritize gratitude, celebration, and the wins, both big and small with the index cards. It’s not about ignoring growth; it’s about reframing what growth looks like. Growth doesn’t have to mean fixing everything, all the time.

Sometimes, it’s about nurturing what’s already working and letting it expand.

The mental awareness is a daily practice. Noticing when my mind starts to dwell on how to improve something and consciously choosing to shift my focus.

By spending most of my energy on what’s going well and acting as if I’ve already succeeded, I’m creating a mental environment where success isn’t just a goal, it’s a natural by product of my mindset.