You’ve tried the affirmations.
You’ve set the goals.
You’ve even bought the planner that promised to “organize your life in 90 days.”
And still… something feels off.
You’re showing up. You’re putting in the effort. But the results? Meh.
You might feel like you’re spinning your wheels, wondering if you’re missing some secret that everyone else seems to know.
Let’s fix that. 👇
If you want real momentum in your business, career, or next big leap, it starts with understanding how your brain works against you—and how to retrain it so it starts working for you instead.
These three unexpected mindset shifts aren’t just motivational fluff. They’re grounded in how your Reticular Activating System (RAS) filters the world around you—and how small shifts can unlock massive traction.
Shift #1: You’re Always Moving Toward Something—Even If It’s Not What You Want
Let’s start here: You are always moving toward something.
The question is… what are you unintentionally focusing on?
Ever had a day that unraveled before 9 a.m.?
Your hair won’t cooperate. You spill coffee on your shirt. You hit traffic.
Meanwhile, your brain is still replaying yesterday’s awkward Zoom exchange or worrying about tomorrow’s deadline.
🧠 That’s negativity bias in action—your brain’s natural tendency to notice, dwell on, and prioritize the bad.
Negativity bias was great when we needed to avoid saber-toothed tigers. Today’s tiger? Your inbox, your imposter syndrome, and that unpaid invoice you keep ignoring.
The truth is:
✅ Your subconscious mind is drawn toward what you think about most
✅ Over 60% of your thoughts are repeats from yesterday
✅ And the ratio of negative to positive thoughts? About 9 to 1
Here’s the kicker: the more you dwell on problems, the more your brain filters the world to reinforce those problems.
Like when:
✅ A golfer thinks “don’t hit the water”… and lands in the water
✅ A child hears “don’t hit the rock”… and hits the rock on their bike
✅ You focus on how slow business feels… and suddenly everything feels harder
This is why focus isn’t just a productivity buzzword—it’s a neurological command.
Try this instead:
Retrain your brain to store positive data by doing this simple practice each night:
✅ Write down 3 things that went well that day
✅ Take 15–20 seconds to really feel each one
✅ Let your brain store the win before sleep
This isn’t toxic positivity. It’s intentional memory storage that shifts your baseline.
And once you understand how your RAS plays into this, everything changes.
Shift #2: Your RAS Filters Every Goal—So Be Specific
Here’s where we get a little science-y—but in the best way.
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves at the base of your brain stem. It acts like a filter—scanning the millions of inputs you get every second and deciding what gets through to your conscious mind.
Think of it as your brain’s internal “keyword search.”
Ever buy a car and suddenly see it everywhere?
Or think of someone—and they text you that afternoon?
That’s your RAS saying: This matters now. Let me find more of it.
Now here’s the power move:
You can program your RAS with clearly stated goals.
Not vague “someday” goals. But specific, visual, emotionally anchored intentions.
Here’s why that matters for your business and life:
✅ Set a clear goal → your brain starts noticing solutions, resources, and connections
✅ Set a vague goal → your brain filters in… noise
I saw this firsthand when rewriting Just Another Leap.
After a corporate client reached out, I realized I needed to refresh Your Connecting Advantage. I opened that project and kept referencing my other book. And that’s when it hit me…
I couldn’t keep quoting a book that no longer reflected my current mindset. So I went all in—and turned a 29,000-word manuscript into a 100,000-word mindset overhaul.
And during that time?
My RAS was on fire.
I’d see a post on Threads that matched the story I needed.
I’d remember client conversations that perfectly illustrated a chapter.
I’d ask ChatGPT a prompt and suddenly recall a mindset block I’d overcome years ago.
It wasn’t random. It was RAS in action.
When you declare a goal that matters, your brain joins the hunt.
But here’s the flip side…
Shift #3: If You’re Saying “Yes, But”—You’re in a Comfort Zone Loop
Let’s talk about what really keeps you stuck.
It’s not laziness.
It’s not lack of strategy.
It’s your comfort zone—which your subconscious brain equates with safety.
You’re operating on subconscious autopilot about 95% of the time.
And when something pushes you out of the familiar (even if it’s exciting or aligned), your brain throws up roadblocks like:
➡️ “Yes, but I’m not ready…”
➡️ “What if it doesn’t work?”
➡️ “I don’t know how to…”
Sound familiar?
That’s not fear of failure—it’s fear of uncertainty. And your brain is brilliant at creatively avoiding discomfort.
Now add in this layer:
In a TED Talk on stress, psychologist Kelly McGonigal shared a mind-blowing study that followed 30,000 U.S. adults over 8 years. Participants were asked:
- How much stress did you experience in the past year?
- Do you believe stress is harmful for your health?
Here’s what they found:
✅ People who believed stress was harmful had a 43% increased risk of dying.
✅ But people who experienced a lot of stress and didn’t believe it was harmful?
They had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study—even lower than people who had little stress.
The researchers estimated 182,000 people in the U.S. died prematurely, not from stress, but from the belief that stress is bad.
Let that sink in.
Belief—not biology—was the risk factor.
This proves what we’ve been talking about all along:
➡️ Your brain believes what you tell it.
➡️ Change is less about tactics and more about your inner narrative.
➡️ And mindset isn’t “nice to have”—it’s your operating system.
Need a confidence boost? Read 3 Keys to Unlock Unshakeable Confidence
How to Change How You Think (Without Burning Out)
✅ It’s normal to feel anxiety or tension when you set new goals. That just means you’re bumping up against a comfort zone.
✅ The key is to practice with low-stakes, micro moments:
- Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand
- Drive a different route to work
- Switch your coffee brand or morning routine
- Say yes to one thing your “old self” would’ve avoided
The more you choose intentional discomfort, the easier it gets.
And this is what high-performing entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders all have in common:
✅ They’re not waiting to feel ready.
✅ They’ve learned how to move with their discomfort instead of getting stuck in it.
✅ They’ve trained their brain to expect progress, not perfection.
Ready to Finally Get Out of Your Own Way?
The fully revised edition of Just Another Leap is now live on Amazon—and it’s your no-fluff, neuroscience-backed guide to creating real change from the inside out.
Whether you’re launching a business, stuck in the messy middle, or dreaming bigger than ever before…
You don’t need another pep talk.
You need a mindset reset that actually works with your brain.
Because your brain is powerful—and it’s time to help it work for you.
