About this quote

Your brain is a highly efficient machine that looks for evidence to support whatever you already believe. If you decide a goal is impossible, you will subconsciously seek out roadblocks to justify giving up. Why waste energy fighting your own mental brakes? You have to choose your assumptions carefully because your mind will always find a way to make them come true. Stop waiting for confidence to hit you and just decide what is possible for you today.

When to use it

• A runner preparing for a marathon checkpoint. 'I kept telling myself my lungs couldn't handle the steep incline, and sure enough, I slowed to a walk. I need to change what I tell myself at the base of the hill.'
• A software developer eyeing a promotion to team lead. 'I almost didn't apply because I felt like I lacked executive presence, but then I realized I was just predicting my own defeat before even submitting the resume.'
• An artist trying to sell their paintings at a local market. 'If I stand here thinking nobody wants to buy my work, I won't even greet the people who stop to look.'
• A student struggling with college algebra. 'I used to open my textbook believing I was naturally bad at numbers, which guaranteed I would freeze up on the very first practice problem.'