By all accounts, he is successful, but, up until recently, there was still something holding him back. He was afraid of colleagues and potential business partners learning that he is a dropout. This part of his life was a source of shame, and he thought that people would see him as less intelligent and less successful if they found out. He would panic when people asked what year he graduated. Now, in his thirties, that dreaded question came up again.

“I said well I actually didn't graduate high school, but I did graduate college! I turned it into a joke to where it's no longer a limiting belief that once they discover my “secret,” they're not going to think differently about who I am,” he says.

What changed? How did this successful man haunted by his past learn to embrace his past and walk forward? Say Yes! Enterprises founder Christopher Wick is the successful high school dropout, and he explains that he changed his mindset.

Developing his mindset has helped Wick with more than awkward questions about high school. Wick credits mindset to much of his success, and he has seen countless examples of other business owners being successful because they cultivated a positive mindset.

At Say Yes! Enterprises, there is a common question used to tackle business problems: Is this a mindset problem or a skillset problem? Mindset problems are of the head and skillset problems are of the hand. (Learn more about skillset in our article on the topic.

When business owners say they are not good at math, that is a mindset problem. Their minds have a fixation that they’re not good at numbers. On the other hand, a skillset problem would be not knowing how to read a balance sheet or a profit and loss statement. Most problems are mindset problems rather than skillset ones. Many entrepreneurs know that learning can be the solution to a lack of skills, but most people with a mindset problem do not even know the problem exists.

A person who does not consider a goal to be achievable can become their own biggest critic. In addition to all of the external challenges to overcome, mindset can present a huge hurdle before the proverbial race even starts.

The process does not stop with belief. After the willingness to imagine better comes, the decision to do better must follow. Action is the catalyst that transforms belief into reality, and strong belief leads to more purposeful action.

The SMART goals acronym is very common. A person who is not willing to become a better salesperson may realize that it is a worthy goal, but they are unlikely to take sincere steps towards reaching it. They may think that they wish they were more like a skilled coworker, without taking any action to emulate that coworker.

If that same person is willing to imagine themselves as a better salesperson, that belief will inspire intention and action. Rather than pining after the thought of being like their successful coworker, the person may ask her what helped her to develop her skills. They may find out about a particular course or book that has been helpful and decide to take that course or read that book.

For example, rather than saying “I am a billionaire” when you’re still trying to have your first 6-figure year, say “I am a billionaire in training.” Although it is good to dream big, affirmations should be a little more realistic than dreams. Although an affirmation's focus is the destination, affirmations also acknowledge the mile markers along the way.

If affirmations are too lofty or unfathomable, the process becomes counterproductive. The brain's natural inclination is to nitpick and find what is wrong. The brain prioritizes safety over happiness. At one time, the brain had to protect people from saber-toothed tigers. Today, the brain is still hard-wired for threat identification, protection, and risk aversion. It takes effort to move from those old brain tendencies into a new level of consciousness. Why make it that much harder by saying affirmations that are unbelievable?

Affirmations are not wishful thinking. Seeing, writing, or speaking something is more tangible to the brain than thoughts. Find a statement that does not set off alarm bells, but rather trains the brain to believe that better is possible.