A recurring theme on this blog has been the power of positive thinking. I have tried to emphasize that there is a reciprocal relationship between how we think of ourselves, on the one hand, and our performance outcomes, on the other.
For example, it is hard to succeed if we continually think of ourselves as a failure. On the other hand, as we act in ways that earn our own confidence, then we have a basis to expect positive outcomes, and that expectation can be then be channeled into success.
The posts where I have dealt with these themes are:
- EPPP Preparation: Perception and Expectation
- EPPP Preparation Success and the Power of Imaginative Rehearsal
- What You Expect is What You Get
- The EPPP Exam & Earning Your Own Confidence
- EPPP Exam & Earning Your Own Confidence, Part 2
In these posts I pointed out that if there is a problem in our lives that we are trying to overcome, we must identify the steps needed to succeed, and equip ourselves with specificity to do the “right things” that contribute to success. The more we do this, the more there comes to be a reciprocal relationship between our confidence and our success. This is because the more we succeed, the more confidence this breeds, and the more confidence we have, the more this conditions us to succeed even further.
These same principles apply to aging. Over the next few weeks I will try to show that instead of expecting ourselves to degenerate mentally as we approach mid-life and old age, it is possible for us to have confidence in our mental abilities and to continue to succeed at what we do.
Realizing this is crucial for younger people since the expectations we have about aging in our youth can often affect how we think of ourselves as we get older.