Sign up to my mailing list for exclusive updates and be the first to know when my comic project launches.

Donate Created by Bhavesh. cover image

Three Mindset Changes for a Better Life | Transform Your Thinking

One of the most significant obstacles between the life you want and the one you currently have is mindset. Today, I want to share the three biggest mindset shifts I have had to make to transform my self-identity and build my sense of purpose.


Changing the Narrative of My Life

The first mindset shift I had to make to experience genuine change in my life was to challenge the narrative I had crafted for my own existence.

The story we tell ourselves exert a profound influence over our daily lives. They have the power to either confine us to a life of limitations or open doors to limitless opportunities by affecting every decision, action, and, most importantly, the outcomes we achieve. These narratives are usually not chosen consciously; instead, they are formed and absorbed through our past experiences and self-image.

I held an unconscious narrative rooted in scarcity and self-doubt, which caused me to position myself lower than I was capable of. An important example of how this belief stopped me from moving forward was my tendency to take jobs with lower pay. It wasn’t a reflection my abilities but a consequence of internalising the notion that I was undeserving of higher compensation. Subconsciously, I was sabotaging my own growth or success to reinforce what I already “knew” to be true: success was reserved for others, not me.

Looking back, it felt as if I was preemptively punishing myself for daring to want more from life. However, I came to realise the story I had created wasn’t the truth—it was just a narrative. And like any narrative, it could be rewritten. This transformation didn’t occur overnight. Replacing a negative story with a positive one required me to challenge my daily thoughts and take actions that defied the old story.

The most transformative tool I used to reshape my self-narrative was writing an “Empowerment Document.” This was more than a list of affirmations—it was a detailed, intentional articulation of how I saw myself and, more importantly, how I would see myself going forward. By committing these words to paper, I gave shape to a new, more empowering story, one rooted in abundance, capability, and self-worth.

This "Empowerment Document" became a living reflection of the person I was becoming. For example, by consistently taking actions aligned with this new, empowered narrative, I demonstrated to myself that the old story had lost its relevance. Such actions included looking for jobs with higher salaries. This was not from a place of entitlement, but from a recognition of my own value. As a result, I started to gather evidence for myself that I could change my own story, and by doing that, change the direction of my life.


From Consumer to Producer

The second change in my mindset was to see my life as constantly moving between two distinct states: consuming and producing.

I realised that I had been unconsciously focusing too much on consuming things, especially in choosing immediate gratification over long-term goals. While this gave me temporary happiness, it slowly increased the gap between my current life and the life I wanted. Living mainly with this consumer mindset affected my life negatively, and not just financially.

An evident example of this is how consumerism disempowered me by encouraging me to find solutions externally rather than internally. For instance, I ended up chasing after the newest gadget that claimed to boost my creativity, instead of engaging in creativity myself. Instead of initiating self-improvement, I would passively read self-help books, aiming for a false sense of progress without actual effort.

To truly move forward in life, I had to recognise that I was operating under a consumerist mindset and acknowledge where it was leading me. If I continued living primarily as a consumer, I'd reach the end of my life with unfulfilled dreams, constant feelings of not being good enough, and a life full of regrets. Therefore, I resolved to spend the majority of my time focusing on being a producer instead.

Being a producer means being proactive in solving problems, turning ideas into reality, and contributing positively beyond just your own needs. People with this approach see themselves as active participants in their own lives who can influence their own outcomes. Because of this, they spend most of their time on things that help them grow personally—like making important strategic decisions, learning new skills, or building valuable assets.

When I changed primarily from being a consumer to becoming a producer, one of the biggest differences I noticed was how I perceived time. Before, I thought of time as something to use up or fill, but after adopting a producer mindset, I started to see it as a limited resource that I needed to use wisely. This shift made me feel more responsible and accountable for my actions, pushing me to make decisions that matched my long-term goals.

Becoming a producer also meant facing the fears and doubts that had made me dependent on consumption. In doing so, I realised that my happiness and who I am do not depend on outside things. I stopped waiting for the external conditions around me to be perfect before I took action. Instead, I recognised that I have the agency to create the life I want, one small step at a time.


My Relationship with Mistakes

The last change in mindset that we will explore today is how I looked at my relationship with making mistakes differently.

I used to think that making mistakes meant I was a failure and that they were a reflection of my self-worth. Each mistake felt catastrophic—like it was game over. Because I saw mistakes this way, I was afraid to take risks and often put off working on any projects or goals unless I was sure I would succeed.

Over time, I have come to realise that my previous beliefs about making mistakes were not only unrealistic but also prevented me from progressing in life. My mindset made me see life as very limited, and I wasn’t imagining a fulfilling future for myself. However, I now understand how negatively this has affected my life’s path, and it has prompted me to rethink what mistakes really mean.

I now see mistakes as not being the end, but the start of something better. They have become useful data points that are important for learning. Every mistake or wrong turn has lessons that can help us improve, as long as we look at them with curiosity instead of criticism.

This new approach alleviates the pressure to get everything right on the first try, and it helps me separate my self-worth from my work or projects. I remind myself that what I’m creating is just a physical version of an idea that can be refined over time. Importantly, this idea does not define my identity.

One important aspect of my new approach has been recognising the value of keeping certain projects private during their early stages. In the past, I believed that every idea required immediate validation from others. However, I have since realised that some concepts benefit from remaining in the metaphorical workshop, where they can be explored and refined without the pressure of external scrutiny.

I've changed the way I think about my life and creativity. I've stopped expecting that everything I do has to always get better. This belief put a lot of pressure on me because I felt I had to succeed with every step. But I've realised that life isn’t a straight path; it's more like a mountain with highs and lows. Sometimes I feel successful and clear-headed, but other times I'm confused or facing setbacks. Both experiences are important. The tough times help me appreciate the good times, and the low points make the high points possible.


Progress, Not Perfection

Changing my mindset has not been straightforward, and that’s okay—it shouldn’t be. I’ve been working on telling myself a more positive story, moving from just consuming to actually creating and having agency in my own life. I’ve also had to redefine how I view mistakes, focusing on making progress rather than aiming for perfection.

It's not about suddenly knowing everything; it's about making small, thoughtful changes that add up over time. Life isn't a competition; it's like a painting—constantly evolving, where even the flaws help tell the story.

No matter where you are in life, start from where you are right now. The life you want doesn’t have to be out of reach. But it does require taking the first step towards really changing how you think.