The Right Mental Mindset for Men in Their 40s and Beyond

The key to kicking off a virtuous cycle of success momentum is having the right mental mindset.

Prioritizing what is important to you and pursuing it with intensity are the two keys to achieving what you want in your life. Read more about both here.

As I said at the end of the article on this topic, however, it is easy to say. How do you do it?

It starts from the top down. Meaning you have to have your head in the game first, moving down to your heart and your spirit. 

It is all too easy to accept limiting beliefs. You have too much to do. You can’t keep to a schedule. You just don’t have the self-discipline. You aren’t in control of your own time. And life happens. In your 20s, you are all energy and ambition. But by the time you hit your 40s, you might realize becoming CEO is out of reach. Your marriage might crumble. Big dreams shrink to small hopes. Maybe it is all you can do just to cover your mortgage.

You can end up in the emotional basement. Down there, excellence in anything can seem increasingly impossible to achieve. It is easy to sit on the couch, munch chips, and channel surf. That’s not a good place to be mentally. And it is terrible for your mindset.

You have to stand up and step up. Delete that mindset. At 45 years old, you have a lot of life left. For your second half, you don’t have to learn to walk or master the ABCS. You start ready with everything you need to achieve your dreams. At 45, you are actually in a better place to be optimistic.

The right mindset applies to everything in life. It is the foundation for a healthy body and mind. Many people talk about goals, but goals are not that different from wishes. What you need is a goal that comes with a plan. Say you want to build muscle density. That probably means changing the way you eat and the way you work out. Or perhaps you want to write a book. Lay out the steps involved and break the work in to manageable pieces. Then set a schedule. Perhaps it means setting aside a half hour every day to focus on the work. Plan what you need to start and then what you need to do every day to achieve your goal.

Add to your goal and your plan the absolute commitment to follow through with zero deviation. It is about demanding consistency from yourself. No excuses. No thinking it’s just this one time. No planning to double up tomorrow. Work your plan. Every. Single. Day.

The reality is that a mental mindset is dramatically more important after you turn 40. There is just too much life and distraction that can derail your best intentions without it.  Make your goals a priority. Work on them with intensity. Then take on a mindset that includes a goal, plan, discipline with zero deviation. Make it all non-negotiable and you will kick off a virtuous cycle of success momentum.