“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” —Zig Ziglar

The quality of your thoughts determines the quality of your life, and so in order to grow, you have no choice but to first watch your thoughts closely, then root out negativity and replace it with more productive thinking.

Installing a healthy mindset doesn’t mean never feeling negative emotions like anger or frustration—trying to sweep those under the rug will only intensify them until your subconscious finds a way to get them out. What it does mean is that you take charge of your thoughts.

“I don’t negotiate with my mind, it does what I want, not the other way around, says Tony Robbins. He’s taught millions of people over several decades the power of cultivating a mindset that will bring you both achievement and fulfillment. How can you do this? It starts with practicing (i.e. feeling) gratitude regularly. You can’t experience fear, anxiety or other negative emotions when you live in gratitude, says Robbins.

Here are other tools you can you use to improve your mindset and grow:

• Visualization: After childhood we fall out of the habit of using our imaginations. But like riding a bike, the skill returns quickly. Spend even two minutes each morning making mental movies of your best life—including how you want to feel most of the time, how you spend your day, where you’re living, who you’re with—and you’ll manifest these desires.
• AFFORMATIONS is a term coined by author and coach Noah St. John. Instead of using traditional mantras like, “I am happy,” he suggests asking helpful questions like, “Why am I so happy?” that will prime your brain to create answers.
• Spend time with great people. We are, as Jim Rohn stated, the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Perhaps that’s because scientists have recently discovered “mirror neurons” in our brains; a mechanism that means we copy the beliefs and habits of others around us.