Reframing Your Mindset: How To Make Positive Changes

Reframing your mindset can feel particularly tricky when you don’t really know where to start. Your attitudes are shaped by a generalised set of values and an even more complex web of beliefs. These go on to influence your behaviour in ways you may not always recognise.

The good news is that reframing your mindset is not about becoming a completely different person. On the contrary, it’s about understanding how your internal system works, and then making intentional adjustments that create lasting, positive change.

In the 1900s, Robert Dilts introduced the Neurological Levels model. This is a framework that explores different layers influencing human thinking and behaviour. While widely used in coaching, its principles also align with broader psychological research, too.

For example, Studies in cognitive psychology show that our beliefs and self-concept strongly influence behaviour patterns and emotional responses. Similarly, neuroscience research highlights how repeated thought patterns strengthen neural pathways, making certain behaviours feel automatic over time. (Please read this paper on Neuroplasticity in patients who have had a stroke or a significant brain injury, for further insights.)

Ultimately, this means that when you begin reframing your mindset, you’re not just “thinking differently”; you’re actually reshaping the way your brain processes experiences.

Let’s explore how this model works and, more importantly, how you can use it in a practical, grounded way to create meaningful change.

Understanding the Levels Behind Reframing Your Mindset

The Neurological Levels Model is often visualised as a hierarchy. Each level builds on the one below it, and importantly, each higher level has a powerful influence on everything beneath it. This is why reframing your mindset at deeper levels can create more sustainable and impactful change than simply trying to “fix” behaviours on the surface.

Let’s start at the base levels and work our way up to the deeper levels of the model:

1. Environment: Where It All Happens

At the very base of the model is your environment. This includes your physical surroundings, the people you spend time with, your workplace, and even the media you consume. It’s surprising how environmental factors matter more than we realise. Research in behavioural science consistently shows that our surroundings significantly influence our habits. In a paper by Benjamin Gardener, published on the National Library of Medicine website, for example, he states that ‘As habits form, action control is transferred to environmental stimuli.’

Therefore, if you are trying to create change, this is often the easiest place to start. Ask yourself:

• Where am I spending most of my time?
• Who am I surrounded by?
• What inputs am I exposing myself to daily?

Small environmental shifts, like changing your workspace, reducing negative inputs, or surrounding yourself with supportive people, can make reframing your mindset feel more accessible.

2. Behaviour: What You Actually Do

The next level up is behaviour. This refers to your actions, reactions, and habits, what you do daily.

Behavioural change is often where people focus most of their energy. They try to “do better”, “be more productive”, or “break bad habits.” While this is important, research suggests that behaviour change alone is often short-lived if it isn’t supported by deeper internal shifts.

For example, studies in behavioural psychology show that willpower is a limited resource. If your behaviours are not aligned with your beliefs or identity, maintaining change can feel exhausting.

This is why reframing your mindset requires looking beyond behaviour and asking:

• What is driving these actions?
• What patterns keep repeating?
• What am I avoiding or resisting?

3. Capabilities: What You Can Do

Capabilities refer to your skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes both what you already know and what you’re capable of learning.

At this level, reframing your mindset often involves shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. This concept is backed by decades of research in educational psychology. People with a growth mindset believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning, which leads to greater resilience and long-term success.

Ask yourself:

• What skills do I currently have?
• What skills do I believe I lack?
• Am I open to learning and improving?

Of course, sometimes the block isn’t a lack of ability; it’s a belief that you can’t develop that ability. Recognising this distinction is a powerful step in reframing your mindset.

4. Beliefs and Values: What Drives You

At this level, things do start to get more personal and more impactful. Your beliefs and values shape how you interpret the world. They determine exactly what you prioritise, and how you make decisions.

Cognitive psychology research shows that beliefs act as filters. (There’s an interesting paper called ‘The Biochemistry of Belief‘ by the Indian Psychiatric Society that explains this, read in full on the National Library of Medicine website.) They influence how we interpret events, often reinforcing existing thought patterns. This is known as confirmation bias. In other words, we tend to notice information that supports what we already believe.

For example, if you believe “I’m not good enough”, your brain will unconsciously look for evidence to support that belief. If you believe “I can improve with effort”, you’ll notice growth opportunities instead.

When reframing your mindset at this level, consider:

• What do I believe about myself?
• What do I believe about success, failure, or change?
• Are these beliefs helping or limiting me?

I often find this is where a lot of the transformative work happens.

5. Identity: Who You Believe You Are

Identity is the most powerful level in the model. It represents your sense of self, how you define who you are. We are delving deep here.

Modern psychology strongly supports the idea that identity drives behaviour. Indeed, research on identity-based habits suggests that lasting change strongly happens when actions align with how you see yourself.

In a fascinating post by Adi Jaffe, PhD, called ‘The Identity Hack to Behavioural Change’, Jaffe explains that he changed his poor diet habits by changing how he perceived himself. He wanted to be healthy and strong, someone who was health-conscious. Once he thought of himself in this way, it became easier to make healthier dietary choices. It became natural.

When reframing your mindset at the identity level, ask:

• Who do I believe I am?
• What labels have I given myself?
• Are these identities empowering or limiting?

It is important to reiterate here that changing your identity doesn’t mean rejecting who you are. It means you are extending your sense of what’s possible.

6. Purpose and Vision: Why It All Matters

Sometimes purpose and vision appear at the very top of the model. This involves the deeper purpose, mission, and spirituality that give meaning to someone’s existence. It goes beyond personal or organisational identity and very much focuses on a person’s broader sense of purpose and contribution to the world.

Research in positive psychology shows that having a sense of purpose is strongly linked to greater wellbeing, resilience, and motivation. When you feel a meaningful connection to something, it becomes easier to stay committed to change, even if that change is challenging.

Consider:

• What gives my life meaning?
• What impact do I want to have?
• What am I working towards?

By aligning your actions to a deeper sense of purpose, reframing your mindset becomes less about effort and more about having a sense of direction.

A Simple Phrase That Explains Everything

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by all the information outlined here, I can break it down for you. There is a powerful, yet simple phrase that captures the entire hierarchy from level 1 to level 5:

“I can/can’t do that here.”

Now, let’s break the phrase down:

• I → Identity and purpose: Who are you? Where do you belong?
• Can/Can’t → Beliefs: What do you believe is possible?
• Do → Capabilities: What skills do you have?
• That → Behaviour: What are you doing?
• Here → Environment: Where are you?

So, when you feel stuck, especially when you hear yourself thinking “I can’t do that”, recognise that it is often an indication these levels are misaligned. It is time to reframe your mindset.

Why Reframing Your Mindset Creates Lasting Change

As I alluded to earlier, one of the most common mistakes people make is trying to change at the lowest levels only, environment, behaviour, or capabilities. While these levels are important, they do not always lead to lasting transformation on their own.

Studies on behaviour change consistently show that deeper cognitive and identity shifts are far more effective for long-term results than surface-level changes alone.

When you focus on reframing your mindset at higher levels, beliefs, identity, and purpose, you create a ripple effect:

• Your beliefs shift
• Your actions become more aligned
• Your environment starts to change naturally

This is why coaching and personal development work, like the work I do as an NLP practitioner, targets deeper levels. This approach usually leads to more sustainable outcomes.

How Do You Start Reframing Your Mindset Today?

Are you feeling blocked or stuck? Start by identifying where the misalignment is.

Ask yourself:

• Am I in the right environment?
• Are my behaviours aligned with what I want?
• Do I believe I’m capable of change?
• What beliefs might be holding me back?
• How do I see myself?

This is a marathon, not a sprint. You do not need to fix everything at once. Even small shifts, especially at the belief or identity level, can create significant change over time.

Remember, reframing your mindset is not about forcing positivity or ignoring challenges. It’s about understanding the deeper structure behind your thoughts and behaviours, and then consciously choosing a perspective that supports growth, alignment, and progress.

Do You Need Extra Support?

I have one last piece of information for you: you do not have to do this on your own.

If you’re ready to start reframing your mindset to create real, lasting change, this is exactly the work I do. Together, we’ll explore what’s happening at each level: your environment, behaviours, capabilities, beliefs, identity, and purpose, if that is relevant to you, so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and direction.

This isn’t about quick fixes or surface-level motivation. It’s about creating deep, aligned change that actually lasts.

If that sounds like what you’ve been looking for, you can take the next step and book a session with me. Let’s work together to shift you from “I can’t do that” to fully believing and living with the belief that “I can.” I look forward to chatting with you.