Your self-image is the hidden lever for change

This week: the power of self-image, the brain as a goal-seeking system, and tools to bring your vision to life.

I just finished reading Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz (the updated and expanded edition) and it’s one of those books that makes you see your own mind in a completely different way. Even though it was first published in 1960, it still feels incredibly relevant today.

Maltz was a plastic surgeon who was very passionate about the psychology of change. In his work, he noticed something strange. For some patients, changing their appearance seemed to change their entire life. A nose job that gave them confidence in addition to changing their profile, or a scar removal that improved both social relationships and skin.

But for others, nothing changed. Not in the way they carried themselves, spoke, or believed in their own worth.

Maltz realized the real difference wasn’t in the success of the surgery. It was in the patient’s self-image.

He started to see people through the lens of a “cybernetic system” and he compared our minds to a guided missile. Give it the right target: a healthy self-image and a clear goal, and it will adjust, re-route, and do whatever it takes to hit it. Give it a faulty target: a negative self-image or outdated beliefs, and it will “successfully” guide you straight into the wrong place.

He began using and teaching visualization and self-affirmation techniques long before these ideas became popular. In many ways, he was both a psychologist and a surgeon. He believed that:

“You can’t live beyond the picture you hold of yourself.”

Your self-image is your mental blueprint. Everything you do begins with the way you see yourself.

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Why your identity matters

If your identity is “I’m disorganized,” you’ll unconsciously prove yourself right. If you see yourself as “not athletic” or “bad with money,” your subconscious will make choices to confirm that.

The good news is that when you change your self-image, your behaviors will naturally follow.

I’ve experienced this myself. When I was little, I decided I wasn’t athletic. Not because it was true, but because I’d heard it enough times that it stuck. My inner narrator had one favorite line: “Beata isn’t athletic.”

So I sat out of sports, avoided gym class whenever I could, and lived as if that sentence was carved in stone.

One day I thought, “What if that isn’t true?”

Just to see, I joined a gym. I kept showing up. Awkward, slow, and unsure at first, but I made one quiet rule: stop saying that old sentence, even in my head.

A few years later, I had become the kind of person younger me wouldn’t recognize: someone who lifts weights, fights, runs, sweats, and loves it. Not because my body magically changed, but because my story did.

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Your brain needs a clear destination

That’s the power of rewriting your self-image. But there’s another step: giving your brain something meaningful to move toward.

Your brain is always moving toward something. If you don’t choose the destination, it will go on autopilot and keep heading toward the same old patterns.

You can’t just tell it what to avoid (“I don’t want to be stressed”). You have to give it something positive to aim for (“I want to feel calm and energized at work”).

This is where visualization comes in. When you can see and feel your dream life in detail, your subconscious gets to work making it real. The clearer the image, the more your inner guidance system knows what to aim for.

That’s why even small practices, like imagining your ideal morning or picturing yourself finishing a project with confidence, can begin shifting your daily actions.

⏸️ Before you keep reading, pause to reflect for a moment.

• What’s one label or story you’ve carried about yourself that might not be true? How has it shaped your choices?

• And looking ahead: what destination do you want to set for your brain now? Can you phrase it as a clear, positive aim?

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Fun tools to set your coordinates

So how do you make this practical? Here are two creative ways:

• Mind Movie → A personal trailer for your dream life. A short video with music and clips that capture the future you’re working toward. Watch it daily to keep your brain locked on the right target.

• Vision Board → A simple, tactile way to collect images that make you light up. Arrange them in Canva or on a physical board and keep it visible as a daily reminder: Yes, that’s where I’m headed.

I’ve made free Canva templates so you don’t have to start from scratch. Just swap in your own pictures or videos to make it personal!

👉 Mind Movie Template
👉 Vision Board Template

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Going deeper: a full system for goals

Both the mind movie and vision board can be powerful on their own. But for me, the real magic happens as a part of a larger system.

Two years ago, I started building a vision and goal-setting system that helps me translate big dreams into yearly goals, seasonal sprints, and weekly reflections.

It’s what keeps my (& clients’) visions alive and actionable instead of fading away.

If you’d like to explore it, you can find the system here.
💡 Use code THRIVE20 for 20% off (available until the end of the month).

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Or… keep it simple

If that feels like too much work, even the simplest methods can be powerful.

For example: a post-it on your mirror. In his early vlogging days, Logan Paul had one that read: “I will be the greatest entertainer in the world.” Love him or hate him, that sticky note set a direction and he lived into it.

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“If you don’t set your own goals, your mind defaults to outdated ones.”

Your mind will always follow a script. Make sure you’re the one writing it.

With love,
Beata