I remember a few years ago discussing with a friend all the "Positive Thinking" books and audios that we had experienced, whilst reflecting on a perilous financial state, and wondering why, even though we really wanted success, it had seemingly passed us by. It seemed then that one of the great fallacies in the self-help industry is the notion that you can change your life by just "positive thinking."

Reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill was a turning point in my life when for the first time I heard about written goals. I recorded on the cover of the book, now very well read, the day I read it - November 11th, 1975. I followed the instructions and planned what it would be like in 5 years time, and then got to work making it happen. By my 30th birthday, I had achieved remarkable things. Life was easy. The world was beckoning. But the universe had other ideas. You know the story - for each action there is an opposite action.

As we grow older and seem to have more, our lives seem to have less and less meaning. Our jobs bore us and physical surroundings give too much comfort but we are seeking more - the problem often is we don't know what more is.

There is a new boom in "positive thinking" seminars, books, audio programs and DVD's. Unfortunately the advice is as it was in the 1950's... think you can and you will. Lots of people believe in the concept because they use it successfully in their own lives. They are usually people who have always been accomplished, excelling in sports or academics or business almost from the start. However, the reason these people succeed has much more to do with thinking they can.

Early successes gives them confidence that they can do just about anything. And they readily tap into that underlying feeling of confidence whenever they face a new challenge. In their hearts, they know they can succeed. So when they take on anything new, they can’t help but believe they will be successful. However, when sharing with others seeking success they often overlook what they have done - what actions they have implemented - other than just "positive thinking."

What happens for the rest of the world - those 80 percent of the population that just couldn't wait for school to be over, who didn't play or enjoy sport, and have worked at a job for the last 20 plus years. How do they fair when told, all it requires is "positive thinking."

After a month or two of standing in front of the mirror each morning repeating 20 times: "I am a good person. I can do anything. I will be successful." without success... what advice do you have for them?

A study mentioned by Julie Norem in her book The Positive Power of Negative Thinking confirms my belief that though positive thinking may work for people who already have an optimistic way of looking at their abilities, it doesn’t work for people who are pessimists.

Researchers divided their subjects (all identified as pessimists) into two groups. They told one group that, based on their past performance, they were going to do well on a standardized test they were about to be given. And these subjects indicated on a pre-test survey that they did, indeed, feel optimistic about their results. The second group was not given any encouragement. The results? The first group, the temporarily optimistic pessimists, actually performed worse on the test.

Positive thinking works only for those who are emotionally positive. But it only helps the 20 percent of the population that is already emotionally positive. The rest of the population, the 80 percent of the world that is emotionally negative, cannot be helped by positive thinking.

I have been involved in the Personal Development and Vocational Education industry for nearly 30 years and I keep meeting the same people at conferences, seminars and workshops. They were still attending self-improvement seminars, still carrying positive-thinking books, and yet still upset that positive thinking hasn't yet change their fortunes.  Year after year. Decade after decade. They stayed poor. They stayed stuck. But they wouldn’t give up their dream of changing their lives quickly and easily by changing their thinking.

Recently I have discovered there might be an answer. According to A General Theory of Love written by three eminent psychotherapists and neuroscientists our emotions are deeply rooted in the way our minds are wired. There is a scientific basis for many of our emotional responses and how we relate to others. At the same time, our interactions with the world and people around us have a profound impact on our attitude. This interaction, which can actually alter neural pathways in the brain, begins in infancy and influences our development.

So if you grew up with negative feelings about your ability to achieve success, that’s the way your brain is wired. And no amount of positive thinking will change it.

Here is what the authors of A General Theory of Love have to say about the self-help industry:

"A vigorous self-help movement has championed the hoax that a strong-willed person, outfitted with the proper directions, can select good relationships. Those seduced into the promise of a quick fix gobble it up. But the physiology of emotional life cannot be dispelled with a few words…

"… Self-help books are like car repair manuals: You can read them all day, but doing so doesn’t fix a thing."

To change yourself from being emotionally negative to emotionally positive, you have to get some solid successes under your belt. You learn to succeed by doing!

Also identified as a sure fire success technique was visualisation. It’s no secret that many of the most successful people in the world - including entertainers, athletes, and CEOs - used visualisation to help them achieve their goals.

Take Tiger Woods…

"Visualisation has become a major part of my shot-making, especially as it pertains to shaping shots… It makes a huge difference in your performance."

And Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest golfers to ever grace the game, said, "I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head. It’s like a colour movie."

So there is a way for those of us who can't get ahead by positive thinking alone. If you are naturally negative about your prospects forget about positive thinking. Instead, start rewiring your brain by working toward the goal you want to achieve or practicing the skill you want to master. This requires doing!!

At first, you won’t feel very good about what you’re doing, because you won’t be very good at it. But stick with it. Remember that, according to Early to Rise's success guru Michael Masterson,  it takes about thousand hours to achieve competency in anything that’s worthwhile.

So, can I encourage you to start your journey to success by setting very modest objectives. Use visualisation to help you excel at specific tasks and overcome specific challenges. But don’t waste your time repeating useless mantras. Actions - only actions - will reprogram your limbic brain and turn you into a real "success machine.