Last week I had the privilege of sitting in a private media brunch with Dr Price Pritchett, right here in Sandton, for an intimate conversation about how to stay focused in a world that’s constantly pulling us in a million directions.
We all want to be successful, but success doesn’t look the same for everyone. Your version of “I’ve made it” might be completely different to the next person’s. Yet, there’s one common obstacle standing between all of us and the level of success we desire:
“Your mind is standing in the way of your success,”
Those were Dr Pritchett’s words as he spoke to us. He’s the author, chairman and CEO of Pritchett, a Dallas-based firm recognised globally for its work in organisational change, merger integration, corporate culture and process redesign.
He was in South Africa as the headline guest at the Momentum Science of Success media brunch in Sandton, Gauteng, ahead of the Science of Success festival where he would later deliver the keynote address.
How to reach success:
Dr Pritchett is the author of you², a short but powerful book on achieving exponential personal and professional results by making a quantum leap, changing your approach and mindset instead of just working harder.
Our discussion circled around this idea: that the mind is the biggest barrier between us and our goals.
“What is occupying your mind all the time will be the reason for your success,” he told us. “Performance begins inside the brain. Your life is run by your mood and mindset, how you choose to see things, yourself and the things you do.”
Aiming for higher levels:
Recognised as a global thought leader in human performance, Dr Pritchett has influenced many top corporate leaders around the world.
He reminded us that we don’t have to stay where we are:
“You don’t have to settle for things as they are now. That can change. Dramatically.”
For him, true breakthroughs don’t come from tiny, cautious steps, they come from quantum leaps: bold shifts in thinking and action that produce results far beyond what incremental effort ever could.
In everyday life, a “quantum leap” is that dramatic jump, in your career, your finances, your relationships, that comes from a deep change in mindset, beliefs and perspective. It’s less about grinding more, and more about thinking differently and acting boldly.
Personality, money and the Science of Success:
The Momentum Science of Success campaign is all about helping South Africans build stronger financial literacy. Last year’s festival focused on how our personality traits shape our money habits, a theme that still connects deeply to what Dr Pritchett shared.
A personality trait is simply a consistent pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make you who you are. These traits quietly influence how you interact with the world and with your money.
Paul Nixon, head of behavioural finance at Momentum Investments, has previously highlighted that many of us don’t realise how our personalities are influencing the way we spend and save.
Sitting in that room, listening to Dr Pritchett, it became clear:
If we can train our minds, understand our patterns and become intentional about our focus, we open the door to the kind of success, financial and otherwise, that once felt unreachable.
Don’t leave just yet – stay on the site and read on about Day 2 of the Science of Success festival to see how these ideas came to life for South Africans looking to transform their financial futures.