How do you change your mindset?

Being in the right frame of mind is important for becoming lucid. For example, if I get this certain light feeling in my head, I can use it to incubate any dream I want. However I rarely use this since getting into that mindset takes some time and I am never in the mood to go through with it. I also feel like I am associating failure with my attempts at lucidity, making me not want it as much and lose my motivation, when becoming lucid should actually be simple and easy. Does anyone have a certain way they change their state of mind, like meditation techniques or just things they like to think to themselves?

For me, I like to make a list of goals which I wanna achieve once I'm lucid. I think it really boosts and helps my lucid mindset because whenever I think about them, in my mind it's like I just have to do them. So whenever I feel down and my happy-go-lucky-I-will-be-lucid-soon mindset kinda fades a little bit, reminding myself of my goals pulls me back and forces me to do whatever I can to achieve those goals which I'd never be able to do irl. x)

If your goal is lucidity EACH night and you don't attain lucidity - you'll get disappointed...

If your goal is to learn something new EACH night - you'll always find something new and improve and indirectely increase the chances for lucidity.

Meditation for me is a great way to get into the right mindset, because meditation IS the mindset.

What I have learned (last night actually) is that lucid dreaming inductions are effective, but they are always more effective when your not focused on the outcome.

Think about yourself completely new at soccer and you start out as a defender but your goal is to be the best in the team and you only focus on scoring a goal each match.
You think to yourself "A goal isn't that hard I just have to kick the ball into the goal..." But you forget about all the steps that makes you progress and what eventaully will take you to that goal. And also what will make you a legendary soccer player.

Like good team work ability, helping people in the team to become better because soccer is a teamsport and perhaps you need to work out so you have the ability to run for that long yeah you get the idea.

It's nothing different with lucid dreaming. If you only focus on lucidity you will miss out on stuff that is important along the way.
And there is a teamwork in lucid dreaming as well, the teamplayers are different abilities instead of persons though.

The induction method is your strategy, although it's not enough you need a good mindset to keep the team in balance.
You need motivation instead of condition to keep you going. :) And dream recall is like a goal keeper, if you let your brain forget a lucid dream you actually had, it's basically like letting that opposite team score a goal on you! LOL this was probably the funniest metaphor I've ever written. xD

But I hope that it gives you a clear explanation to why the focus of the actual teamwork is more important than the actual goal.

Here is some entries that describe how I do this with meditation:

No Attachment! - Meditation Update... - Dream Journals - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views
Yoga Nidra or Conscious Sleep - Dream Journals - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

I hope this information helps you, it sure gave me a clearer picture :)

But a summary: When you practise the actual methods don't focus on lucid dreaming, just do the steps because it's fun.
DILD: Don't focus on the outcome, just fall asleep with a smile and with the intention indirectly set.
WILD: Don't focus on succeeding the WILD only focus on doing the steps.

And when you are not practising, you can analyze what you need to work on and what your strategy should be.

Good luck :meditate: