Changing Your Mindset..Improve Times?

I recently read an article about improving race times and mindsets.  The article states that sometimes the only thing holding a runner back is his/her own mind.  Your mind can be intimidating at times.  When you think that there is ever a possibility of not accomplishing your goal you won't. If you think that you can't do something then you won't do it. So how do you improve your times? You believe that you can do it. Don't let your head lead you to a racing plateau, jump over the mental hurdle that will dramatically change your whole mindset. Even elite runners struggle with the mental side of improving. The article that gave strategies to improve your mindset. The first suggestion is to switch up your measurements.  For example, if you run in kilometers then switch to miles and vice versa.  They say that this could be beneficial because it will change your perception on the difficulty of your workout. The second suggestion is to take a work out step by step. They say that you should break it all down and condition your mind to believe that you can do every step. Another suggestion given is to find a faster group. They say that if you surround yourself with individuals who run faster paces than you will change your perception of your goal pace and time and that it won't seem so unrealistic. Changing your mindset could help you gain confidence which in turn can help improve your race times. I believe that changing your mindset when running will help with results.