|
Positive Mental Attitude
Frequently, people look at those with a positive attitude and call them "Pollyanna"
or overly-optimistic. However, having a positive mental attitude can make the
difference between success and failure!
Research finds common characteristics in successful people, and many of them
have to do with attitude.
Characteristic #1: Successful people have a strong inner-motivation
toward a goal. Many of us are motivated to get away from something,
to lose weight, to not have to work so hard, to avoid making a fool of oneself.
Successful people know exactly what they are moving toward - to find the perfect
job, to find and remain at a healthy weight, to be seen as a strong and confident
presenter. We've talked about the power of making a goal clear and concise,
about writing it down and acting on it step by step. Powerful people do
this!
They know what they want, write it down, break it into small enough chunks to
feel progress on a regular basis, and then they accept nothing less than this
goal. They are willing to work hard to get it, and set high standards for
themselves as they move toward their goal.
Characteristic #2: Successful people also are completely
focused in the moment when the task requires it AND take time out to
visualize their future. This keeps them on track toward their
goal over time. The ability to combine focus on present and future is important
to gaining perspective of progress.
Characteristic #3: Successful people compare their
progress NOT to perfection, or to others, but to how far they have come since
last measurement. Many people don't stretch out of their comfort
zone to learn or do new things because they look at the difference between their
current level and the best, and think it's too far to go. They give up
before they start! Great athletes know that they must constantly set new
goals based on their previous best, not on others' times or distance. The
same holds true with us. Did we improve our speech from last time?
This is a much more productive question than, "Was the speech perfect?"
This is an exceptionally important skill when you are taking the risk to learn
something new.
So if you have a goal or dream in mind, figure out exactly what you want to move
toward. Make it clear and think of all the reasons you want to move in that direction.
Keep yourself focused in the moment when you work on your goal, and take time
to plan ahead for how you'll achieve it as well. Next, measure your progress
toward that goal based on your own growth, not on perfection.
You'll be happier and more confident, and you'll find it easier to keep on that
path toward your dream!
|
