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Career Counselors have identified three traits that successful people possess. These three traits influence not only our potential for success and happiness in our work, but also our general attitude toward life.
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Positive Thoughts
What we think determines what we do. Many thoughts go through our minds as we attempt to meet our employment goals or to overcome life's problems. People who are successful in meeting their goals or overcoming problems tend to think differently than do people who are not satisfied.
- Successful people think they can
Most successful people expect to succeed when they set a goal or face a problem
- Unsuccessful people think they cant
Most unsuccessful people expect to fail when they set a goal or face a problem
- If you think you can, you can
Think about the simple statement above. Successful people believe in themselves they think they can, therefore they can. Successful people make a whole-hearted commitment of effort necessary to overcome obstacles, thereby allowing them to succeed
- If you think you cant, you cant
Unsuccessful people often lack confidence in their ability to achieve goals or to face life's many challenges. Since they expect to fail, they don't make the commitment of effort necessary to tackle the barriers that block their paths to success. They either try half-heartedly or simply give up
The following statements compare the differences between successful and unsuccessful people:Successful people:
- Expect success
- Think they can
- Try whole heartedly
- Make a commitment of effort
- Keep trying
Unsuccessful people:
- Expect failure
- Think they cant
- Try half heartedly
- Do not make a commitment of effort
- Give up
Henry Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and the originator of the assembly line. He dropped out of school at 15. He failed in business five times before succeeding. He said: If you think you can, you can; if you think you cant, you cant; either way, your right!
Negative Thoughts
We all develop negative thoughts, untrue beliefs, about ourselves, our ability to overcome problems and our ability to attain goals such as employment. We must learn to challenge these untrue beliefs. If we mistakenly believe that a problem is permanent, we are unlikely to do anything to overcome it. If we mistakenly believe that we are powerless to face our problems, we are not motivated to act.
- Our self-thoughts, beliefs, are the way we view ourselves and help us to determine our place in the world
- We often use our beliefs to predict whether we will succeed or fail when faced with problems
- Most of us develop beliefs about ourselves that aren't true.
Successful People:
- Believe that their problems are temporary challenges
- Believe tat they have control of their lives.
Unsuccessful People:
- Believe that their problems are permanent
- Believe that they are powerless in the face of their problems
Three Traits for Success
#1 Successful people take credit for their successes even small ones.
Successful people know that big successes often result from achieving many small successes. Successful people understand that all small successes or completed actions are important take credit from them. A big success is when we attain a goal or overcome a problem.
Taking credit for our actions or small successes helps us to understand that often the difference between success and failure is one small action. In approaching a problem or challenge, we don't always do everything right. By paying attention to the importance of each of our positive actions, we increase the likelihood of success.
- Review daily your big and small successes.
- Write them down each day.
- Save them so that you can go back later to see the various problems you've overcome and goals you've met.
- Help family and friends daily to take credit for their successes as well! By helping them, you'll help yourself to become even more successful.
#2 Successful people try harder if they fail the first time.
Successful people know the simple truth of Ben Franklins famous saying: If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again. By giving up, unsuccessful people guarantee that they wont change their lives; by doing nothing, they actually make their false beliefs that they are powerless to change their lives come true!
| No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no YES. Which no is going to stop you before you get to your yes? The 10th? The 24th? The 38th? There's a yes at the end of every job hunt. The key is to hang on long enough to find the right job for you. Don't quit before your yes. |
#3 When successful people fail again, they re-evaluate their goal, examine all the reasons for failure and try again.
- Sometimes we set the right goals, use the right plan/actions but don't try hard enough.
Remember successful people try harder if they fail the first time
- Sometimes we set the right goals, use the right plan/actions but are stopped by the unexpected.
Even successful people have a bad day. Successful people understand that anyone can fail because of unexpected circumstances or bad luck. When successful people fail because of bad luck or the unexpected, they try again
- Sometimes we set the right goals but we use the wrong plan/actions to achieve them.
Trying harder wont help us if were doing the wrong things to try to solve our problems or to achieve our goals
- Sometimes we set goals which are not realistic.
Trying harder wont help us if we set goals which are unrealistic or impossible. A goal is a commitment of effort that you make to yourself. Successful people plan to succeed by setting realistic goals for themselves.
- Writing down your goal helps you to understand what it is you want to accomplish.
- Write the specific steps to be completed to attain your goal.
- Use I will statements when you write your goal and the steps toward achieving it.
- Always use dates to give yourself a deadline for reaching each step toward your goal.
- Discuss your goals and statements with a trusted friend and ask for feedback.
- Re-examine your goals daily and change then as you further clarify your objectives.