Time and time again, we see that your attitude can determine your result. Do you think Tiger Woods walks up to the tee thinking, "You're going to miss this. You're probably not going to win this tournament." No way! He's focused on his shot, his form, and most of all, his mindset. We see the effect of belief in modern medicine too. Heard of the Placebo Effect? When conducting a medical study, someone taking a sugar pill typically reports close to the same results as someone taking an actual medication. All because they EXPECT it to work. It's all in our minds. At Austin Communication Group, a lot of our business has to do with sales. We find that when it comes to two people with the same training and set of skills, the person with a more positive belief in his outcome will make more sales. If this is the case, when sharpening our skills, or brushing up on the fundamentals of our craft, doesn't it make sense to also spend time working on your attitude? You're probably nodding, but don't know exactly how to do this. Here are some thoughts:
- We all naturally call ourselves out on our mistakes, or remind ourselves of our shortcomings. Clearly, this is not a winning formula, but it's something you can't necessarily stop doing, since it's subconscious. However, you can counteract those bad thoughts with good thoughts. Science has found that it takes 17 positive statements to have the same impact that one negative statement would have about one's self. Negative thoughts about ourselves hurt more than positive thoughts help, so this makes sense. So by this logic, you should take every chance you get to tell yourself how great you are. Maybe don't go as far as Kanye West does, but start by consciously saying "That was a smart idea," "You've really improved your public speaking since the last meeting," "You look amazing today," and so on to yourself. Yes, it's cheesy, but it works. Remember, these are things you say in your own head, not out loud, so be as cheesy as you want. We can't prevent the negative thoughts from creeping in entirely, but we can make sure to give ourselves plenty of positive reinforcement. It takes practice, but it's worth it.
- Write down your goals, and keep them in a place you'll see them. If you are constantly bombarding yourself with what you plan to succeed at, you have less time to tell yourself that you'll fail. I would suggest writing your goals on your mirror at home with a dry-erase marker or in lipstick. If you wake up late one morning, and you have bags under your eyes, you'll catch a glimpse of your goals on your mirror as you get ready, and you'll spend less time beating yourself up for hitting snooze. Your day will probably turn out a little better if you've begun it thinking about what you intend to accomplish rather than with self-loathing. Also, keep notes about your goals at your desk, on post-its around your computer screen, and in your car.
- In the same vein, bombard yourself with things that inspire you. Keeping an eye on your goals is great, but it's also a good idea to plant little motivators around. Maybe that's a picture of your dream vacation on your desktop, or your dream house on your fridge. For some people, motivational quotes do the trick. Instead of having a picture of my dog or my family on my iPhone lock screen, I have a motivational quote. Every time I unlock my phone, I read it. Eventually, you look past things you see over and over, so be sure to change things up from time to time to increase your awareness. Looking forward to results can help us to stick to our goals. Similar to the photos of your dream house or dream vacation, photos of our ideal physique can help us stick to an eating or exercise plan. Looking at a photo of the new car we intend on purchasing can help us to stick to a tight budget.
Although it can be an abstract thought, sharpening your attitude is just as important as sharpening your skills, if not more so. Take the time everyday to build yourself up, and focus on what you want, rather than how you've failed, or how poorly you're doing. You'll be surprised how quickly you see results.
Copyright 2014 Austin Communication Group, Inc.
