Change lens to see things differently

From my childhood, something that has always fascinated me is what are some of the things that the?very successful?people around us?do differently than everyone else.?Why have?they?been so successful in reaching some of?their?goals, but not others???It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail.?

The intuitive answer?is?that?we?are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others. It?is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people?reach their goals?not simply because of who they are, but more often because of?what they do.?

While there are many different qualities?and?habits?that the successful people possess, here are?five?things that?can?help?us?differentiate?us?from?the rest:

1. Seize the moment?

Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling?with at the same time, it’s not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to?pay attention to. Did?we?really have no time to work out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving our goal means grabbing?all?those opportunities before they slip through our fingers.

To seize the moment,?decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible e.g.,?If it’s Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I’ll work out for 30 minutes before work.?This kind of planning will help our brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing our chances of success?manyfold.?

2. Focus?

Believing?we?have the ability to reach our goals is important, but so is believing?that I?have?the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won’t improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

Believing?in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that?we?can change will allow?us?to make better choices, and reach our fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

3. Willpower

Our self-control “muscle” is just like the other muscles in our body — when it doesn’t get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when?we?go for?regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and better to help?us?successfully reach our goals.?To build willpower,?let’s?take on a challenge that requires?us?to do something?we’d honestly rather not do.?Let’s give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when?we?catch?ourselves?slouching, try to learn a new skill.?

When?we?find?ourselves?wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don’t. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how?to?deal with troubles when they occur, e.g., if I have a craving for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried fruit.?It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that’s the whole point. As our strength grows,?we?can take on more challenges and step-up our self-control workout.

4. Have?Grit

Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty.?Gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year?in the forces. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to the finals of the?game.

The good news is, if?we?aren’t particularly gritty now, there is something?we?can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don’t have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes our own thinking, there’s no way to put this nicely:?we?are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes?us?to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help?us?see?ourselves?and our goals more accurately, but also do wonders for our grit.

5.????Never?Give?Up

This last one sounds so cliché but it's unbelievable the amount of fight, persistence and perseverance that all the successful people?demonstrate?over the course of their journey. No amount of setbacks and failures?can?stop them from waking up each morning and getting ready?for?work.

They?are determined?that it takes to be successful and completely understand that it's not about instant gratification but who can persevere through the most crap. They have a last-man-standing-wins mentality. The day s/he gives up is the day that s/he will be in the coffin.?

Conclusion?

Precisely, our?success depends on how our?thought process gets?translated?into another’s reality so that?wesee what?we?see. Sometimes?people can’t get out of their own way to do that well. From?expressing?emotions to?sharing?information, from creativity to logical perception, it can feel like we are juggling too many ideas to communicate clearly.?

Whether we are looking at the big picture or analyzing details, uncovering potential opportunities or revealing personal biases that might?distract, we can?all?benefit from learning new ways to see and think?if making an?impact?and influencing others is our intention.?Finally, keep in mind what futurist?Daniel Burrus?said: “Your view of the future shapes your actions today, and your actions today shape your future.”

About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani?is the Founder and Managing Director of?Evolve HR?which aims at transforming,?enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan,?Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders.?As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.?

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