BY ELLE KAPLAN
Sometimes, a step towards success isn't something to
do as much as it's an attitude to adopt. No matter how
much elbow grease you put towards your
achievements, your mentality and thinking can make all
the difference.
Well, it turns out that there are some widely used
mental habits that successful people exercise every
day.
I won't keep you in suspense - here are some mental
habits that you need to inject into your everyday
routine:
Be open to (a lot) of change
"I learned to always take on things I'd never done
before. Growth and comfort do not coexist." said Ginni
Rometty, President and CEO of IBM.
It can be tempting to dodge change - be it a change in
career, relationship or location. Whatever it may be,
change can be a scary thing, and the fear of it can be
enough to paralyze your plans before they even begin.
Maybe there's a change you've been contemplating for
a while now but just haven't had the guts to make. The
truth is that no matter how much you shy away from
it, change plays a big role in achieving your goals. You
can shift your mentality by taking baby-steps to
embrace discomfort instead, whether it's taking on a
scary project or just trying something new.
Who knows? That one change could be a huge
stepping stone to living the life you want to live.
Cut down on decision-making
You may have noticed how Zuckerberg wears a grey t-
shirt all the time, or how Jobs wore a black turtleneck
and Obama wears a grey suit daily.
This isn't due to a lack of fashion sense--really
successful people make a mental habit of eliminating
as many small choices as they can. As Obama said,
"You'll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I'm trying to
pare down decisions."
That's because they're trying to save their mental
energy for big daily decisions--like leading America or
running a multi-billion dollar company. You should also
try to do something similar--even if it's something
simple like automating an email process or cutting
down your breakfast choices.
Avoid multitasking
If you think that ultra-successful people are juggling
30,000 things at once, think again.
Studies have proven that in reality, multitasking
involves rapidly shifting your attention between tasks,
and it compromises the quality of all of them. So
something as simple as talking on the phone while
doing a report is likely to ruin both the report and the
call.
You can start using this mental trick by prioritizing
instead of juggling 10 things at once. This simple habit
will make a big impact on your long-term success.
Only compete with yourself
Especially in the world of business, there's this feeling
that the most successful people can only earn their
place by playing dirty in a competition with their
coworkers.
It's no wonder that some workplaces become a
breeding ground for gossip and competition rather than
teamwork and collaboration. The most successful
people rise above it. How? They have one important
competition on their minds: their competition with
themselves.
Irene Rosenfeld said one simple sentence that
dismantles the vicious corporate ladder approach: "Do
your job brilliantly and the cream will rise to the top."
This mindset can apply to work as well as other areas
of life: Work hard to be brilliant at what you do and the
competition will weed itself out.
Visualize ideas
You've probably heard the term "visualize success"
before. What you may not have realized is that this sort
of positive thinking can actually improve your chances
of success.
In one study, for example, weightlifters who visualized
carrying heavier weights in their heads saw a 13.5%
increase in their strength. Quite simply, what you
believe you can do determines what you can do. So
instead of thinking "that can't be done", think of
everything as possible and the results will amaze you.
Visualization doesn't have to be limited to closing your
eyes and creating a picture in your mind either. It's also
inspiration that can come in the form of making to-do
lists, drawing out concepts, creating vision boards or
simply indulging in a relaxing activity that allows you to
take a deep breath and picture what matters most to
you.
Read More
Sometimes, a step towards success isn't something to
do as much as it's an attitude to adopt. No matter how
much elbow grease you put towards your
achievements, your mentality and thinking can make all
the difference.
Well, it turns out that there are some widely used
mental habits that successful people exercise every
day.
I won't keep you in suspense - here are some mental
habits that you need to inject into your everyday
routine:
Be open to (a lot) of change
"I learned to always take on things I'd never done
before. Growth and comfort do not coexist." said Ginni
Rometty, President and CEO of IBM.
It can be tempting to dodge change - be it a change in
career, relationship or location. Whatever it may be,
change can be a scary thing, and the fear of it can be
enough to paralyze your plans before they even begin.
Maybe there's a change you've been contemplating for
a while now but just haven't had the guts to make. The
truth is that no matter how much you shy away from
it, change plays a big role in achieving your goals. You
can shift your mentality by taking baby-steps to
embrace discomfort instead, whether it's taking on a
scary project or just trying something new.
Who knows? That one change could be a huge
stepping stone to living the life you want to live.
Cut down on decision-making
You may have noticed how Zuckerberg wears a grey t-
shirt all the time, or how Jobs wore a black turtleneck
and Obama wears a grey suit daily.
This isn't due to a lack of fashion sense--really
successful people make a mental habit of eliminating
as many small choices as they can. As Obama said,
"You'll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I'm trying to
pare down decisions."
That's because they're trying to save their mental
energy for big daily decisions--like leading America or
running a multi-billion dollar company. You should also
try to do something similar--even if it's something
simple like automating an email process or cutting
down your breakfast choices.
Avoid multitasking
If you think that ultra-successful people are juggling
30,000 things at once, think again.
Studies have proven that in reality, multitasking
involves rapidly shifting your attention between tasks,
and it compromises the quality of all of them. So
something as simple as talking on the phone while
doing a report is likely to ruin both the report and the
call.
You can start using this mental trick by prioritizing
instead of juggling 10 things at once. This simple habit
will make a big impact on your long-term success.
Only compete with yourself
Especially in the world of business, there's this feeling
that the most successful people can only earn their
place by playing dirty in a competition with their
coworkers.
It's no wonder that some workplaces become a
breeding ground for gossip and competition rather than
teamwork and collaboration. The most successful
people rise above it. How? They have one important
competition on their minds: their competition with
themselves.
Irene Rosenfeld said one simple sentence that
dismantles the vicious corporate ladder approach: "Do
your job brilliantly and the cream will rise to the top."
This mindset can apply to work as well as other areas
of life: Work hard to be brilliant at what you do and the
competition will weed itself out.
Visualize ideas
You've probably heard the term "visualize success"
before. What you may not have realized is that this sort
of positive thinking can actually improve your chances
of success.
In one study, for example, weightlifters who visualized
carrying heavier weights in their heads saw a 13.5%
increase in their strength. Quite simply, what you
believe you can do determines what you can do. So
instead of thinking "that can't be done", think of
everything as possible and the results will amaze you.
Visualization doesn't have to be limited to closing your
eyes and creating a picture in your mind either. It's also
inspiration that can come in the form of making to-do
lists, drawing out concepts, creating vision boards or
simply indulging in a relaxing activity that allows you to
take a deep breath and picture what matters most to
you.
Read More
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