I recall watching an interview with Will Smith who was discussing one of his latest films and his acting career in general. The interviewer then asked “If you could label one thing that has helped make you so successful, what would that be?” This question is one that nearly everyone is thinking when they look up at the giants that walk among us. We wonder if they have some amazing God given talent that nobody else has or if they were just lucky; in the right place at the right time. But often what you will hear from these people (including Will Smith) when asked about their success is almost disappointing. “I just focused on my goal and busted my butt every day for 15 years” or “I would not stop for months until I got an audition!” are common responses. When we hear such attributions, we often may think “yeah, they’re just being modest. There’s something else they know/had that I don’t. I mean if it were really so simple, why are so few people as successful as they?” We almost want to hear a more magical explanation to justify our own lack of success!
The only thing that is truly different from the successful and the average Joe/Jane is the way they think. That is all.
In this five-article series, we discuss five domains of thinking where the successful and the average Joe/Jane differ most sharply. Then we follow each domain up with steps you can take this very moment to shift your thinking from Average to that which aligns with the Greats.
The Domains are:
- Challenges
- Tenacity and Faith
- Effort
- Success of Others
- Criticism
Challenges:
How do you typically view challenges that crop up either in your career or personal life? Seriously. Take a minute to think about a challenge you faced recently and consider how you reacted to it. Did you feel like it was something you had to deal with, or something you got to deal with? Did you dread the work that needed to be done to address the issue yet dealt with it anyway? Or were you willing to tackle it head-on? The distinction may seem subtle but it is of critical importance.
When most people are faced with a challenge or setback their immediate gut-level reaction is to avoid it or get it taken care of as painlessly as possible. Their minds, whether consciously or unconsciously, will seek out clever ways of not handling the challenge quickly and effectively. One form of this is procrastination( CAN LINK TO http://thecollegesuccessguide.net/fear). Another is excuse-making. When most people encounter a challenge, their immediate thought is “what is this going to cost me in time, effort, or money?” All they are willing to see (mostly because of their conditioning) is the downside; the cost. When such people finally get around to handling the challenge, they think of the result as ‘returning to the status quo’ and nothing new is to be gained.
The growth-minded people – the successful – see challenge in an entirely different way. When faced with a setback or difficulty their immediate thoughts are “what can I learn from this?” and “how can this help me grow?” Challenge is not something to be ‘dealt with’ but rather something that can augment their problem-solving arsenal and strengthen their approach in whatever it is there are trying to achieve. Successful people actively look for challenges and problems to solve on a regular basis. They know that the sharpest sword is forged only through being beaten and ground again and again. While dealing with a setback may be technically a return to the status quo, they will juice it for all its worth by learning everything they can. That way they will be far better equipped to handle similar (inevitable) problems down the line. Success-minded people embrace challenge as overcoming it means they will be stronger or smarter than ever before.
Making the Shift:
If you are someone who identifies more with the former mindset than the latter (be honest), try to make a habit of the following. Every time you are faced with a challenge, try to find things that you can (or need to) learn from it while working toward a solution. Be sure you take physical notes in some way. Keep your list as positively worded as possible. Once you’ve overcome the challenge, take a look at your list. This is what you have gained for your efforts. Not only have you solved the problem, but you likely also developed new skills or a new way of doing things that you had never considered before. You may even try to find ways of applying your newfound skills/knowledge to other areas of your life!
The key is to begin reconditioning your mind to see challenges as something that can only benefit you. If you consistently focus on everything that can be gained by meeting a challenge head-on, you will establish the necessary “can do” attitude that propels people toward their goals.
Once you’ve convinced yourself that challenges are positive experiences, try seeking out other challenges or problems deliberately! If you are in business and/or an entrepreneur, you probably already know that the more problems you can solve for others, the more money you will make. The more problems you can solve within your organization, the more money you will save and the more your company can produce.
Tyler Bennett is a writer, entrepreneur, and graduate student in mathematics who has a passion for helping students get the most out of their education and their lives as a whole. He has authored several books including The Art of Habit Building and The College Handbook They Never Gave You under the pen name Dan Stevens, and is the primary writer for the website TheCollegeSuccessGuide.net . Tyler is married and has four cats.
