Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Day 205...Do You Have This Success Trait?













Welcome to Day 205...& A Key Success Trait...

When my kids were younger and one of them wanted to quit an activity they had signed up for - karate, Little League, piano - we had a rule in our house...it was fine to decide that it wasn't for them, but... they needed to finish out the season.

There's something to be said for developing a stick-to-it-tiveness about your life and your goals.

In her article 9 Things Successful People Do DifferentlyHeidi Grant Halvorson describes it as having grit...

"Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. 

Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year at West Point. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The good news is, if you aren’t particularly gritty now, there is something you 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 your own thinking …. well, there’s no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit."

To help build up that grit and to stay in it for the long haul, Halvorson recommends you build your willpower muscle...

"To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you’d honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. 

When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don’t. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they occur (“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 your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout."

And Jonathan Mead suggests adopting a "just a matter of time" mindset  Here's what he has to say in his blog post How to Stay Hungry and See Your Goal Through to the End  


"In order to stay productive you need a deep, unshakeable commitment to where you want to go and the life you want to create. I think it goes without saying here that you must have a goal that is rooted in who you are and is founded in something that defines you. This is non-negotiable.

If working for yourself is aligned with the type of person you are, you’re much more likely to succeed at it, rather than if it’s just a fleeting, interesting idea.

However, even when a goal is centered in who you are, it can still feel daunting when you’re doing something you’ve never done before. The path can be dark, mysterious and treacherous at times.

As a safeguard to our fluctuating internal motivation, we can espouse the “just a matter of time” mindset.  Of all the tools and “inner game” skills I’ve developed, this is by far the most powerful. It’s my secret weapon that ensures any goal I commit to will be reached. Not might be reached. Not could be reached. It will be reached.

This mindset is simple once you get used to thinking in this way. Whatever goal you have for your life, decide that it will happen. No matter what. It’s not a matter of how or if, it’s a matter of when.

It’s just a matter of time. With enough energy, enough action, it is inevitable.

When you decide that something is just a matter of time, you move from the realm of possibility to the realm of inevitability."

Here's to seeing things through to the end and Today's Takeaway Lesson...

"For Now You Will Know One Of The Greatest Principles Of Success; If You Persist Long Enough You Will Win"  Og Mandino

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife
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365 Days & Counting...


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