Attitude and Peak Performance – Part 2
In Part-1 I focused on how skill and credentials may get you into the arena of your choice, but it’s your attitude determines how productive and successful you are in that arena. In short I like to say, ‘Your attitude determines your altitude’ Your mindset going into, during and even after an event or task, will largely determine the amount of success you achieve.
There are two attitude forming words that I won’t tolerate being used by my client’s: ‘can’t’ and ‘try.’ When you say “I can’t’ you kill all motivation to work towards being able to do it and assure that nothing will change. If on the other-hand you think ‘I can’ you will put forth effort and the how starts to come to you. I always say, ‘If you think you can or can’t, you are probably right.’
When people say ‘I’ll try’ they already have a built-in excuse for failing that undercuts any effort they put forth. If I tell you to build a wall and you say ‘I’ll try,’ as soon as you encounter an obstacle you are likely to give up and be satisfied with having ‘tried.’ If I tell you to build a wall and you say ‘I will’ chances are you will not give up until that wall is finished.
I always say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. I want to be, and be around, dream-makers not dream-extinguishers. Therefore, you would be wise to make sure you and your organization are full of ‘can-do’ people and not ‘can’t-do’ people. I do not believe there is anything that cannot be done with a can-do attitude.
When it comes to being faced with obstacles in life, I have found there are three main types of people.
1) The Hopers; These are the ones who deep down inside do not believe they have what it takes to be a peak performer and/or are unwilling to put in the work necessary to be as successful as they at one time hoped to be. They often switch jobs repeatedly in ‘hope’ that things will fall into place for them at the new place. They never admit to themselves that it’s their attitude and unwillingness to put in the work to overcome obstacles, and not the place that is holding them back.
2) The Rationalizers: These are the ones who start out making progress but as the competition gets stronger they begin to crumble. As a result, they give up on trying and rationalize that they “could have been great,” but circumstances or politics etc. got in their way. They also are the ones telling you how happy they are, in a desperate attempt at self-justification. Peak performers refuse to let anything get in their way and view obstacles as opportunities.
3) The Thrivers: These are the ones who will not let any obstacle get in their way. The bigger the challenge and/or obstacles the more effort they put in and the more determined they become. They always have a goal in front of them, no matter how great their achievements of the past. They are usually extremely happy because they know the secret to happiness is not success alone, but rather the feeling of constantly moving forward and progressing.
Although we are all born with the opportunity to be a Thriver, only a minute percentage of all people fall into this category. The majority of people fall into one of the first two categories and few realize it is a choice they have made. If you are in one of the first two categories right now, please know that you can change that with your attitude and actions.
I always say, “Losers wait for the right time to act. Winners act to make the time right.’ No one is stopping you from thinking you can and taking action, so why not live that way? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
You can follow Sam on Twitter @SuperTaoInc
