I just ran across a great op-ed at HBR.org this afternoon by motivational psychologist and author, Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. The “Nine Things Successful People Do Differently” are within your reach; where you are today is only a frame of where you can be tomorrow.
As categorization goes, I like to think of three types of professionals – very successful, marginally successful, and clock puncher – and most of us have been in each one of those categories for varying lengths of time. If you’ve come this far, I imagine that your goal is to push the margin and spend more time in the very successful camp. While all nine actions mentioned above are essential, the two things I’ve found most useful in getting there are grit and working out your willpower muscle.
I don’t believe that you have to teach grit; you just have to push wants so far that they become needs. As for training your willpower muscle, do what the a smoker does to quit, replace your bad habits. Some experts recommend gum or lollipops, but I’ve found that a list of 10 other options is most effective. Consider this next time you find yourself scanning Facebook or G-chatting at work. What are the top 10 things you could be doing instead that will move you from clock puncher to marginally successful and then to the next level?
Many aspects of life come down to how you frame them. We know this so well that we’ve come up with an army of idioms to describe it — from the fullness or emptiness of your glass to the greenness of another pasture. The real trick, though is using this knowledge to put life into perspective.
Today, I encourage you to choose someone you admire — say your future self, for example — and describe what you have in common and what is different about you and him/her. I often think about being a millionaire so I’ll use that example.
What do I have in common with a millionaire?
1. We both have 24 hours in a day
2. We both have ambition to be successful
3. We both are surrounded by a support structure of family and friends
4. We both are able to communicate well with other people
What do I not have in common with a millionaire?
1. I am not getting full price for my talents
2. I don’t have a million dollars
The person you admire is more similar to you than you think. We often get so wrapped up in life that we fail to re-frame the important questions. We tend to look at what we don’t have more than what we do and lose sight of our ability to become whatever we dream about.
After you know the similarities and differences, take a look at what you need to do to get to where you want to be. Frame these targets positively. That is, rather than setting a goal about “not being in financial distress,” set your goal around “being in financial excess.”
Take on this challenge today. What does your life today have in common with the life of your dreams? Number one: your current and future you are the same person — YOU!! You have the power to do anything you dream; just ask the right questions.
