Sometimes, A Change in Perspective is All You Need to Succeed

Updated: August 6, 2022

One of the factors that help people become successful is their ability to get things done. Some call this grit, or having the unyielding courage to do what’s necessary despite hardship or danger.

Is that characteristic something they’re born with? No, it’s not.

You too can learn how to harness that power and start achieving your goals. And sometimes, a change in perspective is all you need to start your success engine.

The irony of what you want vs what you do.

Being busy does not always mean you’re being productive. Unfortunately, most people don’t know the difference.

What are your goals? Are the things you do every day helping you move closer to those goals? Or are you just too busy working to help other people achieve their goals?

Each day is an opportunity to get closer to where you want to be, so always make time to do the things that will take you there.

Close the gap between what you want and what you do by eliminating unnecessary activities.

Do you want to start your own business? Then stop watching television and start developing a business plan.

Life is not a Math test, but a Science experiment.

We don’t like making mistakes, because our school system has taught us that if we make too many mistakes, then we will fail the test.

But we’re no longer inside the classroom, and life is not a graded test. The better analogy to use now is that life is a problem that you want to solve scientifically.

And just like in your Science laboratory back in school, you need to define your problem first and list down what’s given.

Then form a hypothesis and test it. If that fails, you form a new one and then test again; you do this until you find a solution.

Having this perspective will make you more open to failure, which is a necessary experience towards achieving your goals.

Ask anyone who’s earning a lot in the stock market how they started and they’ll tell you that they lost money first when they’re still learning and experimenting with different strategies.

Stop connecting things that are unrelated.

Yesterday, you helped an old woman cross the street. Then today at work, your boss announced that you’re getting a promotion.

Was that because of good karma? No, it’s not — you got that promotion because you’re good at your job.

There’s a phrase in the field of Statistics that states: “Correlation does not always mean causation.”

Sometimes, one thing always happens when another thing occurs. But that doesn’t mean the former is causing the latter.

Always analyze the variables to avoid falling into this trap of thinking.

A friend was finding it hard to save money because there’s always a mall sale during payday, and she can’t help but buy something during that time. For her, mall sales are what’s causing her failure to save money.

So she tries to avoid going to the malls when she receives her salary. But this is difficult because the most convenient path for her daily commute is walking through a mall.

When I told her that she shouldn’t blame the mall, and instead work on her financial discipline by focusing on following a budget and saving for a goal, her spending habits began to change for the better.

Empower yourself through your words and vision.

People who work in Sales and Marketing use words and images to convince customers to buy.

Fortunately, this strategy is also effective in helping you become successful.

Self-talk and visualization are powerful tools that can change how you deal with life’s obstacles. And best of all, it doesn’t cost a thing to use.

Reframing your perspective and visualizing your desired results are sometimes all you need to motivate yourself to do what’s necessary to achieve your goals.

Instead of saying, “I want to invest.” — tell yourself “I have to invest.”

Or better yet, say “I will invest next month.” — and see how a vague desire in your mind suddenly becomes a task that you need to do.

Further, motivate yourself into acting by imagining exactly what you’ll do next month.

Close your eyes and visualize yourself in the bank and opening a UITF investment account. Then imagine yourself five years from now redeeming that investment and using the money for capital for your dream business.

The mind is a powerful thing.

Success starts from within, particularly in your mindset. To achieve what you want, you need to have the motivation to do what’s necessary.

Always remember that wanting is not the same as doing. So don’t get stuck wishing, and find ways to begin achieving.

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Photo credit: gsfc and nasamarshall