Are you success-conscious or failure-conscious?
Success is defined to be the attainment of goals or objectives that lead to the desired outcome. Failure is defined as the state of being unable to attain a goal or objective. This is why success is often thought of as a reward for the risk taken, while failure is considered a punishment.
A big part of success is having the right attitude. Your attitude determines whether you focus on success or failure. If you focus on success, you are more likely to take action and try new things. However, if you focus on failure, you are less likely to try new things and fail. However, failure is an inevitable part of life, and if you do not try new things, you will never learn what you want to.
People who think negatively often have a more challenging time taking the first step toward something they want because they don’t see themselves succeeding.
When thinking about a new idea, do you see obstacles or opportunities?
I have often found that my motivation for taking action is in direct proportion to the perceived difficulty of the task. If I see a challenging task ahead of me and I think it will be hard to complete, I am more likely to put it off indefinitely. If, on the other hand, the task seems relatively easy to assemble, my motivation is significantly increased.
Are you a glass-half-empty or a glass-half-full kind of person? Some people look at challenges and opportunities, while others look at obstacles. Facing obstacles vs. opportunities may have a significant impact on how likely you are to take action. Consider this scenario: You decide to start a blog about something that you know very little about. You want the blog to be successful, but you don’t know where to start. You look at the project as an opportunity to learn rather than a huge challenge. You are more likely to take action on your idea and get started because you don’t feel overwhelmed by the project.
Ability vs. Attitude
You may have heard that some people are born lucky, and others are born unlucky. Are you lucky enough to be born with the right attitude to become successful? There’s evidence to suggest that how we think about our lives affects what we do. If you’re a negative thinker, chances are your ability to take action will be affected.
In the beginning, success or failure was determined by the work you did. Now success or failure is determined by how you react to what happens to you. If you believe you cannot achieve a specific goal or outcome, you will not work enough to get there. But if you think you can achieve success, you will work hard enough to make it happen.
Success is not a destination; success is a journey. Success is all-encompassing, but at the core, it is all about what you choose to focus on and your attitude toward failure and success. Success is something you can accomplish, but it is often a journey where you have set goals, and you have to take action towards those goals.
It’s about what you see in your mind that motivates or de-motivates you.
Of course, your state of mind will impact how you view your success, and this is important because what you think you are capable of doing influences how hard you work. For example, if you believe it’s impossible to lose weight, you’ll probably stop trying. But if you think that you can lose weight, you’ll push yourself harder, and eventually, you’ll succeed.
Think about the last time you were in a store, trying to decide what to buy. Like a piece of clothing, you could see something and have a great idea of what it will look like on you. Or you could view a piece of jewelry and imagine how it will look on an outfit you are making. Or you could view a new toy and try to imagine what it will be like with your child. These are examples of how your mind can bring you visions of success or failure.
Deeply, you must be doubting yourself.
No matter how accomplished you may be, you’ve probably experienced a time where you’re not sure if you’re able to do something. Whether it’s a new project at work or a new hobby you decided to take up, it’s hard to face the idea of doing something you’re not sure you can do. Maybe you’re even thinking, “Why bother trying? I’m sure I’m not good at this, anyway.”
It’s not that you’ll fail, but the fear of failure will stop you from pursuing anything or doing anything with passion.
Even if you’re not a procrastinator, everyone has moments when they doubt their capabilities. If you’re just starting on a project you’re unsure of, you might wonder if you’re capable of completing it or if you’re not up to the challenge. The same holds true for other decisions: you might doubt your ability to stick to a diet and lose weight, or you might question your ability to stick to an exercise regimen and get in shape.
How can one become a success-conscious person?
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be more successful than others? The answer may lie in what psychologists refer to as “thinking patterns.” Of the different personalities, some are positive thinkers who are determined to succeed, while others are victims of negative thinking patterns that prevent them from succeeding. A positive thinking pattern brings out an active approach to life and develops into a success-conscious person.
A success-conscious person, when thinks about doing something, imagines the result. He imagines all the good feelings he will experience as a result of being successful. In contrast, a failure-conscious person will think about the process and all the steps he has to take, which may demotivate him.
“Attitude is a little bit of reality, a lot of perception, and a dash of motivation.” ~ Sean Covey, This wisdom of self-help author Sean Covey is the foundation for the success-conscious attitude, an approach to thinking that is diametrically opposed to the failure-conscious attitude.
Conclusion
You can choose to think of failure as the end goal or see it as a stepping stone. Either way, it’s a choice. What is the difference between success and failure? It’s about how you view failure, the result, or the process. Success is about results, and failure is about the process.
Our mindset can change how we consume and use our time and even how successful we ultimately become.
People fail because they tried and just didn’t succeed. Failing is not a reflection of the person but the person’s effort.
