What is the common denominator of success? What differentiates successful individuals from those who consider themselves to have failed in their journey? I believe the answer is positive expectancy. Successful individuals look to the future and expect to succeed. People who fail expect to fail.
It’s not a brand new idea. This simple concept has been around for a long, long time. The Bible says, “As he thinks within himself, so he is.” Napoleon Hill wrote, “We become what we think about.” Marcus Aurelius is credited with, “A man will rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.”
Are your dominant thoughts about winning or losing? Making the sale or walking out with nothing?
If you reflect upon the times when you have succeeded at a particularly difficult project, you probably expected to succeed: graduation; buying your first house; starting a business; making that big sale. When you decided to do it, made the commitment and expected to see it through, you did. We tend to get what we expect – good or bad.
What are your expectations?
If you could gauge your level of expectancy – not your hopes or wishes, but your honest expectations, are you going to have a great year? Do you expect your outcomes to get worse, stay the same or get better? This simple exercise can give you some insights. Your honest gut response is an indicator of what you expect to happen. Rate yourself on each item – get worse, stay the same or get better:
- Sales and personal income
- Personal finances
- Relationship with my spouse or partner
- Relationships with my children
- Relationships with friends and colleagues
- Health and wellness
- Education, continuous learning, and wisdom
- Creative endeavours
- Community or charitable contributions
What do you do if you don’t like your answers? There are strategies that can build your confidence in the future:
- Set a goal
- Take a course and build your skills
- Read books or articles on the subject
- Get a coach, counselor or therapist
- Review your priorities daily
- Track your progress
- Take responsibility
- Take initiative
- Visualize a better outcome
- Ask for help
- Manage your self-talk
Planning for the worst but expecting the best enables you to move forward without rose-coloured glasses. Expect the best in 2019!