Achieving a Winning Attitude

The parable of the contented frog illustrates the obstacles we face in winning. If you boil a pot of water and drop a frog in it, guess what happens? The frog quickly jumps out. However, if you put a frog in a pot of cool water and then slowly heat the pot up, guess what happens? The frog boils to death!

How often do people become contended where they are at or with what they are doing? To win we must be willing to change. To win we must be willing to look bad by trying novel approaches or ideas to look even better.

3 Ways to Achieve a Winning Attitude

Do you want more success in your job or life? More recognition? More personal satisfaction? If you do, read on. Get more motivated to be all you can be with a winning attitude. Tom Watson, the founder of IBM, created a world giant of a company with a winning attitude and performance. He believed strongly that people learn to win. Here are three words that define winning that are worth learning.

Possibility

This is the first characteristic of a winning attitude. Dr. Viktor Frankel declared, “Man’s ultimate freedom is his ability to choose his own attitude.” Are you choosing a winning attitude?

• Positive over negative
• Strength over weakness
• Success over failure
• Persistence over despair
• Yes, over no
• Winning over losing
• Possibility over problems

Unfortunately, Henry David Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”  Far too many people look at the world with fear and see disaster and turmoil. They think it’s natural to think negatively; it is the way of the world. Their views reinforce their thinking patterns.

Winners think of possibility. They seek solutions and strive after goals. Instead of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) they work at PIPO (positive in, positive out). Positive thinking is similar to the game of golf. Just when you think you have perfected the game, you shank a shot. Positive thinking must be worked at day by day, every day. Winners in sales, management, customer service or any career seek an edge. They are never 50% better than competitors. Success comes by being 1%, 2%, 3% better by focusing on the possibilities not the problems in life circumstances.

Persistence

You may be saying, “Who are you to talk?” You don’t know me or what I’ve been through.” And that’s right. Yet I do know winners have persistence. Abe Lincoln once wrote, “I am the most miserable man alive, whether I’ll make it, I do not know.” Yet he did, didn’t he? He persisted.

Helen Keller had a few bad days, but she kept on keeping on. Beethoven wrote his best work while in debt to his creditors. Handel composed the Messiah while he was deaf. Socrates was bald, fat, and ugly. However, he is considered one of the greatest philosophers of all time.

What is the secret of persistence? It is between the lines in these words by William Henley: “It matters not how strait the gate or marred with punishments the scroll; I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”

Pride

All winners have pride! A sales survey of top performers indicated their best attributes included their pride and ability to work hard. In other words, they wanted to win, and they did because they kept learning to perfect their craft. Do not be like the little girl who wrote the following letter:

Dear Miss Harper:

My mother said if I wanted to be good at the piano that I should work hard, practice long and apply myself. That is why I am writing this letter; I decided to quit the piano.

Your student, Susie Thompson

All excellence is equally difficult. Work hard! Practice long! Apply yourself! You will win more success, recognition and personal satisfaction in your career and life.

“I have a vision that soars on golden wings and visualize of your achievements and your legacy that sings. I do not know all about your awesome goals or persistent efforts to raise the bar. However, I only know you can be the best-a superstar!” May you be inspired to reach your greatest heights with a winning attitude.

Do you want more success in life and in achieving your goals? If so, check out this 98 page eBook road-map to success: GoalPower: How to Increase Your Personal and Professional Success. 

In addition, do you want more success in life? See this complimentary guide and assessment on Success Practices.

Also, go here for our RealTime Learning and Training leadership and personal development micro-learning website. Learning means winning at fingertips.

To accelerate your career, contact Rick at RCI: 612-868-8521 or rick@rickconlow.com.