UNIT I
INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
DEFINITION:
“Personality is that pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that distinguishes one person
from another and that persists over time”
“It is the sum of biologically based and learnt behaviour which forms the person's unique responses to
environmental stimuli”
DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY:
The Big Five personality traits, also known as the five factor model (FFM), is a model based on common
language descriptors of personality (lexical hypothesis). These descriptors are grouped together using a
statistical technique called factor analysis (i.e. this model is not based on scientific experiments).
This widely examined theory suggests five broad dimensions used by some psychologists to describe the
human personality and psyche. The five factors have been defined as openness to experience,
conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, often listed under the acronyms
“OCEAN”.
Dimension of Personality High Level Low level
Openness to experience Inventive, Curious Cautious, Conservative
Conscientiousness Efficient, Organised Easy going, Careless
Extraversion Outgoing, Energetic Solitary, Reserved
Agreeableness Friendly, Compassionate Competitive, Outspoken
Neuroticism Sensitive, Nervous Secure, Confident
These five factors are assumed to represent the basic structure behind all personality traits.
They were defined and described by several different researchers during multiple periods of research.
Employees are sometimes tested on the Big Five personality traits in collaborative situations to determine
what strong personality traits they can add to a group dynamic. Businesses need to understand their people
as well as their operations and processes. Understanding the personality components that drive the employee
behavior is a very useful informational data point for management.
THE FIVE DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY: (THE FIVE FACTOR MODEL)
a. Openness to experience: (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious):
Openness to experience describes a person's degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity, appreciation for art,
emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience. It is also described as the extent to
which a person is imaginative or independent, and depicts a personal preference for a variety of activities
over a strict routine. High openness can be perceived as unpredictability or lack of focus. Moreover,
individuals with high openness are said to pursue self-actualization specifically by seeking out intense,
euphoric experiences, such as skydiving, living abroad, gambling, etc. Conversely, those with low openness
seek to gain fulfilment through perseverance, and are characterized as pragmatic and data- driven—
sometimes even perceived to be dogmatic and closed-minded. Some disagreement remains about how to
interpret and contextualize the openness factor.
b. Conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless):
Conscientiousness is a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement.
Conscientiousness also refers to planning, organization, and dependability. High conscientiousness is often
perceived as stubbornness and obsession. Low conscientiousness is associated with flexibility and
spontaneity, but can also appear as sloppiness and lack of reliability.
c. Extraversion: (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved):
Extraversion describes energy, positive emotions, assertiveness, sociability, talkativeness, and the tendency
to seek stimulation in the company of others. High extraversion is often perceived as attention- seeking, and
domineering. Low extraversion causes a reserved, reflective personality, which can be perceived as aloof or
self-absorbed.
d. Agreeableness: (friendly/compassionate vs. analytical/detached):
Agreeableness is a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic
towards others. It is also a measure of one's trusting and helpful nature, and whether a person is generally
well-tempered or not. High agreeableness is often seen as naive or submissive. Low agreeableness
personalities are often competitive or challenging people, which can be seen as argumentative or
untrustworthy.
e. Neuroticism: (sensitive/nervous vs. Secure/confident).
Neuroticism is a tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, and
vulnerability. Neuroticism also refers to the degree of emotional stability and impulse control and is
sometimes referred to by its low pole, "emotional stability". A high need for stability manifests as a stable
and calm personality, but can be seen as uninspiring and unconcerned. A low need for stability causes a
reactive and excitable personality, often very dynamic individuals, but they can be perceived as unstable or
insecure.
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT:
❖ Personality development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents
and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of life and
contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations.
❖ When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods,
programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human development at the
individual level in organizations.
❖ Personality development includes activities that develop talents, improve awareness, enhances
potential and looks to improve the quality of life. It involves formal and informal activities that put
people in the role of leaders, guides, teachers, and managers for helping them realize their full
potential.
❖ Hence, it can be concluded that the process of improving or transforming the personality is called
personality development.
SIGNIFICANCE OR IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT:
Most people underestimate the importance of having a pleasing personality. Majority think it just
means being born good-looking, that there isn’t anything much to do about it. But this is not true. The scope
of personality development is quite broad. It includes knowing how to dress well, social graces, grooming,
speech and interpersonal skills. Whatever your career, these are very important skills that will promote your
objectives.
To better appreciate its importance, some of the key benefits of developing your personality include the
following:
a. Confidence:
Personality development gives more confidence to people. When you know you are appropriately attired
and groomed, this makes you less anxious when meeting a person. Knowing the right things to say and how
to conduct yourself will increase your confidence.
b. Credibility:
Personality development makes people more credible. Despite the saying that you don’t judge a book by its
cover, people do tend to judge people by their clothing and how it is worn. This does not mean buying
expensive clothes. We all know people who look shabby in expensive clothes. There are also people who
look great even if their attire is inexpensive. Because of this, you must know what to wear and you must be
aware of other aspects of enhancing your physical features.
c. Interaction:
Personality development encourages people to interact with others. Studies have consistently shown that
people communicate more openly with people they are comfortable with. If your hygiene and social graces
are unrefined, then expect to have a much harder time connecting with people.
d. Leading and Motivating:
Personality development enhances the capacity to lead and motivate. A person with a winning personality
will be able to motivate better. People are less likely to get bored, and our ideas will have more credibility.
We can lead better if we project an aura of confidence and credibility.
e. Curiosity:
A single wrong word can destroy a business relationship. Knowing the right things to say shows both respect
and intellectual sophistication. This is especially the case if you are dealing with foreigners or if you conduct
business outside the country. The right thing to do in our country could be horrible blunders in a different
culture. These are the soft skills that may break or make a deal.
f. Communication skills:
It improves your communication skills. People are more receptive to what you say if they are impressed
with your personality. Verbal communication skills are also part of personality development; improving
your speech will strengthen the impact of your message.
You cannot win by talent and hard work alone. Personality development is a crucial ingredient that you
must obtain. Most of the people you see as models of great personality have taken a lot of effort in
developing their natural features.
CONCEPT OF SUCCESS:
DEFINITION:
What makes a person successful? How do we recognize success?
To some people, success might mean wealth. To others, it is recognition, good health, good family,
happiness, satisfaction, and peace of mind. What this really tells us is that success is subjective. It can mean
different things to different people.
The best definition for success is
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal”
Let's look at these definitions carefully.
• "Progressive" means that success is a journey, not a destination. We never arrive. After we reach
one goal, we go on to the next and the next and the next.
• "Realization" means it is an experience. Outside forces cannot make me feel successful. I have to
feel it within myself. It is internal not external.
• "Worthy" refers to our value system. Which way are we heading? Positive or negative? Worthiness
determines the quality of the journey. That is what gives meaning and fulfilment. Success without
fulfilment is empty.
• "Goals" are important. Because they give us a sense of direction.
GOALS:
Why Goals are important?
In a study conducted on students in the 1979 Harvard MBA program, only three percent of the
graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and 84 percent
had set no goals at all.
Ten years later, the findings revealed that 13 percent of the class who had goals were earning up to
84 percent compared to those who had not set any. For the three percent who defined their goals and wrote
them down, they were earning on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together.
Goal Setting:
Most People don't know how to set goals. Some set goals that are too general. These are, in reality, fantasies
common to everyone. Goals, on the other hand, are clear, written, specific, and measurable.
Most People fear failure. Failure hurts, but it is often necessary to experience failure in order to
achieve the greatest success. Do not unconsciously sabotage yourself by not setting any goals in which you
might fail. They fear rejection. People are often afraid that if they are unsuccessful at achieving a goal,
others will be critical of them. This is remedied by keeping your goals to yourself at the outset; let others
see your results and achievements once you've accomplished your goals.
Some goals are called away from goals. These are usually framed in the negative. Here are a few
examples.
• I don’t want to smoke anymore
• I don’t want to be unfit
• I don’t want to be overweight
• I don’t want to be broke
Now let’s reframe them in the positive
• I am a non smoker
• I am fit and healthy
• I am at my ideal weight
• I can cover my bills
Notice the difference. They are stated in the positive and take on the assumption that you have
achieved it already. By assuming “as if” your behaviour changes so that you are acting like to have already
achieved what you wanted to do. What a great feeling to have even before you have got there. It also bolsters
your motivation.
So now we have determined if our goal is towards something, or away from something. We have
now stated it in the positive. This however is still not a very well detailed goal. We will now look at how
we can make it more specific.
An ideal goal should be expressed in the positive, be time bound and specific. You may also like to
consider, how will you know when you have achieved it, what will it feel like, what will the people around
you be like? What will you do to celebrate it?
A goal must be time bound. When do I want to have achieved it? If that’s when I want to achieve
it, then when must I start? What is the first step I need to take? Who should I tell? Should telling that person
be the first step? What skills or knowledge do I need to acquire along the way?
Goal size, is the goal too big to achieve? If so then breaking it down into smaller bite sized pieces
may be the right approach.
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCCESS:
1. Desire:
The motivation to success comes from the burning desire to achieve a purpose.
Napoleon Hill wrote, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."
A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near
the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river.
When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the
water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning
blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a
deep breath of air. Socrates asked, 'What did you want the most when you were there?" The boy replied,
"Air." Socrates said, "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air,
then you will get it." There is no other secret.
A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give much
heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results.
2. Commitment:
Integrity and wisdom are the two pillars on which to build and keep commitments.
This point is best illustrated by the manager, who told one of his staff members, "Integrity is keeping your
commitment even if you lose money and wisdom is not to make such foolish commitments."
Prosperity and success are the result of our thoughts and decisions. It is our decision what thoughts
will dominate our lives. Success is not an accident. It is the result of our attitude.
There is a big difference between playing to win and playing not to lose. When we play to win, we
play with enthusiasm and commitment; whereas when we play not to lose, we are playing from a position
of weakness. When we play not to lose, we are playing to avoid failure. We all want to win, but very few
are prepared to pay the price to prepare to win. Winners condition and commit themselves to winning.
Playing to win comes out of inspiration, whereas playing not to lose comes out of desperation.
There are no ideal circumstances. There will never be. To reach anywhere we cannot just drift nor
lie at anchor. We need to sometimes sail with the wind and sometimes against it, but sail we must.
Ask any coach or athlete what the difference between the best and the worst team is. There would be very
little difference in their physique, talent and ability. The biggest difference you will find is emotional
difference. The winning team has dedication and they make the extra effort. To a winner, the tougher the
competition
3. Responsibility
A duty which becomes a desire will ultimately become a delight. --George Gritter
People with character accept responsibilities. They make decisions and determine their own destiny in life.
Accepting responsibilities involves taking risks and being accountable which is sometimes uncomfortable.
Most people would rather stay in their comfort zone and live passive lives without accepting
responsibilities. They drift through life waiting for things to happen rather than making them happen.
Accepting responsibilities involves taking calculated, not foolish, risks. It means evaluating all the pros
and cons, then taking the most appropriate decision or action. Responsible people don't think that the
world owes them a living.
4. Hard Work:
Success is not something that you run into by accident. It takes a lot of preparation and character.
Everyone likes to win but how many are willing to put in the effort and time to prepare to win? It takes
sacrifice and self-discipline. There is no substitute for hard work.
Henry Ford said, "The harder you work, the luckier you get."
The world is full of willing workers, some willing to work and the others willing to let them.
“I like to work half a day. I don't care if it is the first 12 hours or the second 12 hours.”
--Kammons Wilson, CEO of Holiday Inn
One cannot develop a capacity to do anything without hard work, just as a person cannot learn how to spell
by sitting on a dictionary. Professionals make things look easy because they have mastered the fundamentals
of whatever they do.
“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem wonderful at all.”
--Michaelangelo
An executive called a company to check on a potential candidate. He asked the candidate's supervisor, "How
long has he worked for you?" The man replied, "Three days." The executive said. "But he told me he was
with you for three years." The man replied, "That is right, but he worked three days."
5. Character
Character is the sum total of a person's values, beliefs and personality. It is reflected in our behavior,
in our actions. It needs to be preserved more than the richest jewel in the world. To be a winner takes
character. George Washington said, "I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain
what I consider the most valuable of all titles, the character of an honest man."
It is not the polls or public opinions but the character of the leader that determines the course of
history. There is no twilight zone in integrity. The road to success has many pitfalls. It takes a lot of character
and effort not to fall into them. It also takes character not to be disheartened by critics.
How come most people love success but hate successful people? Whenever a person rises above
average, there will always be someone trying to rip him apart. Chances are pretty good when you see a
person on top of a hill, that he just didn't get there, but had to endure a tough climb. It's no different in life.
In any profession, a successful person will be envied by those who are not. Don't let criticism distract
you from reaching your goal. Average people play it safe to avoid criticism, which can be easily avoided by
saying, doing or being nothing. The more you accomplish, the more you risk being criticized. It seems there
is a relationship between success and criticism. The greater the success, the more is the criticism.
Critics have always been sitting at the sidelines. They are underachievers who shout at doers, telling them
how to do it right. But remember critics are not the leaders or doers and it is worthwhile asking them to
come down to where the action is.
“The critic is one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
6. Positive Believing:
What is the difference between positive thinking and positive believing? What if you could actually
listen to your thoughts? Are they positive or negative? How are you programming your mind, for success
or failure? How you think has a profound effect on your performance.
Having a positive attitude and being motivated is a choice we make every morning.
Living a positive life is not easy; but then neither is negative living. Given a choice, I would go for
positive living.
Positive thinking is better than negative thinking and it will help us use our abilities to the fullest.
Positive believing is a lot more than positive thinking. It is having a reason to believe that positive
thinking will work. Positive believing is an attitude of confidence that comes with preparation. Having a
positive attitude without making the effort is nothing more than having a wishful dream. The following
illustrates positive believing.
7. Give More Than You Get
It is easy to succeed today. We have no competition. If you want to get ahead in life, go the extra mile. There
is no competition on the extra mile. Are you willing to do a little more than you get paid for? How many
people you know are willing to do a little bit more than what they get paid for? Hardly any. Most people
don't want to do what they get paid for and there is a second category of people who only want to do what
they can get by with. They fulfil their quota just to keep their jobs. There is a small fraction who are willing
to do a little bit more than what they get paid for.
Why do they do more? If you fall into the last category, then where is your competition?
The advantages of doing more than you get paid for are:
• You make yourself more valuable, regardless of what you do and where you work.
• It gives you more confidence.
• People start looking at you as a leader.
• Others start trusting you.
• Superiors start respecting you.
• It breeds loyalty from both your subordinates and your superiors.
• It generates cooperation.
8. The Power of Persistence
Nothing will take the place of persistence.
Talent will not: Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not: Unrewarded genius is a proverb.
Education will not: The world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. --Calvin Coolidge
The journey to being your best is not easy. It is full of setbacks. Winners have the ability to overcome and
bounce back with even greater resolve.
Fritz Kreisler, the great violinist, was once asked, "How do you play so well? Are you lucky?" He
replied, "It is practice. If I don't practice for a month, the audience can tell the difference. If I don't practice
for a week, my wife can tell the difference. If I don't practice for a day, I can tell the difference."
Persistence means commitment and determination. There is pleasure in endurance. Commitment
and persistence is a decision. Athletes put in years of practice for a few seconds or minutes of performance.
Persistence is a decision. It is a commitment to finish what you start. When we are exhausted,
quitting looks good. But winners endure. Ask a winning athlete. He endures pain and finishes what he
started.
HURDLES IN ACHIEVING SUCCESS:
Although there are lot of potential obstacles, the following hurdles are more common.
1. Lack of information
2. Lack of skill
3. Limiting beliefs
4. Well being
5. Other people
6. Own motivation
7. Time
8. Money
9. Fear
1. Lack of Information:
Information can have one of two effects. With too much you can be overwhelmed, and can stop you
from making a decision or taking the next steps. With too little information you are not able to put things
into perspective, or look at the bigger picture. Identifying where you have gaps in your knowledge, and
including this as part of your goal will move you closer to achieving it. There are several ways to obtain
new information. Research, planned reading, listening to CD’s, DVD’s on a specific topic or networking
with individuals who have the knowledge to share with you.
2. Lack of Skill:
In order to move forwards you may have to pick up skills along the way. This need not be an
enormous challenge. As part of your goal setting, understanding what skills you need to acquire, and how
you will acquire them will form steps of your plan. This does not necessarily mean that you need to enrol
on a course, although that is a great idea. Other alternatives such as on-line study, planned reading,
shadowing a colleague in the workplace, or seeking advice from a friend can also help you obtain the skills
you need.
3. Limiting beliefs:
We all have a set of beliefs by which we live our lives. These are set in our subconscious at an early
age. Sometimes these beliefs can hold you back and limit your ability to achieve you goals. Some common
examples may be familiar to you. Indecision or Procrastination- should I do one thing or another? This
often results in you doing nothing. The limiting belief manifests itself as “I am not able to make decisions”.
Unable to make progress or stuck – when a way of working is no longer effective, you continue to
use it and often forms a comfort zone, the limiting belief here could be “ I can’t/ won’t change”. Often
people will state that “I don’t deserve to be successful”, or “that shouldn’t work for me”. Here we are seeing
self sabotage and not valuing themselves and their own ability.
4. Well being:
Despite your best efforts, there may be times when you are simply not able to pursue your goals.
A sudden illness or injury can put set you back. When this happens you need to be realistic.
Beating yourself up will not help, nor simply giving up. Take a little time to re assess your goal and
consider what your options are now. How important is it that this goal is achieved within the original
timeframe. Also consider how else you goal can be pursued, and who can help you during these times.
5. Other People:
Quite often the people that are closest to us fear us achieving our goals. For them this means that you may
change and that will also mean change for them. They may not be aware how important your goals are to
you. If the people you share your time with for example family, friends, colleagues to not understand and
support your goals, there is a chance that you may be influenced by this. If these people are adverse to
change then they may well sabotage you plans.
6. Own Motivation:
Although you may see out with the best intentions, after a while the novelty may wear off or there
are other distractions. This may be down to a number of factors. Perhaps the goals that you set were too
large, and needed to be broken down into smaller manageable chunks.
Perhaps you are not getting the results, and need to consider what you doing that is are preventing
you from moving forward. After continued effort you may feel that the goal is now actually something that
do don’t want, or at least the outcome.
In this case the goal needs to be reassessed. If it requires modification because circumstances have
changed, then change it. If it no longer serves you, then don’t waste your energy following up on something
just because you started it.
7. Time:
We all live in a world where we don’t seem to have enough time. Many of us are “time poor”, which
means that we do not manage our use of time to get the best results. Quite often I hear from the people
around me “I just don’t have time to do x”. How true is this statement really? Have we taken on too much,
overcommitted ourselves and are embarrassed to say no? Perhaps, but I have another view.
If we approach our use of time without any structure we may just leap from one thing to another in
no particular order. Without priority we will move from one thing to the next urgent thing.
There is also the aspect of distractions. This can be distraction from others who do not have the
same aspirations as you. There is the distraction of telephone calls and emails. Quite often we busy ourselves
with those things that are nice to do, but do not take us any further forward to achieving our goals.
8. Money:
Money is a common reason for not pursuing your goal. Usually it is the lack of money that stops
you. When you hear someone say “I can’t afford it” or “I just don’t have the money”. These statements are
usually offered up without much hesitation.
While I agree that it may well be true to some extent, what alternatives have they really explored
and how else could the money be found? If you are really serious about achieving this goal, what lengths
would you go to in order to find the money (legally)!
Let’s turn this around and look at it from another perspective. What is it costing you to not have that
goal in your life right now? For example being in that bad relationship or enduring bad health. If in achieving
this goal it was going to get you that next job, or mean that you would get that 10% performance bonus at
work, what efforts would you go to?
9. Fear:
What do I mean by fear? There are the more straightforward examples. If you need to do something
that takes you right outside of your comfort zone for the first time, which may well install fear into you.
Then there is the fear of failure. What will those around you think if you don’t achieve you goal.
How will you face them and maintain your integrity. Better to quit now that to see it through right? That
way no-one will be able to judge me.
Another type of fear is the fear of success. What if I actually do it, and people find out I am a fraud?
Is this goal something that I really want anyway? Self doubt comes into play and you try to talk yourself out
of it.
FAILURE:
Failure can be defined as the state or condition of not achieving a desirable or intended objective; it
can be considered the opposite of success. Failure is just a state of mind. You are a failure only if you think
that you failed. Your attitude towards a certain situation determines whether or not you have failed. The
fact is that everyone fails in something or the other at some point in their lives.
It is easy to think negatively when it seems that everything that you do is not good enough.
Look at the following failures and come to a conclusion yourself:
1. Only 400 Cokes were sold in its first year of production.
2. Albert Einstein’s Ph.D dissertation was rejected.
3. Henry Ford had two bankruptcies before his famous success.
4. Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the electric bulb failed no less than 10000 times before succeeding.
But he said “I have not failed. I have just found 10000 ways that won’t work.
Disappointments, Rejections, Unsuccessful attempts were not failures to the successful people.
They used them as stepping stones to success. This is the difference between people who win and people
who don’t. Failure is not the lack of success.
People are looking only the successes of others. They are not seeing the struggles, frustrations and
disappointments they faced.
Ralph Waldo Emerson who was a successful American essayist, lecturer and poet told “Men
succeed when they realise that their failures are the preparation for their victories”
Successful people don’t blame others for what has happened to them and they don’t use other people’s
definitions for success and failure. They use their own. They just change paths, re- assess goals, try
something new or adjust direction. To them, failure happens when they stop trying to achieve their personal
best.
CAUSES OF FAILURE:
The following factors can be considered as causes of failure. The most common failure-causing problems
and their solutions:
1. Lack of Persistence:
More people fail not because they lack knowledge or talent but because they just quit. It’s important
to remember two words: persistence and resistance. Persist in what must be done and resist what ought not
to be done.
Try new approaches. Persistence is important, but repeating the same actions over and over again,
hoping that this time you'll succeed, probably won’t get you any closer to your objective. Look at your
previous unsuccessful efforts and decide what to change. Keep making adjustments and midcourse
corrections, using your experience as a guide.
2. Lack of Conviction:
People who lack conviction take the middle of the road. But what happens in the middle of the road?
You get run over. People without conviction go along to get along because they lack confidence and courage.
They conform in order to get accepted, even when they know that what they are doing is wrong.
Decide what is important to you. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right and doing well.
Let your passion show even in mundane tasks. It’s OK to collaborate and cooperate for success, but it’s not
OK to compromise your values—ever.
3. Rationalization:
Winners might analyze, but they never rationalize. Losers rationalize and have a book full of
excuses to tell you why they couldn’t succeed.
Change your perspective. Don’t think of every unsuccessful attempt as a failure. Few people
succeed at everything the first time. Most of us attain our goals only through repeated effort. Do your best
to learn everything you can about what happened and why.
4. Dismissal of Past Mistakes:
Some people live and learn, and some only live. Failure is a teacher if we have the right attitude.
Wise people learn from their mistakes—experience is the name they give to slipups.
Define the problem better. Analyze the situation—what you want to achieve, what your strategy is,
why it didn’t work. Are you really viewing the problem correctly? If you need money, you have more
options than increasing revenue. You could also cut expenses. Think about what you’re really trying to do.
5. Lack of Discipline:
Anyone who has accomplished anything worthwhile has never done it without discipline. Discipline takes
self-control, sacrifice and avoiding distractions and temptations. It means staying focused.
Don’t be a perfectionist. You might have an idealized vision of what success will look and feel like.
Although that can be motivational, it might not be realistic. Succeeding at one goal won’t eliminate all your
problems. Be clear on what will satisfy your objectives and don’t obsess about superficial details.
6. Poor Self-Esteem:
Poor self-esteem is a lack of self-respect and self-worth. People with low self-confidence are
constantly trying to find themselves rather than creating the person they want to be.
Don’t label yourself. You might have failed, but you’re not a failure until you stop trying. Think of
yourself as someone still striving toward a goal, and you’ll be better able to maintain your patience and
perseverance for the long haul.
7. Fatalistic Attitude:
A fatalistic attitude prevents people from accepting responsibility for their position in life. They
attribute success and failure to luck. They resign themselves to their fate, regardless of their efforts, that
whatever has to happen will happen anyway.
Look in the mirror every day and say, I am in charge. You might not have control over every phase
of your life, but you have more control than you realize, and you are responsible for your own happiness
and success. Your attitude determines your altitude, and you can turn “down” into “up”.