The little things can make all the difference when it comes to achieving long-term goals, and having the right mindset will help to clear a path to success.
According to Elle Kaplan, chief executive and founder of LexION Capital, the attitude you adopt can be just as important as the actions you take when tackling career challenges.
“Sometimes, a step towards success isn’t something to do as much as it’s an attitude to adopt,” Kaplan writes.
“No matter how much elbow grease you put towards your achievements, your mentality and thinking can make all the difference.”
Writing for Thrive Global, Kaplan has outlined eight positive mental habits to incorporate into your daily routine, taking inspiration from some prominent entrepreneurs, including Mark Zuckerberg.
Here’s four of her tips.
Change may be daunting, but it may well be what’s needed to deliver success, says Kaplan.
“The truth is that no matter how much you shy away from it, change plays a big role in achieving your goals.”
“You can shift your mentality by taking baby-steps to embrace discomfort instead, whether it’s taking on a scary project or just trying something new.”
Citing the examples of Mark Zuckerberg wearing a grey t-shirt all the time and Barack Obama choosing to wear grey suit daily, Kaplan says “really successful people make a mental habit of eliminating as many small choices as they can”.
“You should also try to do something similar — even if it’s something simple like automating an email process or cutting down your breakfast choices,” she says.
While multitasking may appear virtuous on the surface, Kaplan says juggling multiple tasks at once often has a negative effect across all the tasks. A better approach could be to practice prioritising, over multitasking.
“Something as simple as talking on the phone while doing a report is likely to ruin both the report and the call”, says says.
It is better to rise above your perceived competition and focus on your own personal expectations, says Kaplan.
Kaplan says there is a feeling in the business world “that the most successful people can only earn their place by playing dirty in a competition with their co-workers”.
“It’s no wonder that some workplaces become a breeding ground for gossip and competition rather than teamwork and collaboration,” she says.
“The most successful people rise above it. How? They have one important competition on their minds: their competition with themselves.”
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Martin Kovacs is a journalist with experience covering the IT, consumer electronics, retail, finance and energy sectors.
