There is nothing wrong with making a mistake. It's what you say to
yourself after you mess up that matters. Your self-talk (the thoughts
you have about your feelings) can either magnify the negativity or
help you turn that misstep into something productive.
Negative self-talk is unrealistic, unnecessary and self-defeating. It
sends you into a downward emotional spiral that is difficult to pull
out of.
All self-talk is driven by important beliefs that you hold about
yourself. It plays an understated but powerful role in success because
it can both spur you forward to achieve your goals and hold you back.
As Henry Ford said, "He who believes he can and he who believes he
cannot are both correct."
TalentSmart has tested the emotional intelligence (EQ) of more than a
million people and found that 90% of top performers are high in EQ.
These successful, high EQ individuals possess an important skill—the
ability to recognize and control negative self-talk so that it doesn't
prevent them from reaching their full potential.
These successful people earn an average of $28,000 more annually than
their low EQ peers, get promoted more often, and receive higher marks
on performance evaluations. The link between EQ and earnings is so
direct that every point increase in EQ adds $1,300 to an annual
salary.
When it comes to self-talk, we've discovered six common, yet toxic,
beliefs that hold people back more than any others. Be mindful of your
tendencies to succumb to these beliefs, so that they don't derail your
career:
1. Perfection = Success
Human beings, by our vary nature, are fallible. When perfection is
your goal, you're always left with a nagging sense of failure, and end
up spending your time lamenting what you failed to accomplish, instead
of enjoying what you were able to achieve.
2. My Destiny is Predetermined
Far too many people succumb to the highly irrational idea that they
are destined to succeed or fail. Make no mistake about it, your
destiny is in your own hands, and blaming multiple successes or
failures on forces beyond your control is nothing more than a cop out.
Sometimes life will deal you difficult cards to play, and others times
you'll be holding aces. Your willingness to give your all in playing
any hand you're holding determines your ultimate success or failure in
life.
3. I 'Always' or 'Never' Do That
There isn't anything in life that you always or never do. You may do
something a lot or not do something enough, but framing your behavior
in terms of "always" or "never" is a form of self-pity. It makes you
believe that you have no control of yourself and will never change.
Don't succumb to it.
4. I Succeed When Others Approve of Me
Regardless of what people think of you at any particular moment, one
thing is certain?you're never as good or bad as they say you are. It's
impossible to turn off your reactions to what others think of you, but
you can take people's opinions with a grain of salt. That way, no
matter what people think about you, your self-worth comes only from
within.
5. My Past = My Future
Repeated failures can erode your self-confidence and make it hard to
believe you'll achieve a better outcome in the future. Most of the
time, these failures result from taking risks and trying to achieve
something that isn't easy. Just remember that success lies in your
ability to rise in the face of failure. Anything worth achieving is
going to require you to take some risks, and you can't allow failure
to stop you from believing in your ability to succeed.
6. My Emotions = Reality
If you've read Emotional Intelligence 2.0, you know how to take an
objective look at your feelings and separate fact from fiction. If
not, you might want to read it. Otherwise, your emotions will continue
to skew your sense of reality, making you vulnerable to the negative
self-talk that can hold you back from achieving your full potential.
No comments:
Post a Comment