One man’s failure, another’s success

In recent times especially during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, one of the most common descriptions of the Super Eagles national team by fans is their assessment that the players relied on other teams failing for them to get the chance to qualify for much of their games. The fans see Super Eagles as not being self-motivated enough and hardly made any serious efforts to overcome their opponents and win matches.

They are also as always calculating and doing the arithmetic of which team would lose its match so that they can get chance at a competition. Interestingly, the Super Eagles team is not alone when it comes to such approach to life.

There are ways through which you could make yourself better and make the most of opportunities and resources that come your way.

It is not enough to strive only with words, promises or desires. You have to back these with some action.

A major characteristic of someone who wants to be successful is action. Josh Hinds expresses this when he says, “To achieve more, be a person of action. Throughout your day keep in mind the old saying, ‘all else fails without action’. As you put forth effort on the things you deem to be most worthwhile, you will find that your inner belief system grows.

“The beliefs you hold about yourself determine the goals you are able to manifest in your life. Dream big, for when you do, truly you will see that your life becomes one filled with rich life experiences.”

Attitude may not necessarily be all that there is to being successful; but it definitely has a lot to do with it. It has a lot to do with other aspects of our lives too. The wrong attitude can cost you much more than you bargained for, whilst the right attitude avails you much. A poor attitude gets more people fired than any other single factor, and a good attitude gets people jobs and helps them keep those jobs more than any other factor.

Your attitude affects people around you, from your family, your colleagues at work, and classmates to the stranger you smile at on the street corner. Your attitude is particularly important when you face seemingly hopeless situations. Losing a job, game or something precious because of a lousy attitude is unfortunate — especially because a bad attitude can be fixed.

A good attitude, Adam Khan says, is one of the most important assets you can have. Your relationships are fuller, more harmonious, and more beneficial. Even if you have a great attitude already, with every improvement you make in your attitude, you’ll have fewer troubles. The better your attitude, the easier it is to resolve conflicts.

Do not wait for your wrong attitude to stand in your way of success before you do something about it.

Also expectations of yourself and the goals you set for yourself are key issues you need to take into consideration every step of the way. It is important for you to set achievable goals and follow them through to the end. When you set a goal, be sure to follow a path. According to Amit Pal, “The path has mini goals that go in many directions. When you learn to succeed at mini goals, you will be motivated to challenge grand goals. Finish what you start. A half finished project is of no use to anyone. Quitting is a habit. Develop the habit of finishing self-motivated projects.”

Two other important factors are to start the way you intend to finish and finish what you started. Many times, people are enthusiastic at the beginning of a project and, half way through it, they lost interest or get distracted by other things.

Usually, it is better to start at a small manageable pace and gradually build up from there. A half-finished project is of no use to anyone; not even to you who started and then abandoned it. Quitting is a habit most of us possess. We need to develop the habit of finishing self-motivated projects. That, in itself is a motivation to go on to other things.