Do You Have an Apathetic Attitude About How Effort Matters?

Do you feel others possess some innate gift that allowed them to be successful? If so, you may a fixed attitude with a helpless or apathetic attitude toward hard work and effort. To paraphrase American polymath Ben Franklin, "You can choose security or freedom in life, and if you choose security, you will end up with neither." Having the belief that change is possible can better equip you for challenging tasks where dedication and effort make a difference in the formula for success. An ugly side effect of relying on a fixed mindset is a sense of helplessness or an apathetic attitude toward how effort matters, especially when it comes to achieving a new challenge.

If you are interested in changing your mindset and the way you think, review the list below that can lead to effective, long term results:

• Start with Yourself - Automatic negative thoughts, also called ANTs, occur when you're unaware and can lead to irresponsible decision making. So, always think twice to avoid the stumbling blocks caused by self doubt.
• Time to Start is Now - Wake up with your goals in mind every day. That's not to say you should wake up worried. Instead, make a commitment to remain happy; you owe it to yourself.
• Recognize White-Knuckling It Doesn't Work - Success often depends on your disposition, so start your day in a positive mood. This way you will avoid getting overwhelmed by automatic negative thoughts.
• Start Small and Finish Big - Do not fear making mistakes. They should be used to strengthen your resolve and become the building blocks for growing your self-confidence.
• Change Your Results Now - When old ways of thinking come up, as they will, it's not enough to simply ignore them. Instead, weigh your thoughts against new evidence uncovered by your growth mindset.
• It's Not a Race so Self Pace - You should have two goals in life. The first goal is to get what you want. The second goal is to take time and enjoy the fruits of your efforts.

Once you trade in your fixed beliefs for a growth mindset, devoting time every day to repeating your new habits will make it feel like you've been doing this for a long time. Over justification occurs when you view your behavior as caused by the situation and discount the extent to which your own interest influenced your decisions. Punishing yourself for a failure is a controlling behavior that does not cause your attitude to change. A growth mindset is required to effect change, whereby the initial results are considered and a new set of actions are taken. Moreover, if you pick up the pace with your changes, your brain will surely follow.