Good Attitudes Should Be A Help But Not A Pre-Requisite
All the self-help literature tells us not to worry that we’re not smart enough, big enough, quick enough, tough enough, etc. Those things, so they say, are “just excuses” and that all we really need to be successful are a few things — attitudes and states of mind like:
- Self-confidence
- Self-esteem
- Self-assuredness
- Positive attitude
- Optimism
- Gratitude
Whew!
And the people who talk about these things have all kinds of exercises and mind games you can use to acquire them. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it?
Some days I think I’d rather bet on getting a little taller than to go chasing after a better attitude!
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying these aren’t wonderful states of mind to possess and to cultivate. It’s well-accepted that having them can help you get things done with less friction. If you’ve got a good measure of this “self-stuff,” good for you. If you think you might benefit from a little more of it, it’s worth a bit of your time and energy on getting some.
But it’s easy to allow something that seems like a help to turn into a pre-requisite, something you must acquire before bringing your best efforts to the work in front of you. The reality is that this kind of thing comes more easily to some people than to others. And even for those who’ve “got it,” it’s not always there to be readily accessed, like turning on a faucet.
Most successful people I know — if they pay any attention to them at all — regard good attitudes as aspirational nice-to-have’s rather than indispensable qualities of good leaders, managers, artists and inventors.
The fact is, most people just don’t have the luxury of waiting until they can acquire these ephemeral, elusive states of mind before they get down to work.
Aren’t there enough real obstacles out there without adding more self-imposed barriers to your list of reasons why you can’t do something?
The simple truth is that sometimes you just have to get to work, no matter what you’re telling yourself — well, about your self.
If you struggle with self-confidence, etc., don’t let your quest for better attitudes stand in the way of putting your best efforts to work — right now, just as you are — on the things you know have to be done.