When you have a failure or a set-back in your business – let’s say all your appointments for the week cancel on you – how you choose to explain the cause for that could mean the world of difference in what happens next.
Dr. Martin Seligman, the Psychologist most noted for his work in learned optimism, describes a mental state more potent than self-esteem. It is called “explanatory style” and it means the way we think about causes.
Feeling bad about the situation, blaming either yourself or others, will affect your self-esteem.
Determining how permanent and pervasive the cause is, will affect the actions you take in response.
Feeling bad is not the cause of failure. But if you believe that the situation is permanent, or that this is the beginning of a new trend, then you may stop trying and that leads directly to failure.
For example, instead of saying,
“Everyone cancels on me”
which describes a belief that the cause is permanent, what if you said,
“There will always be cancellations and I accept that as part of my work”
which describes a belief that the cause is temporary.
If you believe that a cause is permanent, you are likely to give up.
If you believe a cause is temporary, you are likely to take action to change the situation – like picking up the phone and making new appointments.
Your belief in the permanence of any set-back will determine your response, and it is your response – your deliberate action – that determines your success or failure.
Choose excellence!
Ann Vertel
