NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
► ACTIONS
► PLAN
► OBSTACLES
￭ Know exactly
what you want to
achieve.
￭
￭
￭
￭
￭
2
3
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
► PLAN “IF
THEN”
► HONEST &
MOMENTS FOR
ACTIONS &
DISTRACTIONS
￭ Avoid distraction
and grab
opportunities
before they slip
through your
fingers.
REGULAR
FEEDBACK
► FOCUS ON JOB
COMPLETION
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
► BE POSITIVE,
BUT REALISTIC
► REALIZE IT
WILL NOT BE
EASY
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
► EMBRACE THE
NEW AND
UNFAMILIAR
► ALLOW
YOURSELF TO
SCREW UP
￭ Honestly and
￭ Success does not ￭ Don’t focus on
regularly monitor
happen to you.
goals that prove
progress made
You make it
to you and
or not made –
happen.
others that you
daily, weekly, etc.
are already good
Think about the
depending on
somewhere.
specific actions
￭ Don’t visualize
goal duration.
you need to take
success; visualize
to reach your
￭ Decide in
the steps you will ￭ Develop and
goal.
advance when
￭ Keep selftake to make
acquire new
and where you
monitoring to a
success happen.
skills. It will
will take each
minimum if you
reduce your
Remove the
action to reach
are learning
anxiety when
possibility of
￭ Engage in lots of
your
goal.
something
totally
facing challenges
settling for “good
positive thinking
new.
and improve
enough”.
about how likely
your overall
￭ Make a list of “if
you are to
ability to reach
this
happens,
￭
Focus
on
what’s
achieve
your
Get specific about
goals.
then I will do
left, not what
goal, without
the obstacles in
this” related to
has been done.
underestimating
your way.
your goals, being
difficulties.
￭ Think in terms of
as specific as
progress, not in
￭ Avoid premature
Picture yourself
possible.
terms of
sense of
￭ Do no believe
and imagine the
perfection. There
accomplishment.
you will succeed
feeling of
is a learning
￭ Include if-then
Avoid confusion
easily. Effort,
achieving your
curve and it
related
to
and
slack
from
careful
planning,
goal.
takes some time.
scheduling a selfseeking
persistence and
monitoring of
“progress
the right
Go back and forth
your progress
balance” among
strategies will
between targets
towards goal.
“other”
take you there.
and obstacles.
important goals.
6
Have
grit
► COMMIT TO LT
GOALS AND
PERSIST
► CHANGE IS
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
► CHALLENGE
YOURSELF, A
BIT MORE EACH
TIME
POSSIBLE
￭ Your ability is
malleable. It
changes with
effort and
experience. All
you need is
courage and
resolve.
8
Don’t
tempt fate
► AVOID
TEMPTATIONS
► DON’T KID
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
► PLAN FOR
BEHAVIOR
REPLACEMENT
YOURSELF
￭ Believe you can
succeed. It is
critical to
examine your
beliefs, and
when necessary,
challenge them.
￭ Don’t put
￭ Think about the
yourself in
behaviors that
harm’s way,
sabotage your
exposing yourself
success. Do not
to temptations
focus on them in
that you assume
terms “I will not
you will be able
do this”. Rather,
to handle.
replace them
￭ Start with one
with other
activity that fits
behaviors.
with your life and ￭ Avoid pursuing
your goals.
two goals that
Something that
require a lot of
￭ Plan how you
requires to
self-control.
will replace
override an
counterimpulse or
productive
￭ Think about
desire. Make a
behaviors with
when you are
plan for how you
more
most likely to
will deal with
constructive,
feel vulnerable
troubles and
profitable ones.
and make a plan
temptations
to keep yourself
when they occur.
at harm’s way.
￭ If you think you
are not good at
something, tell
yourself you are
not good at it…
YET!
￭ When under
temptation, think
about people
you know who
have a lot of selfcontrol.
￭ Don’t give up in
the face of
difficulty. Try
harder.
￭ Take on a
challenge that
requires you to
do something
you’d honestly
rather not do.
www.straligence.com⎥ Inspired by the works of Heidi Grant Halvorson, 9 things successful people do differently, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2011
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
What is my goal?
<my goal is to…>
How will I know when
I have succeeded?
<describe the moment when you will know that you have reached your goal>
Rewrite goals using
this info
<my goal is to …>
Two positive aspects
of reaching my goal:
Two obstacles that lie
ahead:
1.
2.
1.
2.
<Positive aspect 1>
<write a few sentences about what it will be like to experience it>
<Obstacle 1>
<write a few sentences about why this is a problem>
<Positive aspect 2>
<write a few sentences about what it will be like to experience it>
<Obstacle 2>
<write a few sentences about why this is a problem>
1. <Step 1>
What are my next
steps?
2. <Step 2>
3. <Step 3>
8
Don’t
tempt fate
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment
to act on
your goals
Which are the CRITICAL
ACTIONS I need to take
to reach my goal?
When and where
should I take them?
What are the critical
situations?
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
When and where it should be taken
1. <critical action 1>
<when and where>
2. <critical action 2>
<when and where>
3. <critical action 3>
<when and where>
2. If <when and where>, then I will <critical action 2>
3. If <when and where>, then I will <critical action 3>
OBSTACLES –
temptations,
distractions, events –
and reactions
Temptation, distraction, event
How I will react
1. <temptation, distraction, event, …>
<my reaction>
2. <temptation, distraction, event, …>
<my reaction>
3. <temptation, distraction, event, …>
<my reaction>
1. If <this obstacle comes along the way>, then I will <react in this way>
If-then statements on
obstacles:
Don’t
tempt fate
Critical actions
1. If <when and where>, then I will <critical action 1>
If-then statements on
critical actions:
8
2. If <this obstacle comes along the way>, then I will <react in this way>
3. If <this obstacle comes along the way>, then I will <react in this way>
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
Know
exactly
how far
you have
left to go
3
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
8
Don’t
tempt fate
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
How often will I
assess my progress
towards my goal?
I will check on my progress every <…>
Where will the
information on
progress come from?
To know where I stand, I need information on <>
How will I get this
info?
I will get this information from/by <…>
What kind of
support/tool/material
will I use as a
reminder to perform a
self-assessment?
I will use <calendar alarm, post-its, memo, etc.> to remind me to perform a progress assessment.
What will I do after the
self-assessment?
At the end of my assessment, I will stop to think about what still needs to be done in order to reach my goal. I will focus
on how far I have left to go, not on how far I’ve gone.
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
8
Don’t
tempt fate
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
If am doubting myself,
then I will remember
this
Remember the time I <achieved a goal> by carefully addressing and working on <problems, constraints, issues>.
What are the
obstacles, difficulties,
and setbacks I am
likely to face?
I know that on the road to success, I will be confronted with:
1. <problems, issues, setbacks, etc.>
2. <problems, issues, setbacks, etc.>
3. <problems, issues, setbacks, etc.>
Problem, obstacles, difficulty
I am confident
because I know that if
problems arise, I
know who I will tackle
them – also with my
“plan B”.
How I will react and tackle them
1.

2.

3.

NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
5
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
8
Don’t
tempt fate
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
Am I proving I’m
already good or am
improving?
What is this initiative I have taken? Am I doing something just to prove my self and others that I am already good at
something? What for?
Or am I taking on a new challenge to add a new skill to my talents and learn something new? Something that will
stretch myself?
Remember that
something new is a
challenging journey
If I am facing a difficult project, if it is unfamiliar, that’s great. I know I will need some time and that I will make some
mistakes. But it’s ok. I know I’ll succeed in the end.
Who can help me?
Remember there is no shame in asking others’ help. They will probably enjoy giving you a hand.
Who are you
comparing yourself
to?
Don’t compare yourself and your current performance to others. Compare yourself to your past performance? Are you
improving. That’s the only thing that matters.
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
Which are the aspects
of your job that you
feel you are not good
at?
Remember:
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
6
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
8
Don’t
tempt fate
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
I am not good enough at
1. …
2. …
3. …
Improvement is always possible. It is a matter of courage and resolve. It is about determination and exercise, exercise,
exercise.
I am not good enough at this, yet:
How I can improve
1.

2.

3.

How can you improve
your abilities in this
areas?
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
Choose an activity
that fits your life and
goals, something you
want to improve and
requires to override
impulse or desire
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
8
Don’t
tempt fate
..
If I think I am going to fall under the temptation of doing something that is against my goals…
What will I do if I fall
under the temptation
to go against my
goal?
… I will think about <a person who has a lot of will power>
…and/or I will <do something that will take me away from the temptation>
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
8
Don’t
tempt fate
9
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
1. First of all, I want to resist the temptation to <temptation/goal>
I am going to tackle
one willpower
challenge at a time
2. Once I feel confident that my willpower will be strong enough, I will take on my second big challenge: <challenge>
…and/or I will <do something that will take me away from the temptation>
Which are the times
and situations in
which I am most
vulnerable to
temptation?
How can avoid them?
I am most vulnerable to go against my goals and fall
into temptation when…
1.
2.
2.
As soon as I realize that I could be falling into
temptation, I will…
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1
Get
specific
2
Seize the
moment to
act on your
goals
3
Know
exactly how
far you have
left to go
4
Be a
realistic
optimist
5
Focus on
getting
better,
rather than
being good
Instead of doing this, and if I feel the urge of doing
this,
1.
Reframe a stopping
goal in terms of
starting, deciding
what you will do
instead
2.
2.
6
Have
grit
7
Build your
willpower
muscle
I will do this instead:
8
Don’t
tempt fate
Focus on
what you
will do, not
what you
won’t do
9