Do you ever wonder what makes successful people achieve what they have? Contrary to common belief, it isn’t thanks to their talent or natural intelligence. Research shows that the most substantial indicators of achievement are six competencies that are built by devoting time and effort to the inner work.
Changing everything starts with changing yourself. Successful people fulfill their goals because of specific ways they embody the lessons they learn and how they respond to stimuli. Research also supports that having a growth mindset predicts achievement across socioeconomic levels and that grit better predicts positive outcomes than IQ, status or environment.
Exercise the ‘muscle’ the inner work builds by completing tasks that support your goals and the will to succeed. Every person possesses a boundless potential to build self-awareness and chances for success. Use it or lose it!
Spirituality is one of the core inner competencies successful people have. Practice radical compassion and volunteer in your local community to gain a stronger connection with your spiritual side.
Developing self-efficacy is essential to retaining motivation and persistence throughout the process of reaching set goals. By believing in your own ability to succeed, you are helping yourself in the long run by possessing a strong, positive attitude that is essential when navigating life’s challenges.
Grit, one of the most significant predictors of success, accounts for ~4% of the variance in success outcomes for information retention and educational attainment among many other categories. Developing grit is possible for everyone and involves fostering passions and practicing tolerating unease while working towards goals.
A person’s capacity to adjust their default ways of thinking and behaviors as a result of change is adaptability. Think of yourself as ‘flexible’ and work to reframe unexpected circumstances. Adaptability in careers is closely tied to promotability.
According to Social cognitive Psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson, “Decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong- abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices and reach your fullest potential.” Developing a growth orientation mindset, you are being of service to yourself by further building into a belief that skills and capabilities can be improved through persistent inner work.
Emotional regulation is the ability to manage thoughts and behaviors. This skill is greatly beneficial in an occupational context. Workplace training sessions that target emotional regulation can significantly improve low employee job satisfaction and unhealthy organizational climates.
While doing the inner work is advantageous, avoiding it entirely could be ruinous for both individuals and teams. Poor leadership costs US companies $550 billion a year in lost productivity. Companies that do invest in leadership training benefit from better collaboration and teamwork among employees and a significant overall increase in engagement.
At work, highly engaged teams retain employees. Simultaneously, at home, high emotional intelligence is associated with strengthened partnerships and higher relationship satisfaction. The first step to achieving greatness in your career and in life? It all goes back to the inner work.
Source: Sounds True