We all crave success. Our own definition of success drives us, causes us to fret, infuriates us at times, and inspires us! We all have people who we look up to as meeting our definition of success. Most people have a grandiose vision for their success definitions. However, translating the vision to action and attainment is where most people lack and fall behind. The grandiose vision remains a vision for a long time, until they feel frustrated and dejected and dissolve the vision or make it more “realistic.”
However, there are people who have much grander visions than most and are able to achieve them. They plough their way through obstacles of all kinds, climb mountains unimaginable to us, and cross seas that we wouldn’t dare consider. What gives these people the strength, courage, and conviction to fulfill their vision and achieve success? The answer is mental skills. These people have mastered the below mental skills that give them everything they need, when they need it.
Here are 7 mental skills that the most successful visionaries are able to master.
1. Comfort with Ambiguity
Ambiguity and uncertainty causes people to shiver and stay put. As an example, why do you think most of corporate America is stuck in jobs they hate? They would rather stay where they are and suffer and complain than take a leap into an unknown, uncertain, and ambiguous next step.
Successful visionaries, on the other hand, are comfortable with ambiguity. Ambiguity doesn’t scare them. They may or may not seek ambiguity, but when faced with an ambiguous situation, they are able to calmly plough through it. This is an important skill to master in order to be successful. Success is on the edge of our comfort zone. Taking a risk, a leap, and moving into unknown territory often gives us a chance to find our inner strength, one that we are not even aware exists! As long as we stay in our comfort zone, we are never going to be able to tap into our inner strength and other skills we may possess.
How to master this skill? Seek new experiences and, whenever possible, step out of your comfort zone. Speak to new people, try different cuisines, try new activities, volunteer at new places in new roles, read new books. These are just a few ways to start getting comfortable with ambiguity.
2. The 30,000-Ft View
Successful visionaries are truly able to see things from a vantage point that most are not able to see from — the 30,000-ft view. Be it their life, their career, their relationships, or anything for that matter, they are able to see how things fit into the grand scheme of things, what matters most, and it guides their vision. While most people are floundering around, saying “I don’t know what I want in my life or career or relationships,” these visionaries are able to have a clear view of their life. They have the clarity to see exactly where they are and where they want to be. This gives them a leg up to get to where they want.
How to master this skill? Write down your visions everyday. Assume you are at a 30,000-ft viewpoint and write it. You may feel lost doing so , but attempt it everyday for a couple months. Brian Tracy advocates writing and re-writing your top 10 goals every day. The clarity you will gain over time will help in shaping your vision and give you that vantage view that you are missing now.
3. Resilience
Just like a stretched rubber band that bounces back to its original shape, successful visionaries are resilient. They bounce back from failures and difficulties. They do not let tough situations pull them down. They are able to keep going towards their vision, irrespective of any obstacles. This is a crucial skill to master. Most people give up on their dreams after their first failure or difficulty —as they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
How to master this skill? Start observing what your attitude towards tough situations is. Do you tend to give up easily? Do you feel scared or frustrated and resort back to the comfortable? Once you identify where you stand on the resilience spectrum, then you can take steps to improve it. Consciously work on becoming more adaptable and flexible in all situations. Positivity and hope, when added to the mix, will boost your resilience factor. Lastly, using every situation as a learning experience and identifying what can be done better next time are key strategies to mastering this skill.
4. Don’t Reinvent The Wheel
Successful visionaries are adept at this. They know and understand all aspects of a problem and are thorough in identifying what has already been worked on. They do not let ego get in the way and are comfortable leveraging a solution, or part of a solution if one already exists.
How to master this skill? Learn to thoroughly understand and analyze all aspects of a problem. Start doing it in daily settings with smaller issues. Then, learn to research and see what solutions exist and if any of those solutions will work in your situation. Practice leads to competence. So, practice this at every opportunity you get.
5. Master the 7C’s
Live the 7C’s — Confidence, Competence, Courage, Compassion, Creativity, Curiosity, and Commitment. Each C is a mental skill that successful visionaries rely on to be successful.
How to master the 7C’s? Practice each of the 7C’s and set constant reminders until each one becomes a part of you. If you are not naturally curious, force yourself to be curious and ask relevant questions. If you are not confident, fake your confidence and work on other strategies to increase your confidence. If you are not creative, start with simple exercises — doodle and sketch often, engage with children in role-playing games, try the 30 circle exercise (basically, to make an object of each of the circles in a given time).
Which of these skills are you going to master first? I’d love to hear!
Featured photo credit: Pixabay via pixabay.com
