by Paul Kaye
PSR Contributor
March 6, 2018
Achievement Always Starts With You.
It’s easy to blame other people for our shortcomings. When a project doesn’t go as planned it’s almost instinctive for us to point the finger, “It wasn’t my fault.” You can complain that you didn’t have the resources. You can believe that your less than desirable results were because of other people. Whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault! Too often we can look outwards and cast blame on external factors instead of taking responsibility ourselves. The truth is that we are all ultimately in control of our destiny; we have a far greater influence over the results we attain than any external force. Achievement always starts with you.
How we think shapes our success. Our minds are like closets; behind the closet door we neatly store all our thoughts and feelings but like any closet there is limited space. Negative thoughts can quickly clutter up the closet. There is no disparity between the size of a negative thought or a positive thought. They both occupy the same amount of space within the closet. Positive thoughts however are much more beneficial to your success than negative thoughts. Positive thoughts become the fuel that drives you forward. Negative thoughts hold you back. Imagine hitting the brake pedal hard! When you allow your mind to be full of negative thoughts, your chances of success are severely reduced.
When I work with individuals, it doesn’t take long for their mindset to reveal itself. When meeting new teams or individuals for the first time I like to probe their thoughts on their level of success. “What is it that they believe are the obstacles in the way of them achieving better results?” Asking this question is often like turning on a hose full blast, and I am most often showered with excuses as to what isn’t working – lack of resources, the boss, corporate priorities, teammates not working hard enough, the competition – it’s a tiresome list. If you believe that ‘it can’t be done,’ then you are probably right. When you let negative thoughts control your outlook, the weight of that negativity suppresses your potential. Your decision to blame external factors omits you of all responsibility. Your mind finds all the reasons that are working against you. You feel like you are swimming against the current and getting nowhere. The problem is that these negative thoughts convince you that until the external factors change you simply can’t do any more than you already are.
Now, imagine that your mind is full of positive thoughts. When you turn that shiny silver handle and the closet door cracks open you, see only positivity stuffed onto the shelves. Your mind is full of opportunities and potential. You are brimming with self believe. You feel as if you can take on any challenge. Positivity breeds optimism and feeds you with energy. The ‘can do’ attitude that presents itself encourages you to take control – and responsibility – for what you do. You see any limitations as merely an opportunity to challenge yourself to be better. Positivity strengthens your desire to get things done… to make a difference… to be better.
If the results you are delivering are not what you want them to be, whether that be in your professional life or at home, then something needs to change. That change always starts with you. Our thoughts drive our actions, and therefore the thoughts you choose to fill your mind, which will dictate the movements you make, and ultimately the results you achieve. If you allow negativity to dominate your mind, then your results will be unsatisfactory – that is your fault. No-one else’s. Yours. The secret to achieving positive results is to change your thinking. If you want positive results then you need to think positive.
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill
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Paul Kaye is Vice President, Product and Talent Development for Rogers in Canada. Paul spends his days working with stations and talent across all formats with a sole focus on helping improve performance and growing the business. Prior to being at Rogers Paul held the role of National Talent Development Director for Newcap Radio and also a Group Programming role in England. Paul is a certified coach and is passionate about helping individuals, teams and organizations reach their greatest potential, which is the fuel behind his other project The Talent Lab. Paul lives in Toronto with his wife, 2 dogs and a cat – life is never quiet! You can reach Paul at
**@th**********.co
