Focus On Getting Better

One of my favorite blogs all year was Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson on the HBR Blog Network.

She wrote that most people believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we can’t really improve.

As a result, we compare ourselves to others, often not favorably, and focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves. You need to quit that and work on acquiring new skills, such as being better at managing people or the business side of your practice.

Fortunately, 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 helps you get out of a rut and reach your fullest potential.

People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, are more likely to take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can develop many of the needed skills you don’t have to be more successful in practice. 

Thanks for reading,

Jerry Hayes, OD

Agree with this blog? Disagree? Have a comment or question of your own? Click here to send me an e-mail.

Disclaimer: The information and opinions contained on this site are for discussion purposes only and are NOT intended to serve as legal, accounting or investment advice. ©2012 Jerry Hayes, OD. Not to be reproduced without written permission of the author.