The Psychological Habits of Success

Innate Talent Does Not Guarantee Success

Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D., Associate Director of Columbia Business School’s Motivation Science Center, applies social psychology research to create strategies for improving business and personal success. One of her key tenets is that success depends not on innate talent, but on an individual’s belief that their talents are pliable and can be improved upon.

In Dr. Halvorson’s book, Nine Ways That Successful People Do Things Differently, she describes tactics to overcome self-destructive work habits that can inflict inaction, doubt, frustration and anxiety.

Halvorson’s nine steps can be condensed to three interdependent areas:

• Creating actionable goals and overcoming obstacles
• Developing long-term success skills
• Avoiding pitfalls that hinder progress

A few of Dr. Halvorson’s tactics are familiar to anyone acquainted with Management By Objectives. Her methods build on those principles of specificity, measurement, feedback and realism.

Apply Mental Contrasting

Stating that you want a 10 percent pay raise next year is more effective than saying, “I want more money.” Add to each goal the specific obstacles and steps to overcome them. Defining both goals and obstacles is mental contrasting. This technique significantly improves your chances at reaching your goal.

Leverage Contingency Thinking

The human brain is wired for if-then thinking or contingency planning. If email is a distraction, set up a contingency such as “If it is 9 a.m., then I will triage my email messages for one hour.” Unconsciously, your brain reminds you of the contingency at the correct time, which increases the likelihood that you will take action.

Use a Discrepancy Trigger to Sustain Progress

Humans automatically look for discrepancies. Instead of assessing the progress you have made, which creates no discrepancy, flip your orientation 180 degrees toward the amount of work remaining. The mental dissonance makes the brain respond with increased effort. Naturally, specific goals and feedback are necessary to make the discrepancy apparent.

Be Realistic

Hundreds of studies have debunked the myth that success is easy for those who simply apply positive thinking. Those who succeed analyze the obstacles in their path thoroughly and realistically. They understand the challenges and have a detailed plan to meet them.

Develop Grit and Willpower

Determination, which Dr. Halvorson dubs “grit,” and willpower are vital ingredients to long term success. Everyone has both to some degree and both can be improved. Like muscles, they grow with exercise and fatigue with overuse. By focusing on improvement of these skills versus perfecting them, successful people become more engaged with their development, rather than discouraged, which further increases their motivation.

Stay Positive and Avoid Temptation

As your success skills develop, it is natural to overestimate their strength. Revisiting non-productive habits, such as excessive socializing or procrastination, which you think are conquered, can lead to disappointment. The research says that going cold turkey is best.

Express behavior goals with positive replacement actions versus simply negating the bad behavior. Saying, “I will not get angry when so-and-so does such-and-such,” has minimal effect on your behavior compared to stating that you will take a short walk to calm down. Replacing a “not do” with something you “will do,” is 300 percent more effective according to dozens of studies.

Believe in Your Ability to Grow

Knowledge of human psychology offers many clues for self-awareness and strategies to improve personal success. It shows that owning a successful future is not constrained by what you think you can or cannot do right now. Your ability to succeed springs from the belief that you already possess the necessary skills, which you can develop over time with systematic effort.

Bernhard S