No matter how hard we work to hide our true self. It finds a way to the surface. The fact of the matter is that we always project outside what we feel on the inside.

I was speaking to someone who was very chirpy on the surface. As we spoke longer, several negatives began to drop into the conversation (Active listening is one of the critical superpowers anyone can develop).

Soon we began to talk about their future and how they saw it from a pessimistic lens rather than an optimistic one.

Our future outlook has a direct impact on our attitude towards life. When our expectations do not match our reality, we tend to have a pessimistic view of the world.

Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill –

Charles R. Swindoll

There are three things I have found constant among people who have a winning attitude.

There is no secret behind what they are:

1. Vivid North Star: We need to know where we are going in life. Without some direction, it is like having a weight attached to your ankle that stops you accelerating. Many people confuse goals with north stars. Once achieved, they lose the zest for life and their attitude with it. The ‘why’ behind your goals is more important than the goals themselves. 

2. Unshakable Confidence: When we look at the people who have accomplished great things. Whether that be in politics, science, sports or business, they all achieved things that didn’t seem possible initially. They had to establish within themselves that belief that they are capable of achieving these ambitious goals. Along the way, they all faced significant setbacks. Obstacles that broke them down. At this point, most people lose their confidence. However, they ploughed through and ended up being part of the group of people that changed the world.

3. Extraordinary Effort: Winners know that they need to match their ambition with the corresponding amount of effort to achieve their goals. However, many people work very hard but do not get the results they want. Test their confidence, and this is when they waver. The trick here is to make sure your priorities and goals are in sync. The right actions will take you outside your comfort zone. Repeating this daily with consistent effort is what gets you past the finishing line.

If you were to sum it up:

Vivid North Star + Unshakable Confidence + Extraordinary Effort = Winning Attitude

There are so many people in the world who work hard but do not get the results they want because they are missing one of the three factors.

When you are clear on the goals you want to achieve and have the confidence, there is nothing in this world that can stop you from achieving your dreams.