Hard times that sap your energy and leave you frustrated are an inevitable part of life.
Maybe your sales are declining. Maybe your finances took a turn for the worse. Maybe your personal life is in disarray or a health problem emerged forcing a lifestyle change.
Such setbacks can leave people feeling afraid, uncertain, angry, or unsatisfied says Darlene Hunter, a renowned speaker and author of "Win-Ability, Navigating through Life’s Challenges with a Winning Attitude," (www.darlenehunter.com).
Overcoming those emotions, she says, comes down to a person's mindset and perspective.
"Your attitude is a critical factor that can either hold you back or help you move forward," Hunter says. "Everyone needs to take the time to do a pulse check on where they are in their thinking. Is it positive or negative?"
A positive attitude comes easily when life is rosy. The real trick is persevering when things go awry so you can continue to strive toward your goals.
"The important thing to remember is that we cannot give up just because things do not work out the way we want," Hunter says. "We must be persistent and press our way through to the end."
Hunter offers five tips that can help change your thinking, which in turn will change your behavior and, ultimately, change your results.
- Be a planner. To live your dream, you need to know what you want and have a plan for getting there. "Planning your day, week and month are critical ingredients to living your dream and purpose," Hunter says. The "how" and "why" elements are important factors in planning, as they guide you in the direction you want to go.
- Be goal oriented. Once you set goals, the next step is to work on completing them. That’s why it’s important to set goals you can accomplish. Each time you can check a goal off your list, you are one step closer to what you ultimately want to achieve. "The sense of accomplishment that comes from reaching even the smallest goals will help you keep moving and striving to get your desired end," Hunter says.
- Be driven for results. When you are driven, Hunter says, you have a compulsive and urgent desire to accomplish what you are seeking, whether it’s a bonus, a promotion, additional knowledge in a particular area, or some other goal. The important factor is to always know what you are seeking. Results-driven people focus on meeting objectives and delivering on the goals they set.
- Have a winning attitude. You must be determined, dedicated and devoted to succeed. "You should never give up on your goals and dreams simply because something goes wrong or you are not getting where you hoped to be fast enough," Hunter says.
- Be focused. When you are focused, you have a clear perception and understanding of what you want to accomplish and where you need to go to get there. "Think about long-distance runners who will run a 26-mile marathon," Hunter says. "They find their pace and then they stay with it. They may get weary and tired, but they find their zone and stay focused and concentrate on what is needed to get to the end."
"Plenty of stories can be told about people who failed in the beginning, but made it to the top of their profession because they did not give up after being told they weren't good enough," Hunter says.
"The ability to keep trying and pushing no matter how many failures or obstacles you hit is the power of perseverance and is what 'Win-Ability' is all about."
Darlene Hunter, (www.darlenehunter.com), is president of Darlene Hunter & Associates, LLC, a motivational/inspirational speaker, author, life and business coach, and award-winning radio talk show host. Her new book, "Win-Ability, Navigating through Life’s Challenges with a Winning Attitude," is her fourth on the theme of perseverance. Hunter has been a top performer in management for more than 30 years.