Why Do Only A Few Become Successful?

Why Do Only A Few Become Successful?

When you are dealing with a challenge in your life, do you feel that you have control over the outcome? Or do you believe that you are simply at the hands of outside forces?

“I do not believe in destiny – the word “fail” does not exist in my dictionary. I never fail, because I never stopped trying. In life, you get what you negotiate. Any woman has the capacity to do what I did-it does not matter what you want, what matters is how badly you want it.”

~ Shahnaz Hussain, world’s greatest successful woman entrepreneur

Abraham Lincon is considered as an epitome of achiever with his internal locus of control. His message based on his life experiences seems very pertinent to be cited as an excellent example of the internal locus of control when he says, 

“Always remember in mind that your own resolution to succeed is the more important than anyone thing."

Outlook 1: 
• If you work hard and commit yourself to a goal, you can achieve anything.
• There is no such thing as fate or destiny.
• If you study hard and are well-prepared, you can do well on exams.
• Luck has little to do with success; it's mostly a matter of dedication and effort.
• In the long run, people tend to get what they deserve in life.

Outlook 2: 
• I often feel that I have little control over my life and what happens to me.
• People rarely get what they deserve.
• It isn't worth setting goals or making plans because too many things can happen that are outside of my control.
• Life is a game of chance.
• Individuals have little influence over the events of the world. 

If you believe that you have control over what happens, then you have what psychologists refer to as an internal locus of control. If you believe that you have no control over what happens and that external variables are to blame, then you have what is known as an external locus of control.

Your locus of control can influence not only how you respond to the events that happen in your life, but also your motivation to take action.

If you believe that you hold the keys to your fate, you are more likely to take action to change your situation when needed. If on the other hand, you believe that the outcome is out of your hands, you may be less likely to work toward change.

"A locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the outcomes of our actions are contingent on what we do (internal control orientation) or on events outside our personal control (external control orientation)."

~ Philip Zimbardo (in his 1985 book 'Psychology and Life')

In 1954, psychologist Julian Rotter suggested that our behavior was controlled by rewards and punishments and that it was these consequences for our actions that determined our beliefs about the underlying causes of these actions.

"Our beliefs about what causes our actions then influence our behaviors and attitudes."

In 1966, Rotter published a scale designed to measure and assess external and internal locus of control. The scale utilizes a forced-choice between two alternatives, requiring respondents to choose just one of two possibilities for each item.

It is important to note that locus of control is a continuum. No one has a 100 percent external or internal locus of control. Instead, most people lie somewhere on the continuum between the two extremes.

Internal locus of control is often used synonymously with "self-determination" and "personal agency." Research has suggested that locus of control tends to become more internal as people grow older.

Your locus of control can have a major impact on your life, from how you cope with stress to your motivation to take charge of your life.

In many cases, having an internal locus of control can be a good thing. It means that you believe that your own actions have an impact. 

If you tend to have more of an external locus of control, you might find it helpful to start actively trying to change how you view situations and events. 

Rather than viewing yourself as simply a passive bystander who is caught up in the flow of life, think about actions you can take that will have an impact on the outcome.

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