Develop A Can-Do Attitude

One of our most challenging – and most destructive - habits is a great tendency to focus on what we can't do rather than what we can.

It's a habit that can creep up on us and ambush us, eating away at our confidence and stopping us in our tracks.

It's also one of the most pernicious habits for stifling our creativity and personal development.

Diana's story
Take one of my clients – Diana - a vibrant, smart and creative woman who wanted to grow her fledgling business. Diana had some fantastic ideas and heaps of energy, but where she was stuck was in how to get more clients. In particular, she had a huge block around selling her services. "I can't do it. I hate it. I never know what to say. I feel so stupid."

She was adept at focusing on what she couldn't do, and bringing up memories – evidence - to back up that she couldn't... memories, for instance, of embarrassing cold calls and boring networking events that achieved nothing but a hefty hit to her self-esteem.

Shifting focus
What Diana needed to do was shift her focus from what she couldn't do onto what she could do. She needed to stop the habit of chastising herself for her shortcomings and start a new habit of nurturing her strengths. She needed to develop a can-do attitude.

Coaching helped her to focus on her strengths and begin to develop that essential attitude.