Your attitude has a significant affect upon the outcome of any of your actions. In fact having a bad attitude is almost a guarantee to make just about any aspect of your life more difficult than it may already be. In life attitude is everything since it will not only dictate the mood you are in it but also affects those around you. It is also true that any attempts you make to become successful at just about anything are greatly influenced by your frame of mind. Your mindset also has the capabilities to alter your performance for better or for worse depending upon your state of mind.

With all that said let's examine 5 common mindsets people possess that dramatically alter their lives and the degree of success they experience.

Pre-Determine Fate

Believing that 'arbitrary luck' or pre-determined fate is what guide the course of your life is a common mindset many hold. The ability to 'make your own luck' is something more people need to recognize. By doing so people will learn that being able to identify opportunities and acting upon them will enable them take control of their own destiny. Having this control thereby makes them more proactive thus allowing them to become successful in areas that they may not have otherwise considered.

Success Only Comes After Sacrifice

Having a strong 'work ethic' instilled in us from an early age leads to the thinking that nothing good comes without a considerable amount of work invested in it first. Believing this to be true it stands to reason that people will develop a bad attitude over time in relation to work. The fact is work is identified with 'labor and sacrifice' which is not normally attractive to anyone. This eventually results in a bad attitude that develops and becomes a permanent fixture in our mind. This not a mindset that will bring out our best insofar as our personal performance goes.

Work - the 4 Letter Word

Along the same lines of what we were just speaking of above it is now natural to associate work with something unpleasant. It is now entrenched in our pattern of thinking that work is a 'dreaded' activity that can not be enjoyed. This once again is not necessarily the case. Our work is what we make it to be and with a slight attitude adjustment we can learn to become more interesting thereby increasing its attractiveness. The more interest you have the better you can and will perform and the easier it will be for you.

On the other hand it is also very possible to love what you do. Many have turned their passions into a career and have become successful at it. This goes back to identifying opportunities and acting upon them.

Opportunity Only Knocks for the 'Educated'

Do not allow yourself to be fooled into thinking that only a 'formal' education is what will give you a business edge. Have you ever heard of 'street smarts' or 'real world' experience? I believe that the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, or even Albert Einstein know what I am talking about.

A formal education may be 'helpful' but it is by no means a requirement for success. By thinking otherwise you will only continue to hold yourself back.

Low Self-Esteem

Lacking the confidence to accomplish anything or to even TRY is a huge culprit and barrier that keeps people from realizing their potential. If you want to become successful at anything your first step is to believe in your own capabilities.

For people that feel that are not 'capable' I ask you this: How do you know if you do not try? Quit making excuses and get out there, get busy and pursue your dreams!

Your attitude is the fork in the road that dictates what direction you will take. To become successful at anything you need to believe it is your right and that you are capable of achieving what it is you seek. Flat out a bad attitude will hinder or even block your best attempts at any objectives you may be targeting. In work as in life attitude is everything since it can either make things more difficult or easier for you. And make no mistake about it this definitely affects your performance! The good thing is that each one of us has the capability of choosing what our frame of mind will be. The challenge is being able to identify this and make the necessary attitude adjustment to put ourselves back on course headed in the direction we want to go.