Book Goals! by Brian Tracy

Determine Your Locus of Control

There is a large body of psychological literature that revolves

around the concept of “Locus of Control Theory.” In more than 50

years of research, psychologists have determined that your “Locus of

Control” is the determining factor of your happiness or unhappiness

in life. Here is why.

A person with an internal locus of control is a person who feels

that he or she is in complete control of his or her life. This person

feels strong, confident and powerful. He or she is generally optimistic

and positive. He or she feels terrific about him or herself and feels

very much in charge of his or her destiny.

On the other hand, a person with an external locus of control is

a person who feels controlled by external factors, by their boss, their

bills, their marriage, their childhood problems and their current

situation. They feel “out of control” and as a result, they feel weak,

angry, fearful, negative, hostile and disempowered.

The good news is that there is a direct relationship between the

amount of responsibility you accept and the amount of control you

feel. The more you say, “I am responsible!” the more of an internal

locus of control you develop within yourself, and the more powerful

and confident you feel.

The Golden Triangle

There is also a direct relationship between responsibility and

happiness. The more responsibility you accept, the happier you

become. It seems that all three –responsibility, control and happinessgo

together.

The more responsibility you accept, the greater amount of

control you feel you have. The greater amount of control you feel you

have, the happier and more confident you become. When you feel

positive and in control of your life, you will set bigger and more

challenging goals for yourself. You will also have the drive and

determination to achieve them. You will feel as if you hold your life

in your own hands, and that you can make it into whatever you

decide to.

It Is In Your Hands

The starting point of goal setting is for you to realize that you

have virtually unlimited potential to be, have or do anything you

really want in life, if you simply want it badly enough, and are

willing to work long enough and hard enough to achieve it.

The second part of goal setting is for you to accept complete

responsibility for your life, and for everything that happens to you,

with no blaming and no excuses.

With these two concepts clearly in mind, that you have

unlimited potential and that you are completely responsible, you are

now ready to move to the next step, which is to begin designing your

ideal future.

Take Charge of Your Life:

1. Identify your biggest problem or source of negativity in

life today. In what ways are you responsible for this

situation?

2. See yourself as the President of your own company.

How would you act differently if you owned 100% of

the shares?

3. Resolve today to stop blaming anyone else for anything

and instead accept complete responsibility in every

area of your life. What actions should you be taking?

4. Stop making excuses and start making progress.

Imagine that your favorite excuses have no basis in fact,

and act accordingly.

5. See yourself as the primary creative force in your own

life. You are where you are and what you are because

of your own choices and decisions. What should you

change?

6. Resolve today to forgive anyone who has ever hurt you

in any way. Let it go. Refuse to discuss it again. Instead,

get so busy working on something that is important to

you that you don’t have time to think about it again.