It may be no surprise to hear that negative thinking is one of the reasons for underachievement. Your life is built on your self-image and that image will depend on what you tell yourself. When you choose (and you do choose) to engage in negative thinking you are deciding to believe in your inability rather than your possibility. But it’s not just you!

There will be plenty of people in your life who are already, willing and eager to spread the reasons why things just won’t work. Or why you are just not capable of achieving what you hope to. Unfortunately, work colleagues, family and friends can be the worst culprits! They will always be someone who will willingly let you know why you will fail. Why won't it work out?

Having said that, it is essential to recognise that at times your nearest and dearest will be the first to shower negative rains on your dreams because they want to protect you from failing. Sometimes they may be afraid of you developing, growing and leaving them behind. There will always be a deep underlying fear in the negative thoughts of another.

The most important thing you can do in an effort to avoid underachievement is to learn to protect yourself from the naysayers. Other people’s opinion of you is none of your business! I have no idea who said that originally but it’s spot on. Instead of taking on board what others have to say, focus on learning how to develop the inner strength needed to achieve your dreams.

Take this to your workplace. As a manager and leader, you are responsible for the people who do the work. Your instinct may be all of the above, but long term, your team will not benefit from this style of management. Negative messages from other people can only affect you if you allow them to. Learn to brush them off. It’s time to become stronger about who you are and what you stand for. Before tackling others though it is important you tackle yourself if you want to avoid underachievement. What do you think about yourself right now and how is that affecting the accomplishments of your goals? Encourage your team to do the same, be supportive and encouraging of people’s ideas and willingness to take calculated risks.

Awareness, acknowledgement and acceptance are the keys towards changing the negative conversations that rattle around in your mind. Recognise that you have complete control over yourself and your thoughts. Many people believe it is the other way around. They make statements such as “I can’t help it, I've always thought this way.” But the real truth is you can help it. In fact, if avoiding underachievement is your goal then you must work towards not only stopping it but changing the way you think too!

Once you are in a position where people can say whatever they like without you allowing it to affect what you think about yourself then your life becomes more peaceful and certain than it can ever be. The question here is “Are you going to allow what people say to be the reason you underachieve?” Is the opinion of others more important than the opinion you hold of yourself? Are you ready to tackle the negative thinking that goes on in your head (here’s a tip! If you hear yourself thinking negatively talks just shout – either out loud or in your head – “cancel” and then turn it around to something more affirming) it truly works!

Thinking bigger, wanting more, and working towards achievement can make you a target for negative messages from your co-workers, family, friends and even total strangers because most people like the status quo. But when you have a strong conviction within yourself, when you work towards ensuring all your thoughts empower you rather than disempower you, then you will be going some way towards transforming how you think and feel.

What you think about yourself will determine whether you are a success or whether you give up. Begin the journey of thinking great things about who you are and what you can achieve.

About Me
My name is Mark Berry, the founder of Pebble Professional Development. Pebble is a coach-mentoring training provider, based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, specialising in leadership and management training solutions. With over 18 years of experience within the field of leadership development, management training, and coaching, Pebble has successfully helped individuals and organisations increase their personal effectiveness, leadership development, training solutions, and employee engagement processes. Our expertise means we can help you create a culture where leaders can flourish and employees feel valued as individuals.