The Mindset of Underachievers vs. Overachievers
The mindset of underachievers is one that puts blame on something you can’t control when things don’t go your way. Bad luck, referees, bureaucracies, conspiracies, or cheaters are always the culprit. On the other hand, overachievers always take responsibility for their fate. Overachievers focus on the factors they can control, and logically figure out how to work around the factors they cannot.
This mindset dichotomy between underachievers and overachievers is what psychology researchers describe as your locus of control. Locus of control is a term to describe the mindset of how an individual perceives cause and effect. If someone has an external locus of control, they view cause and effect through the lens of fairness, luck, chance, and other external factors. On the other hand, if they have an internal locus of control, they view cause and effect through the lens of effort, strategy, and resilience.
Self-Awareness of Your Locus of Control
It’s important to be self-aware about your locus of control as research suggest that those with an internal locus of control perform better under pressure and respond better to adversity than those who don’t. Correspondingly, this is what facilitates the ability to overachieve. Those with an external locus of control tend to worry more and miss opportunities. They worry more because they don’t believe the process is under their control and external factors will dictate their success. They miss opportunities because they lack an understanding of the factors under their control that lead to opportunity. Likewise, this is what causes the underachieving.
For these reasons, self-awareness of how you focus your locus of control can be a game changer once you recognize you are underachieving. Indeed, it’s self-sabotage when you put too much focus on things you don’t control. On the other hand, mastering the things you do control is your greatest weapon.
As Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote nearly 2000 years ago:
You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
So, if you did not achieve your goals over the last 12 months, take full responsibility for this. It’s okay to identify the uncontrollable factors, but don’t give them any power over you. Treat those uncontrollable factors just like an obstacle on an obstacle course and figure out the work around. Then, spend the majority of your time optimizing the factors under your direct control.