Everyone needs that kick in the pants to get out and achieve their goals. Sometimes that kick is just needed to remind us that success is within our grasp. Fortunately, science is on our side!
Here are the biggest breakthroughs in the science of success!
What’s really behind success and achievement? Is it fate, luck, hard work, or a combination of it all? Scientists around the world have been hard at work to uncover the secrets behind the science of success, and they’ve found some major breakthroughs: firstborns and secondborns really are different, positive thinking and praise aren’t as great as we think, and practice is the best predictor of success. Read on to explore these (and more) successful science phenomena and use this knowledge to pursue your own achievement.
The difference between firstborns and secondborns:
Although this is something we’ve suspected for a long time, it turns out that firstborns and secondborns really do achieve differently. According to Belgian research, it seems that firstborns are more likely have what’s called a “Get-Better” mindset, wherein they are concerned with how well they’re doing today compared with points in the past. Secondborns, on the other hand, are more likely to have “Be-Good” goals, in which they compare their performance to others. Although secondborn “Be-Good” goals can be motivating, “Get-Better” ones are superior, leading to constant learning and improvement.
Success breeds more success:
Success can create a momentum all its own, continually building upon itself, and there’s a brain-based reason for that. Harvard researchers have found that neurons become more finely tuned and are able to retain memory when we succeed, but don’t do the same thing when we’re not succeeding. Your brain actually becomes addicted to success, thanks to dopamine bumps associated with success, and helps you to retain the information that you need to succeed again.
Practice really does make perfect:
So often, culture, genes, even environment are given as the reason why some seem to do better in sports than others. But the truth is that it really all comes down to practice. Sports scientists believe that any successful athletic performer must first complete at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, and although culture can have an impact, it is primarily because it influences the training athletes can access. Further, although there has been extensive research into genetic testing programs of Olympic athletes, predictive sports genetics simply remain unsolved. Meaning: it’s not who you are or where you come from, but how hard you work.
The biology of risk taking:
Hormones can have a major impact on your threshold for risk. John Coates, author of The Hour Between Dog and Wolfexplains that there are two important hormones in success and failure. Testosterone is associated with success, while cortisone is associated with failure. Along with success, testosterone breeds risk-taking euphoria that can lead to more success, but the stress hormone cortisol can cause you to hold back and avoid taking risks, becoming less competitive.
The role of praise in achievement:
We’ve all been lead to believe that praise and positive feedback foster success, but some psychologists believe that it can actually drain self-esteem and motivation. Too much praise can lead to a “fixed mindset,” which focuses on looking smart and being judged well, can inhibit growth and success.
Read the full list at BrainTrack.com.
