Page 42 - Wake Up and do Your Thing

WAKE UP AND DO YOUR THING
Control is about whether your decisions are controlled internally or externally: from inside you or outside you.
This social learning theory was developed in 1954 by the American psychologist Julian Rotter and refers to an individual's belief that their destiny is ruled either internally by themselves, or by external factors/people such as doctors, politicians, teachers, celebrities, the nightly news, social media, fate, etc.
We all fall on a continuum, but in general, people with external control think their lives are determined by events outside of their control and their self-talk reflects this. They tend to be good at spotting problems, using negative language, blaming others and making excuses instead of taking responsibility when things don’t work out, processing feedback and doing something about it. I’ve met lots of externally controlled people who say, “I’m unlucky.” But if you look closely you’ll find luck has nothing to do with it; they’re just really good at making really bad decisions and carrying them out really well.
People with internal control believe in self- determination and that they have agency over their lives. They tend to talk in the positive and process feedback rather than blaming others. They are good at spotting opportunities and take responsibility for their decisions.
External control has its short-term advantages. It can be less stressful to lie back and blame everyone else for your
42