Yesterday we spoke about attitudes. Winners have a winning attitude. But what exactly does that mean?

Years ago, Dr. Ron Gilbert, a sports psychology professor at Montclair State University in northern New Jersey, invited me to attend his classes.

His message on Day One tells you all you need to know about becoming a winner. He drew an equation on the board.

It went like this:

AB + S + AC = R

Or, AB (ability) plus Strategy plus AC (action) equals a result.

He explained it this way: You have all the ability you need. When you combine your ability with a strategy and then take action, you get a result. The esult might be a good one; it might be a bad one.

Here’s the crucial point. When winners get a bad result, they never question their ability. Instead, they examine their strategy. When other people get a bad result, they question their ability.

So the whole question of success comes down to how people view ability and hard work. Winners believe that if they work hard enough, they will find a way. Other people believe that their ability level pre-determines what they will achieve.

Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt says, “You never say that they’re better than us. It’s up to you to find a way.”

Dr. Gilbert blogs here. He also offers a daily Success Hotline at (973) 743-4690.