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UAEX Money
Control Your Destiny To Increase Wealth
Do you feel in control of your future? OR is your future in the hands of fate?
We all have either an internal or an external Locus of Control. Locus of Control (LOC) refers to your view of how your actions impact life. Internal LOC people feel in control.
They are masters of their own destinies. External LOC people feel like life events are based on luck, fate, or other people. People with an internal LOC are more successful
in their efforts to improve health or increase wealth. So, what if you have an external LOC? Don’t despair. You can move from an external LOC toward an internal LOC.
Here’s how:
Take this survey.
Locus of Control
Julian Rotter (1966) devised a locus of control personality test to assess the extent to which an individual possesses internal or external reinforcement beliefs. Terry Pettijohn, the author of Psychology: A ConnecText, has developed the following test based on Rotter's original idea. Indicate for each statement whether it is T (true) or F (false) for you. There are no right or wrong answers. This survey will give you a general idea of where you stand on the locus of control personality dimension.
1) I usually get what I want in life.
T
F
2) I need to be kept informed about news events.
T
F
3) I never know where I stand with other people.
T
F
4) I do not really believe in luck or chance.
T
F
5) I think that I could easily win a lottery.
T
F
6) If I do not succeed on a task, I tend to give up.
T
F
7) I usually convince others to do things my way.
T
F
8) People make a difference in controlling crime.
T
F
9) The success I have is largely a matter of chance.
T
F
10) Marriage is largely a gamble for most people.
T
F
11) People must be the master of their own fate.
T
F
12) I t is not important for me to vote.
T
F
13) My life seems like a series of random events.
T
F
14) I never try anything that I am not sure of.
T
F
15) I earn the respect and honors I receive.
T
F
16) A person can get rich by taking risks.
T
F
17) Leaders are successful when they work hard.
T
F
18) Persistence and hard work usually lead to success.
T
F
19) I t is difficult to know who my real friends are.
T
F
20) Other people usually control my life.
T
F
SCORING:
Give yourself 5 points for each question if you indicated False on questions:
2,3,5,6,9,10,12,13,14,16,19,20
Give yourself 5 points for each question if you indicated True on questions:
1,4,7,8,11,15,17,18
RESULTS:
0-15 Very strong external locus of control
20-35 External locus of control
40-60 Both external and internal locus of control
65-80 Internal locus of control
85-100 Very strong internal locus of control
This personality test and many more along with information about personality are available at: http://personality-project.org/personality.html
Make a list of the external forces you blame for your poor health or financial management practices. Do you blame a busy job for your lack of time to
exercise? Do you blame your parents for not teaching you how to manage money?
Make a list of positive and negative events that happen in your life over the next month. Examine how your decisions and actions affected the outcome.
Set small, quick, easy-to-reach goals. Focus on your own efforts to achieve the goals. Remember to attribute your success to your actions. Celebrate your
achievements. Some example goals are:
o Save $50 in one month. Save $1 per day plus pocket change.
o Lose 4 pounds in 5 weeks. Eliminate 200 calories per day and exercise to burn off 200 more calories per day.