Why the Little Engine Could
- Grace Normand
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
We are all probably familiar with the classic children’s story The Little Engine That Could. In the story, a small engine must try to pull a train up a steep mountain after the train’s original locomotive breaks down. The Little Engine continues to repeat, “I think I can. I think I can,” as it slowly pulls the train and eventually clears the mountain successfully.
The story is designed to teach children the value of optimism and positive thinking, but does that really get us anywhere? Well, you may be surprised just how helpful the Little Engine’s mindset can be!
Have you ever had the feeling that you’re on top of the world? Maybe it was getting your dream job or accomplishing a goal successfully, and it made you feel confident that you could do anything you put your mind to.
Conversely, have you ever felt like life was completely out of your control? As if you are just watching from a window seat as it passes you by, and you can’t do anything to change or fix it?
Although we ride highs and lows throughout life that can change our moods, our general outlook on whether or not we can control our outcomes is referred to as our locus of control, a concept from the field of psychology.
Those with a high internal locus of control believe that they can control situations through their own agency and behavior. People with an external locus of control believe that life happens to them and there is not much they can do to change outcomes that they attribute to fate, luck, and acts of influential others.
But what’s the difference? Does it really matter how much control we think we have, or if we believe we can or cannot do something as we chug along in life? It turns out, positive thinking and the belief in control make a huge difference.
Here’s an example: A high school student did an average amount of studying for an exam, but could have given much more effort. The exam was harder than he expected, and he received a poor grade. Because he has an external locus of control, he puts the blame on the teacher instead of recognizing that he should study more. He decides that the teacher makes the tests too difficult and is setting him up for failure, so there is nothing he can do to get a better grade. He studies even less for the next exam and fails.
This is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy, which occurs when a prediction causes us to act in a certain way that makes that prediction come true. As you can see, our locus of control can make a big impact on our lives.
That’s why the Little Engine could: He believed in himself. He didn’t say, “I know I can’t, but I’ll try just to prove it to you.” He continued to chug along and whisper, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can!”
Overall, research has shown that internals have better life outcomes and can respond to stress in healthier ways, better handle ambiguity, acquire new skills faster and more completely, and have higher job satisfaction.
Many things shape the development of our locus of control, including childhood experiences, media consumption, and the influence of our relationships. The good news is that our locus of control is not fixed for life but can change over time with effort.
You can take a three-minute survey here to get a baseline idea of where you sit on the locus of control continuum. If you want to work towards building a more internal locus of control, it’s best to start with small goals that build up your confidence as you accomplish them.
Unsure where to start? Coaching is a great tool to help you set goals that align with your passions and vision, and provides an accountability partner to make sure you stay on the train tracks and keep chugging away!
This guest blog was written by Grace Normand. Grace is a senior organizational communication student with professional experience specializing in marketing, content, and communications. She conducted an in-depth independent study on the subject of locus of control as part of her university curriculum.