Attitude is Everything!
You've heard it before, "Attitude is everything!" Well, it's true. Your attitude will be the key factor in deciding your life. Don't believe it? Think about it for a while. When things aren't going well, what helps most, a negative attitude or a positive one? What do you like about negative people? Their attitude? No! But when you meet someone who has a positive outlook, it tends to rub off and make you feel more positive also.
We're not talking about those who constantly run around with a smile on their face insisting that everything is just peachy, even when everything is a mess. We're talking about people who are grateful for the good things, work hard to learn from failures, and hopeful about the future. When you meet them, you know who they are, and you appreciate their willingness to be realistic, and to look for lessons and silver linings.
"What's this got to do with work?” you ask. Everything. Your work life is a huge part of your bigger life. We've all had bad workdays that translate themselves into bad non-work moments. We've lost jobs, been disappointed in jobs, maybe screwed up a job. We've heard that our attitude needs to be adjusted, or that we need not to dwell on a failure. Then we go home, or come out of our home office, and kick the proverbial dog. Not good. Besides that, cultivating a positive attitude will show in work, and in your communications with employers and potential employers. This matters a lot, because bosses prefer positive to negative, just like the rest of us. So, let's revisit the basics of attitude. See if you can put some of the following thoughts to work for you.
Have an attitude of gratitude. Goofy, maybe because it rhymes, but it's still true. Most times, even when everything is going poorly, everything really isn't going poorly. There are still things you can look to that you are grateful for in your life. Make a list if you have to, even if it's short. This isn't an exercise in being grateful that your cat didn't throw up on the carpet today, it's an exercise in training your mind to gravitate to positive thoughts.
Where's that Can-Do attitude? If you think you can't, then you are probably right, although you might surprise yourself. If you think you can, then you've most likely got it in the bag! Sports Psychologists encourage athletes to do mental rehearsals or visualizations of going through their competition and winning, and even the feeling of winning. You can apply this to your workday on a less dramatic level. Need to finish the project? Picture yourself wrapping it up and sending it off to the boss, a big smile of satisfaction on your face. Try it. Having the attitude of knowing you can do it, whatever it is, is key to accomplishing what you set out to do.
Learn from failure. Yes, you might fail sometimes. But so does everyone, and it's the smart person who gets up, brushes off and tries again. See what you can do smarter or differently next time. Have faith in yourself to meet success. Even ask for help or advice if you need it - it's OK to do that, really!
So, how's your attitude today?
Posted:Monday, October 08, 2007
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