Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal: nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude
– Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers of this great nation. He was also the author of the Declaration of Independence. He knew that if this nation was to become great its leaders needed to demonstrate the right mental attitude for all others to follow. Here are some of the rules our founding fathers followed in creating that “right mental attitude”.
Here are five tips for having a positive attitude at work:
1. Avoid negative thinking and complaining
2. Spend time with people who have a positive attitude
3. Be thankful for your job
4. Give yourself a chance to recharge
5. Reward yourself for doing a good job
Avoid negative thinking and complaining
It’s easy to have a positive attitude when everything’s going your way. But when you are faced with difficult or challenging situations or when things don’t go your way, keeping a positive attitude isn’t easy. It is easy to complain as a way of dealing with difficult situations, but what good will that do? Instead, take each situation as it comes to you and make the decision to keep a positive attitude.
Spend Time with People Who Have a Positive Attitude
Another key to the importance of having a positive attitude is to spend time with people who have a positive attitude.
Some say you become like the people with whom you choose to be with. That’s why it is so important to spend time with people who have a positive attitude at work. Every workplace has people who look for things to complain about and find fault. Those people love company and will try to get you to complain with them. In the workplace, you can’t simply ignore people. A better way to deal with negative people is to be polite but when the conversation turns to complaints, try to excuse yourself, then leave that conversation.
How Habits are Formed
Remember- the people you choose to spend time with will greatly impact your thoughts, your thoughts will become your talk, your talk will influence your feelings, your feelings will affect your behaviors and your behaviors, when repeated enough, will become your habits. To break the negative spiral start by spending time with people who have a positive attitude.
Be Thankful for Your Job
Think back to when you did not have a job and you were looking to find one. If you are like most of us you did not get the first job you applied for. Maybe it took several tries before you landed that job. How did you feel about yourself at that time? All of us need to stop and think about this once in a while. It will help us appreciate what we have now.
There are many benefits to having a job. A job helps you to pay your bills, pay for vacation, build your sense of worth and even make friends. In order to keep a positive attitude in the workplace, remind yourself often of these benefits. Be grateful for the chance to make a living every day.
Give Yourself a chance to Recharge
It’s important to work hard, but it’s just as important to give yourself a break every once in a while. If you never stop to recharge, you risk burning out. A worn out employee will have a bad attitude and poor performance. When you take a break from your work, you will come back to work with a rested mind and a positive attitude.
Reward Yourself for a doing a Good Job
We all respond positively to rewards. Even if there is not a formal reward system in your workplace, you can start your own reward system. Reward yourself when you meet a goal or do something well. Taking time to recognize your success will help you to develop a positive attitude and help you to keep up the good work.
The reward doesn’t have to be anything that costs a lot of money. Think of something that will make you want to continue to do a good job at work. For example, a reward could be stopping by your favorite ice cream shop on the way home from work. Giving yourself this small reward will keep your attitude positive and encourage you to keep working hard.
