Develop a Positive Attitude
Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts he has built into his character have brought him there.
—JAMES ALLEN
Fully 85 percent of your success in work, according to psychologist Sydney Jourard, is determined by your attitude and your personality. Your progress, how much you are paid and how fast you are promoted, is largely determined by how much people like you and want to help you.
People who are cheerful and optimistic are always more liked and respected than those who are complaining and critical. One of the most important determinants of your success in your career is how well you get along with others and how well you perform as a part of a team. Your pay and promotion will be greatly influenced by how well you cooperate with others at every stage of your career.
The very best team players seem to be those who are pleasant, positive, and supportive of their coworkers. They have high levels of empathy and consideration. They are the kind of people that others want to be around, work with, and help to get ahead.
A positive, friendly person is more readily noticed and appreciated by superiors who can boost his or her career. In addition, a positive person receives more support from coworkers and staff. A more positive person experiences an upward pressure that pushes him or her forward at a faster rate.
The critical measure of how positive you really are is demonstrated by how you perform under stress. Anyone can be positive when things are going well. But it is when you face difficulties and setbacks that you demonstrate to yourself, and everyone around you, what you are truly made of. You've heard it said that “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
A person with a positive mental attitude tries to look for the good in every person and every situation. He or she looks for something positive or constructive, or for a valuable lesson, in every problem. The habit of looking into every setback or difficulty for something worthwhile keeps you optimistic and cheerful. It keeps you future oriented and action oriented rather than backward or blame oriented.
Fortunately, this constructive approach is a habit you can develop with practice. A positive mental attitude is something that you learn by resolving to be positive every single day, especially when it is most needed.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Decide today that you are going to become a completely positive person at work and in your personal life. Refuse to criticize, complain, or condemn when things aren't going well. Resist the tendency to find fault, gossip, or gripe about other people or about any aspect of your company.
Resolve today to go on a “Twenty-One-Day Positive Mental Attitude Diet” at work. During this time, practice being completely positive and constructive all day long, no matter what happens. Count to ten before you react or respond to a problem or difficulty. Look for something good to say in every situation.
At the end of twenty-one days, you will have created a new habit that will serve you for the rest of your life.
