How to Develop a Better Attitude About Your Job
A Whole New Attitude!
Some clients work with me and decide that this is not the right time for them to change careers. I just want to say, that is okay! Please understand that making the decision to stay in your present situation is just as important as determining it is time to leave. We are talking about major decisions here that affect, not only your bottom line, but your attitude, health, family, and everything else you do. So do not take any choice you make lightly or feel the need to justify your decision. What is right for you, is right for you.
That said, at some point, you were discouraged and frustrated enough that you began searching for something else, and started working your way through the decision process. You may find that although you feel this is not the right time to change your career, the compulsion that made you start to look elsewhere is very likely to come up again. Once you hear the calling for change, it isn’t likely to go away soon.
However, you may need a little assistance to make the most of this option to stay in your current position. Here are some tools to give you a fresh perspective and with this, possibly find fulfillment.
Staying where you are means that, especially if you are unhappy there, you will have to adopt a different attitude toward your work. Simply changing how you view something will work wonders in changing how that thing affects you, how you respond to it, and how you manage your emotions. This is called reframing. By reframing the way you are looking at a situation, you immediately begin to react to it differently. So your goal here, is to look at the specific things that you dislike about the job you are in now, especially how you describe the situation, and then find words and descriptors that will help you keep a more positive attitude about it.
For example: Let’s say you work in a retail clothing store. You like to stock and create displays, but dislike having to work at the register. What, specifically, do you like about stock the shelves and create displays? You might respond that it is the creativity involved and you also like making sure everything is neat and looks nice. But when you work at the register, it’s boring to scan items, bag them and take the payment.
Another example might be if you work in an office environment. Perhaps you deal with a clique of coworkers who are backbiters and negative. While you try to maintain a good attitude, work hard and accomplish your tasks, someone either undermines your efforts or you are left on your own with no support.
“Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us.” ~ John N. Mitchell
Your attitude is really your expression of towards life. Developing the right attitude can be learned. It’s easy to say, “Just change your attitude,” but how do you go about doing this? If everyone could change their attitude at the snap of a finger, we’d all be happier people.
Changing your attitude can be quite easy, but it does take attention and consistency over time. You see, a big portion of your current attitude is there because it is a habit. When you hear someone say, “I can’t stand waiting in line!” They have already set their mind so that whenever they must wait in a line, they will be irritable. This is how your mindset can cause the outcome of your desire.
Here are some ways to work through making an attitude mindset change:
- Think of the outcome you would like. Set you intention to having a good day at work and recognize what things do make you happy. If you do not acknowledge when you are having a good day, how will you know when you do?
- Smile and laugh. When we laugh, our respiratory system gets a workout, the brain’s limbic system secretes a hormone which reduces stress and the good feeling laughter creates can last up to 30-minutes. You can help yourself through the day physically and psychologically with the good effects of laughter.
- Fill your mind and attention with uplifting and positive information. While I understand there is a reality in life that is not always positive, there is no reason to dwell in the negative. Many greats have stated that “What we think about, we become.” If you wish to become a person with a more positive outlook, then read about things that will help you adopt this new attitude. Watch television shows and listen to music that is in alignment with who you wish to become. Associate with people who inspire you and encourage you to change.
- Do things differently. We are such creatures of habit, that we can get ourselves into a rut and not even realize it. The more we take the same action, think the same thoughts and behave in the same way, the neuro-connections in our brains become stronger and stronger. This is why it is difficult to break a habit. Try doing something in a new way to create a new connection. Something as simple as driving a new route to work, or walking to your office from a different entrance is enough to cause your brain to process in a different manner. This can be the catalyst to an entirely new way of thinking and responding for you.
- Get a role model. Find someone who already has the attitude you wish to have. You can learn from their example and follow their lead.
- Help others. One of the fastest ways to change a poor attitude is to take the focus off yourself and help others. Fully recognizing how many others are going through far more difficulties than you are, can be a big help to look at your world through a different perspective.
Lesley V. Ingves
Leave a Comment