Have you ever noticed how positive people are more resilient?

Lately I’ve been thinking about the importance of attitude. Back in 2009, I put myself on a no complaining diet for 30 days. It was a tough and enlightening experience. I realized how much I complained and that I needed to do something to change.

After looking back on my career, I realized how much my complaining has affected my productivity. Whenever I complained, I would wreck my confidence. I used to get so down on myself that I couldn’t do any meaningful work. I thought it was just the way I worked.  I did busy work that didn’t challenge me or demand me to be creative.

At one point my complaining was so bad that I caught myself complaining about gifts that I received from generous friends and family. It was a splash of cold water down my back. I was sabotaging my own happiness.

I knew it wasn’t helping my career or my personal life, so I vowed to make some changes.

That’s when I put myself on the no complaining diet. It was one of the best 30 day trials I’ve ever experimented with.

What I learned

My complaining focused my thoughts and feelings on what I didn’t like about a situation and never opened my mind to the positive in the situation.

No job is perfect, but I was avoiding hard work because of the possible negatives that could come out of the situation. I debated whether I should try to develop a new project or check my email instead. My email always came first.

Checking my email was a crutch I kept falling back on again and again. I knew I had to stay busy to avoid depression, but I wasn’t working any smarter.

I realized that I was complaining about myself before I even started a project. I would complain about the work and the possible mistakes that might occur. This negative attitude kept me from engaging with my work and my co-workers.

The no complaining trial helped me understand the kryptonite effect that my complaining had on my attitude, and I figured out ways to focus my energy on building my confidence through positivity.

I needed to develop tools to help me build a more positive attitude. Over the past year and a half I’ve used 5 tools to build my confidence and develop a more positive attitude.

1. Create a Happiness Plan

Every person who cares about his or her life should have a happiness plan. When you are happy, you are less susceptible to heart disease and you’re more creative. That means you need to figure out how to be happier. Yes, it does take a little work, but a simple plan can make a big difference.

If you want to learn more about creating a happiness plan then click the link and you’ll discover how to set up a plan that fits your needs.

The biggest improvement to my career happiness has been keeping a one sentence journal. It helps me assess my career and make adjustments.

You have to figure out what problems you keep running into and how you can improve the way you respond to them. Reflection is a much underused skill. The more you understand how to improve your attitude, the more you can cultivate a resilient mind.

2. Understand How You Transition Between Tasks

I’ve talked about transitioning between tasks before because this is a personal development opportunity that is often ignored.

When you finish an email, what is the next thing you do?

You probably just go to the next task. This is a bad habit. If you can create the habit of taking a few seconds to celebrate your previous task, then you can create a more positive attitude for your next task.

3. Know Your Kryptonite

There are certain tasks that will drain your energy. The more you can tune into this feeling, the less likely you are to subject yourself to these tasks.

Yes, there will be times when you’ll have to do work that you don’t like. It’s a part of every business. You can’t escape it. The idea is to do more fun stuff than crappy stuff throughout your day. Every person’s balance is different. You’ll have to discover what works for you.

The best way to do this is to create a routine. Can you figure out when to do your creative work that fits into your hot spot (the time of day that you have the most energy)? If you love to write and you are at your best in the morning, then block out this time to get into the writing zone. Use the afternoon to do the work that drains you, just take time to do some fun stuff in between to keep your energy at a high level.

4. Levity Your Face Off

Many of us take our careers too seriously. We don’t take the time to laugh at ourselves and the situations we are in. If you really take the time to look at your life, it’s very funny.

A friend taught me how to create a little levity when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Let’s say you have a client who is breathing down your neck and is being unreasonable. A good technique is to say (out loud) what is happening and after each sentence say “ha, ha, ha.” This will allow you to create some emotional space between you and the situation.

5. Stay Curious

You want to believe that you are curious, but are you really? Do you ask your co-worker questions about why they do what they do? Do you ask a client to explain how they came up with a certain concept? You just want to do your work. It’s easier to dive into work then the messy world of digging for more information.

You need to think about what you need to learn from a situation then figure out who can teach you the ropes.

I’ve been stuck in ruts before when I have stopped being curious. What a huge mistake! I was writing boring stuff and no one was feeling the love. I was flopping around like a fish on a rusty deck. When I hit my lowest I began to ask people on Twitter some questions. I asked them what they did to stay motivated. The answers weren’t as important as my own curiosity.

You need to start asking the right questions. The questions that make you want to dig deeper. Once you dig a little deeper, you can find out what the core problem is and that’s where you can turn your attitude toward a more positive direction. One that will get you taking action on the problem.

Attitude Matters

I haven’t completely stopped complaining, but I have reduced my complaining by at least 80%. Because of this 30 day trial, my career has bloomed.

Because of my attitude shift I’ve been asked to do more events. Recently, Amway contacted me to be a part of a project that I want to share with you.

Share Your Positivity with the World

Amway has put together a fantastic contest. They want people to tell their amazing stories. There will be a $10,000 winner and 9 $2,500 winners. Check out Amway’s Positivity Project Facebook Page and website.

To get you started they ask a few questions that might help you get your creative juices flowing:

> Has the power of positive affected your life?

> Have your positive actions had an impact on others?

> Has positivity impacted the life of someone you know?

> Has someone else’s positivity had a profound impact on you?

> How might you spread positivity to others if given the opportunity?

Amway wants people to tell a story of how positivity makes a difference in people’s lives. Make sure your entry is awesome and you will have a good chance.

Full Disclosure: Amway flew me in to visit their facility in Michigan. They interviewed me and other experts in the positivity field. This trip proved to me that Amway is dedicated to creating a more positive society. The Amway founders were very philanthropic, so it really fits into their mission. Check out the video they put together highlighting my mission of bringing superpower development to small business owners. I see a lot of mistakes, but overall I have to say, I did a good job.

Good luck! Just think: $10,000 to forward your cause. That’s some sweet cash.

* Need help leveraging your superpowers? Then check out my Superpower Coaching to see how I can help you become happier, more productive, and less stressed out.

* Evita of Evolving Beings talks about living out dreams through conscious and focused intention. I believe that we attract into our lives what we feel we deserve. Evita she deserves beauty and life provides. Click here to check out her post.

Image courtesy of bluekdesign

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

There are times when you may not like your job. We’ve all been there.

During these tough times, we need to appreciate what we have. There are a lot of people out of work who wish that they had a job on which focus their energy.

I have a few friends who were laid off and they don’t know what to do with themselves. There are only so many hours each day that you can spend looking for a job.

So if you have a job, then take the time to enjoy what you have.

1. As of July 2009, 9.4% of the people in the USA were unemployed. That means 1 out of every 10 people you meet is looking for work.

2. You are able to pay bills.

3. You don’t rely on government hand outs.

4. The weekends feel amazing.

5. When you are sick, you are paid to stay home.

6. Your last project caused you to stress out, but it challenged you to manage your time more efficiently.

7. Your co-workers make you laugh on a daily basis.

8. Free coffee.

9. Lunch tastes sooooo good because you are taking a much needed break while eating a delicious sandwich.

10. You’ve learned to tolerate commuting traffic by deep breathing at red lights and bumper to bumper traffic.

11. You aren’t bothered by family while using the bathroom.

12. When your computer breaks, you have an IT department to fix it.

13. Insurance is paid for.

14. You have stories to tell your family.

15. You feel proud after a completed project.

16. You’ve learned how to speak to a group of people without letting your anxiety take over.

17. There is always a new challenge that makes you find a solution to the problem.

18. Your co-worker likes to bring donuts into work.

19. You have co-workers who enjoy talking about the nail biter of a game yesterday.

20. Your creativity is appreciated.

21. You’ve learned to manage your time efficiently.

22. Your company sends you to conferences that actually teach you fresh ideas.

23. You’ve learned how to push past your limits.

24. You burn more calories at work because your brain is working a lot harder.

25. Your job helps you appreciate your family.

26. You have a sense of purpose.

27. You use more of your strengths every year.

What else would you add to this list?

My Twitter account (@workhappynow) is filled work happiness ideas and questions. Come join me and see for yourself.

***

When I need a fresh take on life I visit Peter’s personal development site The Change Blog. 30 Fundamentals of a Wonderful Life is one of my favorites.

If you enjoyed this post then check these out:

• What do I do if I’m unhappy at Work?
• How to Build Confidence at Work
• My Work Happiness Manifesto

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

(Trouble viewing the video? Then click here and try watching it at Work Happy Now)

How can you use mistakes to motivate you? That’s what this video explores.

I used to mentally beat myself up after every mistake. I was killing my own confidence. I needed to learn how to use mistakes as a way to give myself energy instead of sucking the life out of me. I figured it out. Can you?

***

Sometimes we forget why we are creating relationships with customers/clients. Naomi of Ittybiz does an excellent job of explaining why we need to focus on giving value so people keep coming back to buy our stuff.

***

You may have noticed the new banner on the left hand side – the smiling face. Happy at Work Action Day has been prelaunched. It’s not quite ready; I’m still looking for sponsors. But check it out. I just know you’ll want to join in.

***

If you liked this video then check out these motivational boosters:

• Unleash Your Creative Beast
• How to Build Confidence at Work
• Indulge Your Senses At Work

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

(email subscribers: click here to go to Work Happy Now to view the video)

What you do and how you do your work matters. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t care whether your job was done well. Since you care (most of you do), you probably try so hard sometimes that it can wreck your confidence if things don’t go the way you plan them. It’s up to each individual person to understand their strengths and not need to rely on other people to feel confident.

I shot this video to explain how I’ve built my confidence. I still have moments of weakness, like most of you, but I always come back stronger. Every negative comment, weird look from a co-worker, or bad feeling can bring me down if I dwell on them. I just have to learn to seperate people’s comments and actions from how I view myself.
Everyone has their own agenda, so one person’s comments might seem positive, but in reality they are negative. And vice versa. One of the best ways to build our own confidence is by helping other people become stronger and focusing on improving ourselves every single day.

The above video took me 21 takes before I got it right. The video below is take number 16. I was becoming frustrated by my inability to nail the take. I freaked out at 2:12 in the video. I’m not afraid to show this because it’s actually quite funny.

No one is perfect, far from it, but we do have to enjoy the process. I enjoyed all 21 takes to get the right message across.

*

One of the best business blogs on the planet is Guy Kawasaki – How to change the world. He breaks the business world down so you can make the world a better place.

*

If you liked this video post there are plenty more to come, so join up in my RSS feed via a Reader or Email.

*

Give these a try:

• Work Worth Doing
• Where is Your Focus
• You Are Awesome

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

I’m trying to get my writing and name out there, so I’ve been guest posting. Check out the articles…

At The Positivity Blog:

How the Fear of Losing My Job Helped Me to Grow

Working for a company that might be cutting jobs can force the energy right out of you if you don’t take some steps to set your perspective on the positive.

There are usually three perspectives that dictate our emotional outlook.

1. Relaxing in the now.
2. Imagining that things will get better.
3. The problem itself.

Out of the three options, which one do you think will only make problems worse?

Maybe the question is a little too easy, but why do so many people keep doing it?

Click here to read the full article.

-

At Change Your Thoughts:

How to become a better person at work

A job is so much more than helping a corporation or a boss earn more money. There are many levels to work that people miss out on because they’re too caught up in their goals. I don’t advocate blowing off your goals, but I encourage everyone to find other aspects that help them enjoy their work and become better at their job.

Most people want to accomplish the tasks that they are assigned, but there are many ways to get the job done as well as increase your enjoyment at work.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!