Check My Attitude at the Door

Today is another day I decided to Check My Attitude at the Door. There is a reason for this, even though you think I may be overly up-beat and positive, that is not always the case. How long would you continue to read about depressing issues? Heck, I get tired reading the headlines in the papers and on the Internet about how bad it is in the "cold, cruel, world". Personally, I get tired of the body counts, the thefts, the abuse of people upon other people. Because of that, I strive to write about more positive issues. There are many days where I have to check my attitude at the door, because sometimes I would rather wallow in the doom and despair that is rampant in the news.

Managing a home-based business is not easy, especially in these economic times. Your success is determined by many factors, but one major one I believe is in attitude. If you are stressed, depressed or just plain angry, what customer would be willing to come up to you to ask a question? If you are having a bad day, odds are that any decisions you make while in that black mood will be not in the best interest of either you or your business. Attitude plays a big role in your success, and not just your mental success. I am not promoting a Pollyanna attitude, not by a long shot, but you need to do a check of your attitude before making any type of business decision. Sometimes your bad mood will translate into you seeing a situation as negative, and consequently you will respond accordingly. If you have a good handle on your attitude, you may be able to see a positive spin to the situation you find yourself in.

There will be days that no matter what you do, you can't shake that negative attitude. Those are days that I just want to crawl into a hole and then pull the hole in after me. I believe that everyone has days like that, perhaps we need to have days like that. If you are having one of "Those" days, then try to put off making any type of business decision, since you would probably regret the decision you do make. If you must make a decision on a day like that, then call someone you trust and get their opinion. Even if they can't help lift your mood, perhaps they can validate the decision you are considering. If I am having a bad day, I have a few techniques that I use to at least tone down the bad attitude.

One way is to take some time off and focus on something that makes me happy. I may choose to carve some stone for a bit, or if that is not possible, I will pick up a book and get lost in it for an hour or so. Otherwise, I may choose to look at some pictures to remind me of some fun times, or I will call a friend and let them tease the daylights out of me. Each person has to find their own way to deal with stress, so what I do may not work for everyone. Sometimes I just take a walk and force myself to look at the surroundings. Walking and / or exercises will release endorphins that will make you feel better too. You have to force yourself to remember that troubled times are a fact of life, and if you are having problems today, it does not mean you will have issues tomorrow. At the time it may seem like you will have troubles for the rest of your life, but in all honesty, you know that is not true.

If I find myself on that negative spiral, thinking bad thoughts, not liking my current situation, I strive to check my attitude at the door and hope that it blows away before I come back out. I realize that is a goofy thought, but hey, if it works, why not use it. Don't candy-coat your bad mood, that won't work either. The key is to not let your bad mood translate into bad business decisions. Be honest about why you are in a dark mood and then either focus on changing it or try not to make any business or life decisions until you can think clearly again. Again, being positive is not necessarily the right answer, you don't want to be overly optimistic because you could fall flat on your face with that too. Unchecked optimism is almost as bad as a bad mood, you may not make the right business decisions in that state of mind either. You need to be sure to balance your business decisions with well thought-out ideas and not to make snap decisions. It is not easy, and I am the first one to admit that, but, there can be positives in all negative situations. If we all quit when the going got tough, we would still be sitting at home, with all the windows and doors closed and locked. How many times did Thomas Edison try to make a light bulb before he was successful? Did you ride your bicycle the first time you ever got on it?

We all have to remember that the bad times are what makes us learn and be successful. No, that is not a bunch of hooey, we wouldn't have inventions if people quit after their first efforts. Making mistakes, failing even, are necessary. If you fail at trying to do something, then you know not to do that one thing again, now you can move onto another option and see if that one works. Check your attitude at the door and see how successful you can really become.

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Until tomorrow...