Attitude is a choice!

Did you know attitude can make or break your career, a company, and a family? Did you know that attitude is more important than the past, education, money, failures and successes?

I have been speaking on attitude since 1990. What I tell assistants today about attitude is the same thing I said in 1990: Attitude is a choice. And as an administrative professional you need to make the right choice if you are going to shine in your career and around others. If you want less stress at work, you need to manage your attitude.

Many people think attitude happens “to them.” In other words an assistant will say to me, “Well you don’t understand, Joan. Melinda said something to me in an aggressive tone, so I had to act that way.” I say, “No, you chose to respond that way.” Believe me I have had plenty of people over 47 years of being in the workplace who certainly could have grabbed my attitude—in fact, they did get to my attitude, but for a very short time because I knew letting my attitude be affected did me no good. I knew that if I continued to keep a sour attitude, it would hamper my work.

Life happens to everyone. It is how you choose to respond that makes a difference. Your attitude has a tremendous impact on you that flows to everything you do, touch, say and affects your productivity at work. If you don’t manage your attitude at work, you can take it home with you and impact those you love and care about the most.

So don’t ever underestimate the power of attitude! It is one of your most powerful assets. Own it and manage it. In today’s business world, leaders would rather have someone with a great attitude than a good skill set. Attitude can be a positive influence or will jaundice a group of people. Your attitude will take you to the top or drop you to the bottom. The choice is yours.

Make the Right Choice: Every time you are challenged by an individual, thrown into a difficult situation or faced with a hectic day, you have a choice to be happy and continue on with your day or to be upset and let your entire day be ruined.

Make the Right Choice: Life will always throw you a curveball. There will always be a Nancy Negative or Don Dragon trying to upset your attitude. You can make the decision every morning that you will face whatever comes your way with poise and tact.

Make the Right Choice: If you make this a daily practice, before you know it, you won’t have to think about what to do or make a concentrated effort to do it. It will come naturally and you will find yourself a happier, more peaceful and productive person.

In closing, remember “You cannot tailor-make the situations in life, but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.”