Attitudes- We all have them, but what are they?

"Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?"   -- Dennis and Wendy Mannering

Before you answer this question let’s take a moment to understand what attitudes are.   Simply put, attitudes are our habits of thought that govern the way we interact with people and situations.  These attitudes are formed over time as you form opinions about how things should be done, how people should act and how different situations should be addressed.   Your attitudes are linked to your behavior which impacts your results.  What you think about a situation will determine your attitude towards that situation; your behavior is a direct response to your attitude about that situation; and the behavior you take impacts the results you get.  

Your success is determined to a large extent by your attitudes.  Think of your attitudes as an “aura” that surrounds you.   When you walk into a room, your attitudes are the first thing that people encounter even before you open your mouth.   Even if you have the most brilliant things to say, if you have a negative attitude people will not be inclined to communicate with you.   Without those lines of communication it is difficult to be productive. 

Remember, the children’s book, the Little Engine that Could?  If you think you can- you will, and if you don’t think you can- you won’t.   When we were younger we all routed for the train because of his positive attitude (I think I can, I think I can).   Why not show the same support to yourself? 

Good Habits, Friend or Foe?

In my previous blog I mentioned how the repetitive nature of habits can be helpful in terms of minimizing time and effort.   But in some cases, good habits can also hinder your growth.  If you are not open to new ideas, approaches and methods you just might be limiting your success.  How many times have you been in a meeting where you offer a suggestion that you truly believe would have a positive impact and were told “no thank you that is not the way we do things.”  You were probably thinking to yourself – how narrow-minded these people were. 

What if you now held up a mirror and asked yourself – are there any good habits I have that may be outdated and hindering my growth and success?   Have I gotten too comfortable with a familiar set of habits?  Sometimes we can become overconfident when complacency has set in.  When this happens we are actually underachieving.  Be willing to listen to new ideas and try new approaches.  Being just good stands in your way of being GREAT!

Banishing a Bad Habit

Remember the topic of bad habits covered in my previous blog?  Well now it is time to focus on how you can begin the process of eliminating this bad habit from your life.  For starters what you need to realize is that a bad habit can’t just be erased.  A bad habit needs to be removed and replaced with a productive habit.  So, how do you this?  It’s actually not as hard as you may think.  Once you have admitted to yourself that the habit you have is counterproductive to what you want to achieve in life, answer the following questions: 

1. List the reasons why the habit is counterproductive.

2. Take a step back and honestly assess what sort of satisfaction and/or benefits you derive from this habit.

3. Think of a more effective habit that could replace this bad habit.  What are some of the benefits what you could expect with this new habit?

Changing habits requires your attention and commitment over the long haul.  Do not expect it to happen overnight.   Be patient.  Have with you the anticipated benefits of the new goal within your sight at all times.  This will help you keep focus on the person you want to become.

Your Habits- helping or hurting you?

Are you a creature of habit?  Can you relate to the movie “Ground Hog Day” with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell?  On one hand, the repetitive nature of habits can be helpful in that they allow us to accomplish a lot with minimal conscious effort.  Just imagine how tired we would be if we had to think about how to breathe, brush our teeth, etc.   Through the process of generalization we are able to transfer learning and behavior from one situation to other similar situations- saving us time and effort.   

Habits can also be harmful.   Think of a bad habit you may have.  By continuously repeating this behavior you are reinforcing non-productive behaviors.  In order to be successful you need to develop beneficial habits that result in productive behaviors.   What steps can you take to eliminate the habits that are preventing you from achieving your goal?  What can you do to get outside your comfort zone of this bad habit?  (check out my next blog that focuses on banishing bad habits)

Habits are formed by reviewing a situation, deciding upon an action to take, taking that action and then evaluating the result.  If the outcome produces a positive effect then we will repeat the action.  If we continue to produce repeated positive experiences then subconsciously we have noted that this is a good habit and should be referenced for future use, eventually becoming instinctual. 

Got GOALS?

 “Vision without execution is hallucination.”  Steve Mills, IBM Executive

This is one of my favorite quotes.  Most of us set goals.  If you have an annual performance review process at your company most likely you are setting goals that you are to achieve during the year.   Once the performance review discussion is conducted with your manager and the form is filed away how often do you review, never mind act upon these goals?   If you are like most folks, you are scrambling to find the form a few weeks before the next performance review cycle begins.   What if you were to map out a plan to achieve your goals from day one?  What sort of impact do you think that would have in productivity as well as personal satisfaction?      Interested in giving it a shot?  Then take a moment to review a few key steps you can take to help you achieve the goals you took the time to set.

Step 1: Rewards and Consequences- Let’s face it – this is a powerful incentive.   The odds are that you will only accomplish a goal that is aligned with the desire results you want or to avoid the negative consequences of not attaining the goal.   Not to worry if you find yourself driven mostly by the need to avoid the consequences, based on various studies you are in the norm.  

Step 2: Identify any obstacles – Before you begin the goal achievement process, ask yourself - what are the possible barriers that might prevent me from realizing this goal?  By writing down these obstacles you can reduce uncertainty and adjust your attitude to develop action steps to move you forward.

Step 3: Develop Solutions and Take Action:  Once you have identified possible obstacles the next step is to think of as many solutions as possible to overcome each obstacle.   Once you have selected the most effective solution for your particular situation, and then convert that solution into an action step.   However, it does not stop here.   The key to the goal achievement process is to act on the action step you have identified by incorporating it into your daily activity so it becomes a part of you.

Why not take responsibility for your life by setting and achieving your goals!