A is for Attitude

If I had to choose one key component for achieving the highest possible levels of success for an individual, its attitude all the way. Having a rock-solid fantastic attitude is not just necessary, it's crucial. Long before anyone knows whether you’ve got the steak (skills), they feel your sizzle – or lack of it!

As you’re navigating the daily challenges of maximizing your time, handling personnel issues, finalizing and delivering proposals, counting inventory, and closing the deal, its easy to lose hold of your outlook, feel overwhelmed and become frustrated. Here are some of the most effective ways to approach getting – and keeping – an attitude that’s going to help make your road to the top just this side of painless.

Learn from everything. The questions we ask ourselves can make or break us. When challenges hit – and they do – one power question to pose right away is: “What is the lesson for me in this situation?” Have you noticed when you don’t learn your lesson the first time, you end up the same or similar (and many times more painful) situation again? By asking that question, you can drill down what you’re supposed to learn from the situation to avoid repeating it in the future.

The second part of this learning process is putting systems in place so the lesson will automatically not repeat itself. The next question is, “What are ten ways I can make sure this never happens again?” This list is a brain-storming session that enables you to learn from the fresh wound and avoid future ones.

Example – You get in your car on the way to a client. You’re scheduled to be just on time if you leave now. As you turn the ignition, you notice the “low fuel” light is on. Rats! Now you have to take at least five minutes to gas up, leaving the possibility wide-open you will be late. I used to experience this quite a bit. Now I have my car gassed up at least once a week, and more often if I notice the gauge falls below the half-tank marker. That way, I never have to stop when I should be on my way.

Spend time identifying and addressing your “gaps” will allow you to safeguard yourself and prevent future hardship.

This too shall pass. Remember it feels the worst when you’re in the midst of the crisis. It is easy to lose perspective and give up hope. This is the best time to stay steadfast in your conviction. Keep your vision, goals and dreams vividly in your mind. Life consists of seasons, as do situations. There will come a day when the awful problem you’re having now will be a distant memory. Prepare to triumph over this situation now by remembering “this too shall pass.”

No retreat, no surrender! This is a critical mindset to adopt – preferably now when you’re not facing a crisis. Do not back down from adversity! You have it in you to face and overcome anything that comes your way. If you’re not entirely convinced this is true, think back to other times when you thought the world was coming to an end. If you’re reading this, you’re still here!

Evaluate how you will choose to move forward, keeping in mind that one super-effective choice available to you includes “bend but don’t break.” Think of trees in a storm – they gracefully accommodate natural forces while still staying strongly anchored by their foundation. Think of yourself as a tree in the face of your storms and sway in the face of difficulty while not giving in.

Half-full or half-empty? Most people possess a dual thought process: “I’m awesome” … “Maybe not so much.” There’s a tennis match that goes on in their head, an argument of will that in one moment serves them in their quest to move forward … and the next takes the wind out of their sails. Seeing the glass as half-full really isn’t the Pollyanna approach, it’s the approach that allows you to retain hope. Hope is the single most named factor when people are polled about how they survived and even thrived in the face of adversity. Keep hope alive and you’re keeping your dreams alive – and increasing your chances of goal achievement!

If its to be, its up to me. The only person who can make “it” (your vision and goals) happen is you. The only thing or person standing in the way of your success is you. By adopting this attitude, you set in motion invisible forces that will come to your aid. You also raise your vibration – and you will attract to you what you need to achieve your every desire. Staying in “possibility thinking” will keep you focused on how you can accomplish your goals. If you’re going to argue for something, argue for how you can make it happen, instead of arguing about how it just not going to happen.

Remember, you are the CEO of your life. With a jaw set with determination, a few upward shifts in your attitude and a desire to remain steadfast to the end almost guarantees your success. Go for it!