It doesn’t matter if you are an agency owner, a member of the team or a senior manager in a large business. The most important thing is how you behave.
Some people return to work after the Christmas break raring to go. But those who don’t tend to spread their doom and gloom to anyone within earshot.
What if you could not only lift yourself out of the doldrums, but also have a positive effect on others? Well you can, by taking the following actions:
Start as you mean to go on
This isn’t about new year’s resolutions; it’s about being committed to having the career and life you want. If you want to be happy, successful and positive, set some goals around changing your attitude and behaviour.
We don’t stick to goals because we don’t want the end result badly enough. If you are determined this year, start by listing the steps you can take to achieve them.
Be clear, be specific and don’t give up. Set review dates at one-month, three-month and six-month intervals and ask a friend or colleague for a push occasionally to spur you on.
Also, write down the conseq-uences, for example, ‘If I don’t stick to this goal, I will be in exactly the same situation next year. Do I want that?’
Be daring and brave. If you want something enough, even if it’s a big challenge, you can get there.
Be honest with yourself
Everyone likes to think they are positive, but only 1% of us consistently are. You have the ability to be positive all the time, but you might not show it.
If you listen to the words you use, you will find clues. For example, if you’re asked how you are, do you say ‘could be better’, ‘not bad’ or ‘I’ll be better at 5.30pm’?
It’s easy to slip into negative thinking. Listen to your thoughts and if they are causing you to feel bad, change them – sometimes we are own worst enemies. Be proactive and ask a colleague or your manager for their opinion of your attitude (perception is everything) and take the comments on board.
Raise your own bar
Do you have a reputation for being the most likeable, flexible and easy-going person to work with? If you don’t, make this the year that you do.
Be the first to offer help to others (yes, even when you are busy), smile more than you normally do – it doesn’t hurt – and make an effort to sound cheerful, customers will love it.
Ask what else you can do around the business and make an effort to make a difference. Raise your bar and you will raise your performance, and likelihood of being successful.
This may sound like common sense, but common sense isn’t always that common, so do it and stand out.
Make it a team effort
You probably aren’t the only one who has low points at work, so have some fun and get everyone in the team involved. Turn negative comments around if you hear them and if you see someone looking fed up, cheer them up, don’t join them.
When you have a tough day, remind yourself that it’s just a day and you can turn it around tomorrow. We spend most of our life at work, so it’s worth working hard at enjoying it – everyone will notice.
You’ve won the lottery
Okay, so you might not have won the money lottery, but you have probably won the lottery of life in many other ways. Are you healthy? Millions aren’t. Do you have family and friends? Some people don’t.
It’s easy to grumble about the things we don’t have. You are lucky, but how grateful are you? And how much do you have to be positive about? If 2009 was a tough year, work hard on your attitude and your behaviour, and 2010 could be outstanding. Put your job and life into perspective. Enjoy it and show it.
Links
Walkaheadblogger.blogspot.com – read Amana Walker’s latest blog posts on all aspects of selling and people – in and out of the workplace.