Kick-Off the New Year with a New Attitude

What’s your New Year’s Resolution this year?

Eating healthier?

Changing careers?

Working out more?

Most of our resolutions revolve around external activities and habits (and according to studies shared on Inc., most of us quit on them by the second week of February – yikes!).

But could I suggest a different resolution for this year? Instead of focusing on external change, choose to work on the engine that drives those changes – your attitude. 

This year, decide to choose a productive, constructive outlook rather than a destructive one, no matter what happens. Choose your attitude and you could change your whole year.

Decide to choose a productive, constructive outlook rather than a destructive one, no matter what happens. Choose your attitude and you could change your whole year. Kick-Off the New Year with a New Attitude Share on X

Why You Should Choose a Positive Attitude

As with any other life change, you need to make the choice for yourself. People with a positive attitude live longer, live healthier lives, and enjoy themselves more. 

Honestly, that should be enough of a reason. But there’s even more.

Choosing a positive attitude will positively impact your career. 

Your boss, coworkers, clients, and subordinates prefer to have around them an individual who:

• Has an inexhaustible good nature and is habitually affable.
• Has a determined cheerfulness and is easygoing even in adversity.
• Is happily disposed and always on an even keel.
• Is flexible and not easily rattled. Doesn’t always have to have things go his or her way.
• Is always pleasant.
• Is uncomplicated, without drama.
• Does not feel like a victim.

If you’re skeptical about this list, consider the type of people you most enjoy interacting with. You’ll find they exhibit one, if not all, of these characteristics.

We all enjoy being around positive people. If you continually choose a productive, constructive perspective rather than a destructive, sour, and dissatisfied viewpoint, you’ll develop a better reputation, better working relationships, and a more successful career.

CEOs have consistently expressed to me the importance of managing your good attitude:

• “I can easily hire qualified people, but it’s not so easy to find people with a good outlook.”
• “I hire attitude. Skills can be learned. I’ll take good attitude any day.”
• “I can teach people the technical side of the business a lot easier than I can teach them how to have a good mindset.”
• “What catches my eye in an employee? Someone who has a positive attitude about everything, leaves problems at home, is uplifting, and turns crap into gold.”
• “If I have a choice of two people who are comparably talented, I will always choose to go with the one who has the can-do, ‘Hey, boss, we can get this done’ attitude. Frankly, it’s too tiring to have to coax and cajole a negative person.”
• “I don’t have a lot of patience for a person who always acts like there is a rain cloud parked over his boat.”
• “I want people who calm trouble and soothe rough edges, who are even-keeled, who are happy with themselves . . . . They don’t have to be jolly and joking; they just need to be more amiable than most.”

Your Attitude is Your Choice

I’ve written about choosing your attitude before, but we can all use a reminder that our attitude is our choice. Just like we build our physical strength by exercising our muscles, we build our mental strength by exercising our mind/thoughts.

Here’s how you can choose your attitude in the new year.

1. Expect good things every morning you wake up. 
2. Look for the best aspect of any situation.
3. Push sour thoughts and negativity out of your mind
4. Carve out hope even when others see none.
5. Choose to make someone else’s life better, easier, or happier every single day. 

You can’t control your circumstances, but you can adopt a positive attitude by choosing what you think.

Just like we build our physical strength by exercising our muscles, we build our mental strength by exercising our mind/thoughts. Kick-Off the New Year with a New Attitude Share on X

Choose Hopefulness

I once had the chance to speak to Garrett McNamara who holds the Guinness World Record for surfing the world’s tallest wave (100 feet). He told me he was thinking positive thoughts on the crest: “I just kept telling myself, ‘Make it, make it.’” He didn’t keep telling himself, “This could get bad, this could get bad.”

Perpetual hopefulness helps you achieve your mission, no matter how big or small. You can still prepare, think ahead, and plan for potential mistakes to happen (and you should!). But if your default mode is a can-do attitude even when you experience frustration, setbacks, and problems, you’ll find you are more successful in life and in your career.

Your optimism and friendliness will cause people to want to work with you. You will become a better boss, team member, leader, and family member. 

All you have to do is resolve to choose a constructive outlook.

I’ve been working with high-level C-Suite executives for over 30 years. If you could use help choosing your outlook or tackling a thorny challenge, contact me to discuss coaching, or if you have a group of emerging leaders, for a speaking engagement.