Having the right attitude can make all the difference between a dreadful experience and the time of your life. This is true when it comes to travel, everyday living, relationships, and more. What people often fail to realize is that the way you look at things has an enormous impact on what you see and feel.
And if you haven’t mastered a positive mindset, you might be missing out — or worse, cheating yourself out of the happiness you deserve. With these simple changes below, you can be on your way to a better outlook and a better life.
CONTENTS – In this article, you will learn why having the right attitude is important to have a positive attitude, and how you can work toward having one if you don’t already, including:
- A Positive Attitude Can Change Your Life
- The Importance of Setting Goals
- Why Surround Yourself With the Right People
- Learn New Things and Embrace a Growth Mindset
- Remember to Show Gratitude
- Final Thoughts on Having A Positive Attitude
A Positive Attitude Can Change Your Life
Maybe you have a tendency to complain. Or you find fault and always blame of others. Are you someone who struggles when it comes to taking responsibility for your own happiness?
Maybe you realize you’ve placed yourself in the position of ‘victim’ and know you have to stop it right away.
Don’t worry. These are all human nature so you are not alone in behaving this way.
But ou’re making your life harder and unhappier than it needs to be – until you gain awareness.
If you start asking yourself the right questions, you will find a lot of things change. You will know what to do to move forward, and you will stop making excuses.
It’s easy to find an excuse for your own behaviors, but never for others.
That’s because we always have a good reason to stay in our comfort zone, and avoid being responsible for the life we lead. And by doing that, well we stay in the same conditions, and we do nothing to improve.
According to Albert Einstein, that is the definition of insanity. He said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Is that what you’re doing?
If so, you must look at being responsible in life. You may want to plan some life insurance, including looking at potential funeral directors and sorting out your real estate.
If you’ve come this far in your life without developing a positive outlook, the time is now. Your life is about to get a whole lot better.
The Importance of Setting Goals
The first step to having the right attitude in life is to set goals. Goals are our life compass, yet few people accomplish what they set out to do.
So you need to set “S-M-A-R-T” goals. That means they are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-sensitive.
You will want to have some long term, life goals, like a comfortable retirement. But you should start smaller, say, focusing on this month’s goal(s) instead. That way, you’ll get some quick wins that inspire more action, spice up your life, and make you feel more alive.
When you set up your short-term goals, have the attitude that you will accomplish them. But also accept and be forgiving if you do not reach them all. Even if you achieve a few, this will begin to create a feeling of change and a positive outlook. It’s super-motivating even to have a few small wins!
Treat each goal like a small project. Take vacation planning, for example. While a vacation in itself is a fun thing to do to, often it’s having prepared for it in advance that made you feel happy.
Notice that it is the act of planning, imagining the possibilities, and envisioning the potential of the future that creates feelings of:
- hopefulness
- happiness
- expectiations
- motivation
- something to look forward to
So if you want to have a positive outlook, then create some goals and start planning them out. They will lead you to your dreams.
Surround Yourself With the Right People
According to motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”
I’ll give you a minute to think about that. In fact, list them out on a piece of paper.
Who are those 5 people? Take a good look at them. Are they family members, friends, co-workers? Are they positive, can-do people or are they “emotional vampires” that tend to bring you down. Are they people you want to be like?
This can be a bit of a difficult question, especially when it comes to people to whom you are close or committed. I’m not suggesting ditching them, although you may want to break ties with the most toxic influences.
Instead, make a conscious choice to surround yourself with positive people who are taking on challenges and those who are achieving their goals. Find those who trust themselves, and make good choices. Spend more time with the people who are uplifting and have a positive outlook than the negative Nancy’s.
Because this entourage and the environment they create can play a lot on your state of mind.
And it is your state of mind that will determine your success and happiness.
So if you hang around with toxic people all the time, then you are going to be depressed, eventually. And this does not help you create the positive mindset you seek.
Begin by making a new list of people who have the attitude you want to cultivate and start working them into your social or business life.
Always Learn New Things
Another factor in having the right attitude is fostering a “growth” mindset. That means you never stop learning, and you learn by embracing and experiencing new things.
This outlook is different from having a “fixed” mindset, which is a bit like the old adage, “you can’t teach an old dog new things.”
(That’s Hogwash. If the dog wants to learn and is interested in learning, s/he will learn.)
So, make it a habit to be open-minded and curious. It’s good practice to question, test, apply, do, research, and learn whenever you can. Not only is it having the right attitude, but it will help keep your mind sharp as you age.
Then, get excited about something you’ve learned. Maybe you can find a way to apply an idea you have just learned in your life right away, whether in your business, relationships, or just for fun.
Remember to Show Gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful feeling. Feeling gratitude will change your mindset right away, even if you’re experiencing a difficult emotion.
It puts you in a good mood, and makes you feel is extremely positive.
Marie Kondo, the tidying expert and founder of the KonMari method, recommends saying “thank you” when discarding items to “express your gratitude to your belongings for taking care of you.” The result is a transformation from loss, grief, guilt or some other low-level feeling to feeling appreciation and release.
Feeling gratitude more often allows us to accomplish absolutely huge things instead of being stuck. Having the right attitude is what brings us the action and leads to a peaceful feeling.
Final Thoughts on Having the Right Attitude
Ultimately, you can see that having the right attitude can have a major impact on your life—for the better. By making these small shifts in your mindset, you’ll be on your way to creating more positive experiences.
This outlook will help you transition through life changes with grace and and more easily navigate difficulties. It will also serve you well in your day-to-day planning. And, you’ll be a lot more enjoyable to be around, too. In fact, you might even begin enjoying your own company once again.
Photo credit: Photo by Matteo Di Iorio (Unsplash)