6 Ways to Keep Your Attitude Up When Life Tries to Bring You Down

Instead of spending your time thinking about how bad things are, think about how good they will be.

Chris Widener

 

March 8, 2016

A positive attitude is key to a successful life, so what happens when things go wrong? We have a tendency to let our attitudes take a dive along with our state of affairs. But life is going to deal setbacks, both minor and major, on a regular basis, and if we are going to be successful, we need to know how to keep our attitudes intact.

               Related: ‘What You Think, You Become’

We need practical tools to help us understand how we can keep our attitudes up when the circumstances are down. Here are some thoughts to help us do so:

1. Take some time away. 

You know what happens. You’re going about your day and everything seems to be going well, when out of nowhere, disaster strikes. All of your best laid plans begin to tumble. Sometimes circumstances surprise us and we react—and, unfortunately, this often compounds the problem, because by reacting, we tend to operate out of our weaknesses instead of our strengths. We make decisions that are not well thought out. We function with a bad attitude that says, “I can't believe this is happening!”

The next time life turns against you, take some time to just step back from the problem and think. This will enable you to rationally deal with the issue at hand, instead of emotionally reacting. It will allow you to put your state of mind back in its proper place. It will give you the opportunity to choose your attitude as you face the circumstances at hand. Remember that you don't have to do something right now. Go grab a cup of coffee and relax. You are in control—not the circumstances.

               Related: Look for the Hidden Good and 3 Other Ways to React to Problems

2. Keep your eye on the goal.

One of the biggest problems with trouble is that it gets your focus off where it should be. When racecar drivers get into trouble, they keep their eyes straight ahead and do not move them away. There is too much chance of wrecking otherwise. Instead, their eyes are on the goal—and this keeps them out of trouble.

If you find yourself getting down about circumstances, sit down and write out what your goal is, and give some thought to how you can achieve it. Make sure you’re keeping the important things important.

A man was asked how he was doing and he responded, "Pretty well, under the circumstances." The other man asked, "What are you doing under the circumstances?" Good question. We shouldn't be under the circumstances. We should be focused on the goal and moving forward.

3. Focus on solutions, not problems.

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” the old saying goes. Negative circumstances don't sit idly by—they scream for our attention. When we face difficult circumstances, we tend to dwell on them. We talk about them, fret about them and give them way too much attention.

Instead of talking about problems, talk about solutions. Instead of spending your time thinking about how bad things are, think about how good they will be! Don't have family or staff meetings about the problems and how big they are; have meetings on the solutions and how you will implement them. Don't let yourself or other team members complain; encourage them to solve, with an emphasis on the positive results that will come from doing so. Then take some time to put these solutions down on paper so you can monitor your progress.

4. Get some positive input.

The mind tends to build on itself, so when we begin to go in one direction (like worrying), it can be a slippery slope. One thing we must do is get our thoughts back on track with positive ideas.

When circumstances have you against the emotional wall, meet with a friend who can encourage you. Pick up a good book and read. Whatever external influence you can get to put your attitude back on the positive side of the tracks—do it! It must be one of our first goals to start plugging good things into our minds to power our attitudes.

5. Tell yourself the good.

One of the greatest internal powers we have is the power to control our thoughts.

Spend time dwelling on the good things about your life or career instead of the problems. Think about positive things—things that you enjoy and that give you a sense of happiness and peace. There is an old childhood song that says, "Count your blessings—name them one by one." That’s great advice! Let your positive attitude develop from within as well as from without. This makes all the difference!

6. Remember that circumstances are not forever.

Sometimes it seems like we are going to be up to our eyeballs in the situation forever, when in reality, “this too shall pass.” There will be a time in the future when circumstances will change and you will be on the mountain instead of in the valley. This will give you a sense of hope as you live and work that will change your attitude, make you feel better and put you on the fast track for growth.

Source:http://www.success.com/article/6-ways-to-keep-your-attitude-up-when-life-tries-to-bring-you-down?trk_msg=NVROD1MKROLKVCF13TCMNQKKSK&trk_contact=KFODKVH1KB9UT13TLCQI58HKAG&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.success.com%2farticle%2f6-ways-to-keep-your-attitude-up-when-life-tries-to-bring-you-down&utm_campaign=6+Ways+to+Keep+Your+Attitude+Up+When+Life+Tries+to+Bring+You+Down

HOW TO: Wake Up Early Everyday

Have you mastered your mornings?

Tips For Reading More Books Each Month!

Have you got a reading rhythm down?

Read More - Get Into A Reading Rhythm

                                                    Source: http://ureadmorebooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Many people ask me how do I manage to get through so many books?, and my response is that I have a reading routine and rhythm. I'll share my recipe with you. Try this for one month and see how much progress you make. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. A sitcom generally airs for a half of an hour at a time with dramas and soap operas airing for an hour or more. Instead of watching the sitcoms or drama programs, turn the television off and use the time to read. That's right... READ. 

Let's say that you watch three sitcoms for a half of an hour each. Choose three books that you are currently reading or would like to read. Read each book for a half of an hour each (the same time you would have spent watching the sitcoms). Set a timer if you need to in order to keep you on track. At the end of the thirty minutes, change to the next book and begin reading it and at the end of that thirty minutes, move to the third book. If you do this once a day for a month, you will be absolutely amazed at the number of books you will complete in that time and ultimately in a year.

It's not that we don't have the time to read, it's more like we don't TAKE/MAKE the time to read. If television is not your thing and you spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer or on social networks, the same recipe will apply; just insert the word computer in the blank where I have TV above. In fact any other time consuming activity will work to fill in the blank. In other words, I am asking you to substitute reading for one of the other activities.

I cannot express the myriad benefits of you doing this here in this post. If you cannot do the ninety minutes, start off with thirty minutes and work your way up. Give up one sitcom to read a few chapters in a good book. Research says that anything done for thirty days becomes a habit (good or bad), so give it a try and watch how quickly you increase the number of books you have read in a week, month, and year's time. I dare you to challenge yourself. Happy Reading!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Get-Into-A-Reading-Rhythm&id=9026839

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9026839

THE FIVE BIGGEST TIME WASTERS IN YOUR BUSINESS

As business owners, we often talk about how busy we are, to the point where if someone tells us that we’re wasting time with our business it feels almost like a personal insult! But the hard truth is, there’s a huge difference between just being busy and being busy doing the right things. The even harder truth is that it can be hard to see that difference when you’re already in the middle of doing things. So let me clear a few things up — here are five of the biggest time wasters in your business:

Unlimited connection

I absolutely get that you’ve got to be connected to run a business — but what so often gets overlooked is the need to disconnect regularly, as in, as part of a daily practice. If your phone is constantly pinging with updates, you’re going to be constantly reacting and your plans are going to go out the window. Likewise, I know how easy it is to fall down a Facebook hole (believe me, it’s my Achilles heel!) but even if you tell yourself that you’re networking or doing it for business, you know deep down that’s not what’s going on.

Doing it all yourself

There’s a reason that businesses — and humans in general — work best when there’s a team involved. When you try to do it all yourself, you end up spending so much time on the things that aren’t your strengths that it really takes away from the great work you do when you play your strengths. I say this at every single event I attend: outsource, outsource, outsource.

Unfocused professional development

AKA, just one more course syndrome. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you know more, then your business will do better. And while I’ll never advocate trying to go it alone or diving into something without a plan, there’s a time when you have to just go for it if you ever want to make progress. So go to courses, learn from the best, but do it strategically. If you don’t have a specific, measurable result that you want to get out of the course, ebook, or free download, then you should skip it, at least for now.

Poor boundary setting

This one often stems from really good intentions. For instance, you may try to be really generous with your time or your skills, which is a lovely thing, but if you let it get out of hand then it will suck the life out of your business. You know what I’m talking about: giving away long free consults, talking to potential clients for hours on end or through email after email, doing “just that one more little thing” that your client asks you for when you know there’s something else you could be doing … bottom line, getting your boundaries in place is key for your business. It also keeps you from getting resentful (which will absolutely happen if you let people roll over your boundaries over and over again) and will allow you the flexibility to practice generosity on your terms, not as a default.

Perfectionism

How many times have you sat on an email for an hour because you’re just not quite sure it’s right yet? How many times have you delayed a launch because you want to keep tweaking things just for one more week? Perfectionism is a huge time waster, and it’s really common in entrepreneurial businesses because most entrepreneurs are naturally high performing, give-the-best type of people, which can make it hard to ship. So just remember, done is better than perfect — and you can always go back later to change something or make it better IF you get feedback that merits it.

So how about it — do you see yourself in any of these? And what are you going to do today to change that?

http://www.shaa.com/time-wasters-in-your-business/

The Power of Spaced Repetition to Remember What You Read

In order to learn from a book, it is best to read through that book more than once. This is where speed reading will help tremendously. When first starting to read a book, look at the cover. Read what it says on the back of the book. Open up the book and read through the initial pages, then look through the table of contents. 

Flip through the pages, look at some pictures. Prepare the mind for what you are about to embark on. On your first reading, you can speed read, and don't worry about understanding or remembering everything. It is like when you build a house. At first you lay the foundation with the cement, but you don't expect to sleep there the first night.

                                          Source: http://www.theguardian.com/

On your second reading, have a notebook and pen or pencil to take notes. You may even want to highlight or underline if that is possible. You may not want to read as fast as the first time, and of course you want to stop and take notes. Don't be too concerned with remembering everything right away. Through the power of spaced repetition, you will be able to remember and retain more each time you read through the book or your study notes.

Reading a chapter two or three times in a row is a great way to remember much of what is being read. The more you read or hear something, the better chance you have of remembering it. Have you ever seen someone who looks familiar? You may have seen him once before. You may have seen him at the mall, or maybe even on television. This may be the second or third time you are seeing him. If you should see him again, he will definitely be familiar.

It is the same thing with reading. On the second reading, many things will look familiar, and you will remember some things. When you write your notes, it will strengthen the memory even more. Even if you never looked at your notes, just by writing it down on paper, it will make an impression in your mind and will help to remember it. By reviewing your notes between readings, you are strengthening the recollection. By your third reading, you will have a much better understanding of the material than the first time. The more you read and review, the stronger the memory becomes.

Many people wait until the last minute to read and study the night before a test. This is a tough way to learn. Each day, put a certain time aside for your study time. Thirty to forty-five minutes is usually a good time to focus and learn until you may want to take a break. Remember, they don't build a house in a day, and you don't become a great sports champion in a day.

Each time that you read or speed read, when you focus, study, and learn, you are developing your skills, as a reader and a speed reader. You are also helping to build a strong memory, as well as learning about the subject you are reading about. Use the power of spaced repetition to learn much more than you ever thought possible

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GET MOTIVATED Darren Hardy Explains What You Think About Comes About

What motivates you? Listen to the legends.

6 Tips for Making Projects More Manageable

Managing projects in your family life can be a tricky thing.  Either you have too many projects going on at once or you never seem to get any projects done at all.  Here are a few tips to help you get a better handle on managing your family projects. Define the project correctly by making sure you actually have a project not a task.  A project is simply something that needs done that requires more than one step or task.  So for example, a project may be to clean out a closet and a task within this project is to wipe done closet shelves.  This is important because if you simply write down the task, wipe down closet shelves, you will have completely underestimated the size of the project and the time it takes to complete because there is a lot more that typically goes into cleaning out a closet than just wiping down shelves. When defining projects, start with the big picture by asking yourself, “What do I want the end result to be (a clean clutter free closet)?”  Then just focus on identifying the steps or tasks it will take to complete the project. Keep the project list small by only focusing on projects that are of very high importance to you or projects you will realistically get done in the next 60 days.  As a busy parent, you don’t need to add any additional stress or overwhelm to your life caused by a very long project list that you can’t realistically get finished. Don’t over analyze the projects and stress yourself out by thinking you have to have every single task identified before getting started.  To start a project all you need to do is identify the one next thing you have to do.  Once you complete that task go onto the next.  This will help keep projects from seeming overwhelming and help you avoid procrastination. Save project tasks and notes that you will do frequently or repeatedly so that you don’t have to rethink everything the next time you have to do the project.  This strategy works really well for things like cleaning out closets, holiday preparations, and birthday parties. Schedule time on your calendar and add it to your planning calendar, so that you can make time in your schedule and plan ahead.  This will help you and your family stay focused, plan, and better ensure you actually get the project done. Be realistic about how much time you will actually need to accomplish the project, by estimating up front the time needed and then adding on at least 25% more time.  Also, don’t underestimate the amount of time needed for projects you outsource.  Even if you hire someone to do the bulk of the work, the project is still going to require time from you to manage, oversee, and make decisions (i.e. paint colors, layouts, etc.). Completing projects can give you a tremendous amount of satisfaction and stress, so be smart before starting a new project by planning in advance, being realistic about what you can accomplish, and not over analyzing.  It will eventually get done!

http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/6-tips-for-making-projects-more-manageable/?utm_source=Families+with+Purpose&utm_campaign=9ed636a2a4-Projects_More_Manageable11_7_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3c0b317a8c-9ed636a2a4-222618009

Success & Results Roadmap Checklist - It Can't Get Any Easier Than This.

Your Success and Results Roadmap Checklist...

Can It Get Any Easier Than This?

                                                          Source: https://blogs.oracle.com

Have you ever wondered how those very successful people became so successful? And, then the next question is, why can't that be me? Well, it can be you. The very first thing most successful people do is create a roadmap where they are going, and then they just go. They move forward with a sense of passion and urgency. 

Fear and uncertainty have no place in their lives. You can have the successful life you always imagined with the results you hoped for, too. All you have to do is believe in yourself and follow your roadmap and this checklist. It really can't get any easier than this.

Success and Results Checklist:

•  Decide where you are going. Do not determine your goals based on money alone. What are you passionate about? Success is measured by how you feel once you have reached your goals. What steps have you developed in your success roadmap?

•  Create a plan, a guide - a roadmap for success. Then implement it. Once you have decided on your strategy, stick with it. However, as you move closer to your goal, your level of experience will change, resulting in new ideas for your plan. As long as you follow your strategy around your roadmap for success, you will be moving in the right direction.

•  Take action. You could have the best presentation, the best ideas and the best strategy, but none of that matters if you do not act on it. Put all your knowledge and energy into achieving those goals. If you can put your all into achieving your goals, you will produce successful results.

•  Get any extra training you need to get to your goals. Hire a coach. Between classes, the internet, your coach and successful people, you can learn anything you need to develop your roadmap for the successful results you are looking for.

•  Start today, don't procrastinate, focus on your goal and work hard for what you want. Success does not just happen. You have to be willing to develop a plan, your roadmap and do whatever it takes to reach your goals.

•  Spend your time wisely. We all only have 24 hours in a day. There is no way around it. You cannot change time, nor can you slow it down. Take the time you have and manage your self accordingly. Pay attention to how you perform tasks. Is there a better way? Ask your coach. Maybe take some time to figure out a different procedure to save time in the end.

•  Take calculated steps. This is very scary for most people, but life, in general, is a series of steps. If you do not take the risk to move forward on your roadmap, you simply cannot grow. You will remain stagnant. Taking the steps you have planned out on you roadmap will help you grow mentally and financially. It is important to your success to take those first steps in your roadmap. So go for it!

You can do this! You will see it can't get any easier than this. If you think like successful people, you will do the things successful people do and you will succeed. Follow this roadmap checklist, and see your successes and dreams come true.

Written by Natalie R. Manor, CEO, author, speaker and executive coach. NMA, Natalie Manor & Associates is your ultimate resource for leadership and communication development for managers and executives to maximize your potential and increase your productivity. Success@NatalieManor.com, (800) 666-2230 , http://www.NatalieManor.com © Copyright 2009 by Natalie Manor. All rights reserved.

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