Attitude Is Everything

As we finished week two of homeschool, I can’t tell you how many times I told (primarily) my daughter that attitude is everything. She would get snarky with me (eye rolling, pound her feet as she’s coming downstairs…you know the drill) when we were working on her essay project. I would stop and say, “Hey listen, your attitude will just further delay our progress…and I don’t know about you, but I’m about D-O-N-E…done.”

Now, she’s 10 years old and can only process so much regarding her emotions. But, really, there’s a lot of  truth about how your attitude affects plans and goals…or just getting stuff done in general, right?

Getting frustrated with clients because they’re not answering emails timely…or losing your temper because the school server has crashed so many times that your kids can’t upload their work by the deadline…or getting upset with your partner because quarters are close and too much togetherness…you get the gist. All of these things are totally outside of our control. 

So, what can you do when you’re on the verge of losing it and keep a positive attitude?

1. Keep it cool and calm. Nothing is more important than your relationships with your family and friends, so treat them as if they’re the most important assets in your life. When you get wound up, take a step back and give yourself a time out. It takes 20-30 minutes for your brain to calm down after getting upset.

2. Keep things in perspective. Think about this: what’s the worst thing that could happen? If a school assignment doesn’t get turned in on time or you can’t reply to that email as fast as you would normally do it, realize there are much bigger things going on in the world right now…and it’ll all be ok.

3. Be honest and realistic about expectations. Be crystal clear about what you can manage during this time and communicate that with your employees and/or your boss. If you have three kids at home that you’re trying to homeschool AND work, let people know there may be a lag with your response time. Be upfront. Be transparent. You’ll earn the respect of many if you’re clear from the get-go about what you can realistically accomplish.

These are unprecedented times we are living, but this will soon pass. 

Attitude is everything. How you react and respond to situations will be remembered. Your employees will remember your short fuse. Your clients will remember the curt email. Your kids will remember your tone of voice and lack of patience.

I want to share one of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou and wish you a healthy week. 

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”