Finding the Right Mental Attitude for Success

Tim Brennan

Principles of Management

11/20/2012

FINDING THE RIGHT MENTAL ATTITUDE FOR SUCCESS

The author explains how peoples attitudes are the number one factor in them being fired, and the number one factor in them getting and maintaining their jobs. Not only this but your attitude affects all the people around you, and their attitudes as well. The author then goes on to explain three things you can do to improve your attitude.

First, choose optimism over pessimism. The author explains that you can look at two different ways to look at things, positively or negatively. Many people look at problems, but not at the opportunity that exists from the problem. For example when employees complain about how hard their job is they don’t see the benefits of them being paid, and that if the job we’re simpler they wouldn’t be paid as much. You can’t do anything about a problem once it’s presented itself, but you can change the way you look at act towards it.

The second thing you can do to change your attitude is to choose optimism over cynicism. The author claims that almost half of U.S workers fall into the “cynic” category, and claim they mistrust everything about everything. This mistrust leads to an unhealthy attitude which results in poor relationships with the people around them. The author then explains that the cause of cynicism is people expecting great things from life with little effort on their part. To achieve great things in life you should have goals to get there, and that will eliminate cynicism.

The last thing the author says you have to do to improve your attitude is to turn interruptions into opportunities. The author explains that when people get upset over interruptions or changes in their life that they can’t control they are only harming themselves by raising blood pressure and ruining your disposition and shortening life. You can’t control these things so there’s no reason to get mad over them. You should use these interruptions to do...