A Successful Work Attitude
"Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations." -Earl Nightingale
I recently stopped for coffee at one of the places I frequent when I noticed things were different than usual. An advertising signboard was out in front, all of the coffee pots were full, the paper cups were neatly stacked and each of the top cups had a little sleeve placed on it. This may sound like many coffee vendors you have visited, but it was different from what I was used to finding there. Usually there is no sign board out front, half of the coffee pots are filled and the cups are haphazardly arranged with the sleeves lying off to the side. What had changed? The usual barista wasn't there – it was someone else. Success tip number one: the amount of pride someone has in their work is immediately evident – not only to customers, but to fellow workers and bosses.
Being able to work well is not a genetic trait; it's a way of thinking. We often refer to this as our attitude towards our work, but an attitude really just a reflection of what you think. In the example of the coffee shop, the majority of one attendant's thoughts apparently leaned towards the negative and the majority of the other attendant's leaned toward the positive. In what direction do your thoughts about your work tend to be? If you find them to be negative-leaning, you have the opportunity to change them. You, and you alone, have complete control over the way you think about any given thing (like your work). Success tip number two: if you don't like the direction of your thoughts regarding your work, change it!
One way to change how you think about work is to use words which reflect the way you want to think. Our language directly impacts our thoughts. It is now warming up here in Michigan, so I am running again. I get up a half-hour earlier in the morning to do this. On some mornings, the effort doesn't seem very appealing. To motivate myself not to just turn over for a few more minutes, I sometimes think, "No, I have to get up and go running." Doesn't that just sound like a peck of fun? If I change the wording to, "I get to go running. (Think of all the people who can't do this!)", you will probably see the difference immediately. Many people use words to describe jobs and work that are absolutely deflating. Some words and phrases to avoid with regard to work include: "making me", "need to", "same old", "the grind" and "problem(s)." Instead I prefer words such as "get to", "able to", "can", "enjoy", "possible/possibility" and "challenge." If you search your thoughts on work, you may find other defeating words or phrases. See if you can find them…and eliminate them! Success tip number three: to do better work, change your language to motivate and inspire you.
While chatting with a friend about her personal photography project, she explained that she was waiting for inspiration. You probably know exactly what she was talking about – sometimes everything seems to be just right and you feel really motivated. 'Work' just seems to go effortlessly. While it is wonderful to be operating in such peak form, this is no way to finish a job of any kind. Most of the time, we exist in a sort of neutral state. It is up to you to find a way to get yourself out of this state and reach a more inspirational one. Actively pursing a positive flow state is much more constructive than passively awaiting it. Success tip number four: find ways to move yourself into productive, creative states.
How can you get into such a state? Master motivator Mary Poppins gives us one way. "In ev'ry job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and *snap!*…the job's a game." Perhaps you remember when you first started the project or work in which you are presently engaged. There was probably an air of excitement and possibility – you were looking for ways to prove yourself. Over time, we all settle into routines that make the work seem dull and unfulfilling. Finding the fun that exists in a job can turn everything around (and that element is always there.) If you think about most games, they are usually focused upon the goal of winning by achieving smaller goals along the way. In the same way, you can set small goals within the task you are working on. I find simple goals are best. Try to do a certain amount of work within a short period of time or attempt to bring a smile to the face of so many of the people you deal with. Such small goals can add a bit of zing to what seems to have become a mundane undertaking. Success tip number five: rekindle the spirit of fun to make a job more enjoyable.
Another way to move yourself into a better productive, creative frame of mind is quite simple: start doing the work. As writer Geoffrey Chaucer said, "Inspiration is the act of drawing up a chair to the writing desk." Now, I'll bet the first couple of paragraphs of work Chaucer wrote on the days that started less creatively wound up being heavily edited or deleted, but that's not the point. The point is that he did it. The way to get yourself into a creative working frame it to start doing the work. This works just as well in personal photography projects as it does in opening up the coffee shop. Success tip number six: work begets work; the only way to produce good work is to start from where you are now.
Have a great month!
