How to develop a positive mental attitude
We've all met people who seem to have everything going for them - ideal upbringing, seemingly unlimited talents, useful contacts, and so on. But why is it they never seem to get to first base, careerwise? The answer: attitude. It is often their attitude that limits their achievements. Although changing attitudes is not easy, it can be done. Here's a nine-step process that can lead to the development of a positive mental attitude, a will to win, and career success...
1. Take charge of your attitude.
Religious writer Charles Swindoll, encapsulates it precisely:
"The longer I live, the more I realise the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…
The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past we… cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot chance the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10 per cent what happens to me and 90 per cent how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes."
2. Practise visualisation.
Visualisation is one of the most powerful techniques of self-image modification because your visual image can become your reality. Management expert Brian Tracy tells us that there are four elements of visualisation and an increase in any one of them will accelerate the rate at which we create the physical equivalent of that mental picture of our life. These four elements are:
- Frequency. People who accomplish extraordinary things continually visualise their desired results.
- Vividness. This is literally seeing things clearly.
- Intensity. When you intensely desire something, it occurs much faster.
- Duration. The longer you imagine a desired future event, the more likely it is to appear.
3. Make affirmations.
Affirmations are strong statements or commands from our conscious to our subconscious mind. They over-ride old information and reinforce new, positive habits of behaviour and thought. Affirmations need to be based on the 3Ps: they must be positive, present tense, and personal. For example, if you're trying to improve your health and general well-being, positive self-talk such as this will help: 'I'm feeling better now', 'I feel young and vital', 'I'm reaching my best weight', and 'I can really feel the difference my exercise program and change in eating habits are having.'
