The Power of Attitude

It is strange to me when people I run into don't see attitude in every situation as being most important. Sometimes people seem to think that if you have a business problem that your marketing might be the bigger issue. Or that cash flow supersedes attitude in operating a business. On a personal note, people have all sorts of things they rank above attitude. Most of those responses focus on people's situation. I'm sorry but attitude always comes before situational or tactical things to focus on. And for one good reason ... attitude determines your situation - in work, in business, in life.

I have a great friend named Kevin Burns (www.kevburns.com) who is an expert on Attitude. Kevin has written books on it (which I recommend picking up) and has demonstrated time and again that atttitude really is everything. When the economy was on fire over the last few years people found it easy to maintain a great attitude. As the economy cools, attitude becomes potentially harder to maintain but its importance doesn't fade away. In fact, now it is critical to set your attitude and focus on it.

Here's a little step. At the start of every day, maybe over breakfast, have a brief conversation with yourself determining what your preferred attitude is going to be today. At the end of the day, as you brush your teeth, check in and grade your attitude performance. It is a great way to make your attitude an active, conscious part of your day. People love a great attitude ... its infectious ... so stand out with yours today!

Take a Walk

Last week I had an event that was about 8 blocks from my home. For some strange reason, I announced, I am walking! My girlfriend's look of shock told me how much time I spend walking places. I grabbed an umbrella and hiked off the 8 blocks. Traffic was at a stand-still and I passed cars for blocks (traffic I would have sat in). It had just finish raining about 90 minutes before and there was a freshness in the air.

It was fantastic exercise to shake off my day at work. It was good think time. It was good solitude. I got home from the event and thought, why don't I walk more places? I really couldn't come up with a reason beyond habit. It is just a habit to jump in the car to go anywhere. Is it a good habit? I am convinced its not.

Don't get me wrong I am not selling my car today to upgrade my bike or buy a year's supply of running shoes. I am all for hybrids though. My point is that I don't need to abandon my car to be able to start to set new habits. Maybe it's, I walk if it's less than 1o blocks. Maybe it's I bike if I can be there in under 10 minutes. Summer is a great time to challenge your transportation methods and look for old fashion ways to get around.