Changes in Attitude

Years ago when I was going through a tumultuous period in my life a good friend of mine suggested I try to simplify my daily existence. I thought he was crazy at the time as I had 3 young children, was in the middle of a divorce and trying to decide where my life would go from that point on. He suggested a few books that might move me in the right direction and gave me pep talks along the way.

So just how do you simplify your life? Part of it is prioritizing. You have to decide what people, things, etc, are the most important to you and sort of let the rest go on the back burner. This doesn't mean you have to divest yourself of all your earthly possessions and ditch all of your friends and obligations. It's more putting them in order of importance and need and dealing with the rest as you get to it. If there are things you can eliminate that seem to be taking up too much of your time and effort with little return on your investment then maybe it's time to cross some things off your to-do list for now and free up precious time for what really matters to you.

Another tip I picked up along the way was to start each day on a positive note. You know, just as you're waking up and your brain starts kicking in with all the noise of what you have to do, what is happening, yada, yada, yada! The thoughts that make you want to pull the covers over your head and hibernate need to be pushed out by cognitive positive thoughts. You have to train yourself to do this and sometimes it just doesn't work, but I've found it to be a great motivational tool.

Just start with "today I'm going to accomplish things!" or "It's a great day and I can't wait to get started!" I know- sounds pretty lame when all you really want to do is crawl to the shower and the coffee pot, but it honestly does work. The idea is to surround yourself with positive thoughts and feelings, even if they only come from within you. Negative feelings just kind of sap the yippee out of your life. Try to repeat this process throughout your day to keep the good vibes going. If you're coming across as positive and happy it will spread to those around you. Hey, it's better than giving your co-workers your cold, right?