“Attitude determines altitude.” It’s something I heard during a speech that resonated with me.
I read recently that the most important times of the day are the first half-hour after you awake and the half-hour before you turn in at night. We all have our ritual for both segments. But when I read that I realized my routine was in sync with that concept. Up at 5:15 , in the gym at 6. At night the routine is to listen, read or watch something positive, uplifting or motivational. When I miss out on one I can sense the imbalance, especially the gym routine.
So as I thought of that quote, I decided I will call that my attitude adjustment time, those half-hours before and at the end of each day. I also recognized the importance of this concept because attitude matters in our lives
The attitude we create
A friend of mine lost his job a few weeks back and his approach was so unique that someone wrote an article around it, aptly titled: “The Met ousted a top executive, so he used Facebook to show the world how to do unemployment right.”
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art hired Sree Sreenivasan as its first chief digital officer in 2013, but because of budget cuts his role was going to be eliminated.
His approach was not like a lot of us who have been let go. He went public with it, letting his network know and inviting them to help him determine his next steps. He even went as far to invite them to join him during his morning walks in NYC. He announced it on his Facebook page and shared the company-wide memo, gratitude to his bosses and his team. He told his network that he was he was open to any and all meetings and included a link to a form inviting friends to offer advice about what he should do next.
This attitude and approach soon landed him a job as chief digital officer for the City of New York. In all my years of HR I have never seen or heard of such a positive approach to job loss.
Talk about attitude determining altitude; in the annals of unemployment you cannot find a more uplifting story and outcome that proves that theory.
What attitude do you prefer?
We all know people who are just eternally positive and we enjoy being around them. A breath of fresh air just to be in their presence. On the flip side, we know the one with the scowl and we can predict the main points of the conversation as we’ve have heard it over and over again. Which one do you want to be around? Which ones would you promote? Which ones engage people more?
I have one friend who every time we speak she angles back to a prior job in some way. Everything in her orbit revolves around that brand even though she has left the job years ago. She wallows in misery and her attitude shows it in every way.
When we think of a person we can quickly match their brand to their personality. When your phone rings, you check your caller ID and right away you think of their demeanor. This determines whether we pick it up and answer. I know that is my filter. Do I really want to get into this conversation or should I get it at another time? Do I want this person to drag me into a space that I do not want to enter? At other times, you recognize the caller as someone with whom you know the conversation will be positive; it is always a treat to converse with them.
We all go through these moments during a normal day. But attitude is normally the differentiator which will determine our next step
Our interpretation is based on our attitude. We all use different filters to gauge our lives. When that filter comes through positivity, we get a totally different view than if viewed through anger. We see exactly what that filter tells us.
That is why that routine of early morning and late night makes a difference. I have noticed that when I do not go through my gym routine, my day may still be successful but there is that missing “spark.”
Change your attitude, change your life
When you wake up in the morning, as you’re beginning your morning routine, stop to notice how you’re feeling. If you see yourself getting into a dark space, change your routine.
My nightly habit of closing the day on a positive note is an antidote for me; I wake up excited about the day. An excited approach to the day allows you to withstand the winds of dissension for the next eight or more hours.
It is a constant struggle to stay on point. Our lives are so much different and we each have to figure out what works. Trying to find the success model in each facet will allow us to live much more fulfilling lives not only in our professional lives, but in our personal lives as well.
In business today it is imperative not to let a negative attitude does not permeate our day. It could be the big meeting, the conference call or some of the other interactions that happen during the day. While sometimes we may need to fake it, being authentic is just that. It shows when you are and it shows when you are not.
Choose your attitude because your life’s success and outcome is determined by it.