“Attitude” is probably the most abused, confused and overused word in the world of work. Employers want someone with a good attitude. Supervisors get down on people who have a poor attitude. Yet few really define what they mean by the word.

Schools don’t teach attitude, training programs don’t cover it, employees think they have it, and employers wish their workers did. The dictionary defines attitude as your state of mind when you approach a person, object or situation. It can range from positive to negative and it is reflected in how you look, sound behave.

Although it is an individual, personal state, it is extremely transparent.

Others can read your attitude on your face, in your tone of voice and in the way you act on the job.

Individuals with a very positive attitude towards their jobs are generally enthusiastic, optimistic, and cooperative. This is reflected in such behaviors as coming to work on time, giving a full day’s work, cooperating with coworkers, and going the “extra mile” when necessary.

Employees who are careless in their work, easily discouraged, frequently absent or late, unable to solve routine problems or unwilling to seek new challenges are exhibiting negative attitudes.

A key part of your state of mind is how you see yourself. If you value yourself as a person, you have a good sense of self esteem, and that pride is reflected in your attitude. If you don’t value your skills, your intelligence, your beliefs and feelings, your appearance and other personal attributes, it is reflected in your attitude.

Feeling better about yourself is one way to improve your attitude. Another way is to increase your on-the-job satisfaction so you feel better about the job itself.

Improve the way you feel about your job include by:

Thoroughly understanding it and what’s needed to perform it efficiently. If there are skills you lack or if time is a problem, talk with your supervisor about ways to improve.

Knowing your company well. Familiarize yourself with its products, policies and services so you can represent it well to outsiders.

Learn the names of key people and how to get things done.
Setting daily and long-term work goals

Daily goals help you do your work efficiently and long-term ones help you contribute to the organization.

Acknowledging negatives exist, but not dwelling on them.

There are very few people who feel they have the perfect job, house, spouse, etc. So remember, attitude is your state of mind in response to other people, situations, and things. If you focus on the positive aspects of your job, coworkers, supervisor, company, etc., you will find greater satisfaction in them.

Be dependable. Come to work on time and give 100 percent effort while you’re there.

Be courteous to others. Everyone wants to be treated with respect and greeted with a smile and a friendly remark.

Be honest. If you make a mistake, admit it and then learn from the experience.

Be a team player. Cooperate with coworkers to increase the quantity and quality of your work.

Take initiative. Suggest new ways to do things more efficiently without being asked.

Maintain and upgrade your skills. Changing technology makes many job procedures quickly obsolete. Don’t let that happen to you. Take a course, read trade publications, learn new skills and practice old ones.

Try to resolve problems that happen on the job. If you can’t, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Don’t put things off. Get tough assignments done early and save easier tasks for later in the day when your energy wanes.

The trick in bolstering and solidifying a positive attitude is to recognize and develop the crucial ingredients. These run down as follows:

Pride - in your company, its people, its products

Self Confidence - a resolute I-can-do-it mindset

Service - a burning desire to achieve success by enhancing the success of your customers.

Loyalty - to your organization, your customers and most of all to yourself

Enthusiasm - unshakable faith in your superiors, your associates and especially yourself

Bounceback ability - determination not to let the inevitable disappointments an slump periods every salesperson experiences get you down. You win some, you los some. That’s an incontrovertible fact of selling life.

Unquenchable thirst - There’s no motivator like healthy ambition — for self-improvement and the good things of life on the one hand, for know-how, savvy and experience, on the other.

Self Help and Self Esteem resources…

Stress. Depression. Anxiety. They’re powerful words that conjure up all kinds of images and prejudices in our minds. People who suffer from these illnesses find it hard to cope with life. They can feel deeply unhappy, they can find no joy in anything life has to offer, and of course, their levels of self-esteem, confidence and self-respect plummet.

But how can this happen to someone?

Let’s concentrate on how these illnesses affect the way we value the self. Of all of the destructive patterns of behavior these illnesses cause, the way a sufferer talks to the self is the fuel that maintains their illness.

I have experienced depression from two sides. For 5 years, a series of traumatic events triggered a personal nightmare I believed would never end. One of these events came when my lover was diagnosed with depression. At this time, I too had entered into the spiral of anxiety-induced depression. Both of these experiences have given me an insight into how sufferers destroy any value of the self.

Let me give a couple of examples. With my partner, if I’d arranged an evening out with friends, she’d say:

“No, I won’t come, you go without me. I never have anything interesting to say. I just bore people. They’ll find me an effort to be with. I’ll stay here.�

If I made a mistake, I’d say to myself:

“I’m useless. I’m no good at anything. Everything I do I get wrong.�

This self-deprecation then spreads into other areas of life. You begin to criticize the way you look, the decisions you make or don’t make, and you focus solely on the downside of life. Each time a little bit of self-worth, a little bit of self-respect and a little bit of self-confidence are eroded. Eventually, they are lost completely. When I reached my lowest point, having lost everything and everyone I loved, I’d say to myself:

“If I died tomorrow, no one would know and no one would care.�

So, what helped me to come out of the fog?

Well, the reason I thought I’d become depressed was because of a series of traumatic events occurring at the same time. I was wrong. The root cause of my depression lay in the ways I reacted to them. One of the ways I’d reacted was to blame myself for events I couldn’t control. The more I blamed myself, the more I beat myself up. The more I beat myself up, the more my self-esteem decreased.

The phrases I have used to briefly illustrate self-deprecating phrases we continually use against the self are mild. I’m sure you realize that many people use much stronger phrases than I’ve given here. The point is that these phrases would be totally unacceptable to say to others. You wouldn’t tell a person that they were boring, an effort to be with and that everyone found their company dull and it would be better for everyone else if they kept away from people.

Agreed? Yet, if I say to people:

“Pay yourself compliments. Accentuate your good in all areas of your life. Write down your good points, your triumphs, your achievements. Remind yourself as often as possible about all the good you have done.�

They look at me like I’m an alien and say they’d feel stupid. Or uncomfortable. Or even embarrassed.

Yet they don’t feel any of these emotions when they talk to themselves using emotionally charged, self-deprecating phrases! And like rust upon metal, these phrases gradually erode our self-esteem and our confidence.

OK, here’s the bottom-line. I’d like you to inscribe what you are about to read into your mind over and over again until it is permanently etched there:

It is NEVER acceptable to talk to myself in a way I know is inappropriate and even offensive if I spoke in the same way to others.

Time for me to sign off, but before I do, here’s a phrase I say to myself every single day without fail. Please use it, it is very powerful:

“If you put yourself down, down is where you will stay.�

Chris Green is the author of the new book “Conquering Stress�, a special program which will show you how to conquer stressful illnesses such as depression, anxiety, panic and worry permanently and without taking powerful drugs. For more information, pleaase click here => http://www.conqueringstress.com

Throughout our website you will fine all forms of useful tips on setting goals, self help guides, and motivational quotes. All of these forms of personal development, including tips on setting goals, will transform your mindset from worry and fear to confidence and prosperity.

Goal setting should be the basis of your daily activities. If you have not done so already, you should invest in any self help material that teaches you exactly the tips on setting goals that you will need in any particular area of your life that you want to start taking control over.

Here are 3 short and simple tips on setting goals that will help you throughout your journey:

1. Always write your goals down on paper. Goals kept in our heads are only wishes and end up being forgotten. I have found that the only reason why some people do not write their goals down is out of laziness. Do not let laziness get in the way of your goals being accomplished.

2. Dream big but set realistic goals. There is nothing wrong with having huge dreams. In fact, having big dreams is encouraged but when it comes to tips on setting goals I recommend that you keep your immediate goals realistic and achievable.

3. Break up your bigger goals into many small ones. Your large goals will come along much easier so long as you have broken them up into smaller goals. Tips on setting goals like this one can make a huge difference in the outcome of your day to day experiences. By breaking up a large goal into many smaller ons you are literally creating a step by step plan.

Regardless of what source that you learn tips on setting goals from, it is important to go to work immediately on them. Be sure to outline daily goals, weekly goals, yearly goals, and even 5 and 10 year goals.