Improving Your Attitude
This is one of the most important parts of motivation. It takes the right attitude to get motivated about changing your life for the better. It takes the right attitude to fail, get back up, brush off the dirt and try again. Only with a positive attitude can you make long-lasting improvements and successes a realty.
Your attitude, as you will soon find out, is completely in your control. People can try to change it and affect it, but only you give the final okay. The ideas you are about to learn will show you how to take control, create the attitude you want to have, and make it last.
When It’s Time to Change
If you find that you look at things negatively, or would like to be happier, decide to change. That’s where it all starts. It could even be to-day, after reading this tip. Before you can really make improvements you have to be committed to the challenge.
Your Daily Moods
You become your daily moods. Statements like, “I’m only crabby in the mornings,” or, “I only get like this a few times a week,” could be indicators of a growing problem. Don’t let a string of bad moods become your overall attitude. When you feel like things haven’t been going well for several days, do something about it. Before you know it, a few bad days can create the image that you are usually an unhappy person. You may think bad moods here and there are acceptable, until you realize that they have consumed the greater part of your time. The good news is that small steps, taken consistently, can make huge im-provements in your attitude.
A Reflection of Our Moods
For an indication of your mood, look to see how other people treat you. We may not want to admit being upset to ourselves, but until we accept the truth about our attitude we cannot improve it. Look to see how people treat you, listen to you, and respond to you. Learn about yourself by watching and listening to others.
Being Honest
If you aren’t in a good mood, or have had a string of bad days, admit it. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, other people are reluctant to let us know that we are being negative or moody. They may think it to themselves but they aren’t going to share that information with you. Because of this, it’s most often up to you to take account of your moods. Part of the process of overcoming negativity is accepting your current state before you try changing it.
Industrial Organizational Psycholigist here. I agree with part of your argument. Indeed, trait positive affect is a important predictor of motivation. PA sets people into action toward a goal, and increases goal striving. However, state negative affect is an important factor in motivation. NA allows individuals to enter a state of hightened awareness, focusing on discrepancies between actual and desired states. Without NA, individuals may miss the opportunity to set goals to narrow this gap. So how does one shift from state NA to PA? This shift can either take place internally, or through a positive affective event (e.g. Feedback from a supervisor). This of course is much easier for those with trait PA. Search for, "The affective shift model of work engagement," for more details on this theory. In conclusion, good post, but don't underestimate the importance of negative affect.
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