5 Easy Ways to Maintain a Positive Outlook
For an internal leadership course at one of my previous companies (Porch, Inc.), we read a book called The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon.
The book itself focuses on having positive energy to produce positive outcomes. Even when things get hard.
Actually, especially when things get hard.
So, how do you stay happy when things get hard and it seems like the world is against you?
Stay positive. Yes, I know this is “basic” and cliche.
It truly is the reality. Maintaining a positive mindset and energy boosts postive results!
So, how do you maintain a positive outlook?….
- Get the right people on your “bus”
- Kick the wrong people off of your “bus”
- Give appreciation to people who deserve it
- Acknowledge the good and the bad
- Spend 30 seconds each morning thinking of what you’re thankful for
Get the right people on your “bus”
Getting the right people on your bus allows you to create a culture. Not only a culture, but the right culture.
This gets people on board with your vision and your goal. However, you need to make sure there is a clear goal and process in mind.
Getting buy-in from your team is invaluable. There is no team that has truly succeeded without buy-in and hardwork. People work for people just like they buy from people.
Get people excited, rejuvenated, dedicated, and overall “ALL IN” on your goal and you will have a bus on its’ way to Succeedville.
…& Kick the wrong people off your “bus”
Not everyone will agree with your goal and vision - and that’s okay!
No hard feelings, they can be great people - maybe even people you still grab coffee or drinks with. You just may have different business goals or motives.
Negative people can bring down the positive people and energy on your bus.
If they aren’t happy with the company goals and objectives, they will most likely be happy elsewhere.
Give appreciation to people who deserve it
Everyone loves appreciation.
If you appreciate the wrong people for poor actions, you send a negative message.
If you appreciate people for no reason, you tell people it’s okay to be mediocre.
If you appreciate people who truly work hard and put in the extra mile, you show the team that hard work is what they all should strive for.
Shoutout the correct behaviors and actions to get the performance you want from your team. By bringing up those who are producing positive outcomes, you will encourage your whole team to replicate that.
By feeling truly appreciated, people are most likely to positively produce.
Whether it’s a team shoutout, a high five, a handwritten card, internal chat recognizing them, etc…sincere appreciation supports the right behaviors.
Acknowledge the good and the bad
No matter where you are - it’s not all rainbows and unicorns.
We aren’t robots, we are humans (even robots seem partly unreliable at this point). So undeniably, mistakes with happen.
Acknowledge things go bad. Learn from them.
Highlight the wins. Even if they are small.
The problem with human nature is that we focus so much on negatives, but need to really celebrate wins. Even the little wins. Those little wins boost morale.
How quick are customers to complain about anything negative about a product, but all of the great customer service they receive most likely get a 1% return on reviews (if that).
Spend 30 seconds each morning thinking of what you’re thankful for
Yes, I know. This totally sounds corny…until you actually try it.
Have you spent your commute on public transportation or in traffic to work thinking about how thankful you are to have a job, a significant other you care deeply for, a roof over your head, or even the food you have on your table?
Chances are, you don’t do this every single day. Recognizing what you are thankful for helps you stay focused and positive.
I need to personally do a better job of this myself. In the past when I did, I could be told to “F off” by someone on the phone and still have a smile on my face.
Studies show that starting your day positive will stay with you throughout the entire day.
Not only spending time on focusing on your positives, but taking time to focus on your growth helps you have a clear goal and achievement in mind.
I hope these 5 little tips help brighten your day.
What do you do to block out the negative and soak up those positive vibes?
