Hina Javed Malik
None of us can relentlessly upbeat all the time, but a positive mindset can be indispensable when the going gets tough, especially at work.
Our world is like a box of crayons, and we ourselves color every page of life. Constantly adding grey to the picture makes it very depressing with increasing chances it will fade away very soon. Adding colors brightens up the picture making it appear more “happening” and “acceptable” to us as well as to the outside world. Our attitudes hold a similar position in our life, glumness takes us nowhere. But if we look at the positive side, the powers inside us can make our dreams come true. Being optimistic is something really wonderful; it keeps a person healthy and provides inner peace.
Our personal success depends on our positive thinking patterns. Our thoughts, feelings, emotions, experiences, and decisions are not fixed properly; these are something we can learn to manage and regulate. When it comes to professional success, people who are blessed with a positive mindset inevitably leave the rest in the dust. They embrace challenges and treat problems as opportunities to learn something new every time.
Positivity can save people from being bogged down with the daily grind of work. The following tips will help to stay positive at work and learn from your experiences.
1. Time Management:
Start your day with a complete-time plan and dedicate specific time for every task. It will help you balance your routine work and keep you on track to progress.
2. Planning:
The absence of planning slows down all the activities that surround your work. It is crucial at every management level so always plan ahead for your daily tasks.
3. Commute:
“Language has been around longer than writings. Listening is how we originally learned”. Vanderkam
Listening can generate ideas that could help your work. You can use your commute time listening to audio or e-books. This can turn your wasted time into a good learning experience. You can reach mental enrichment from downloaded courses that are taught by professionals in your field.
4. Timekeepers:
Being early for work can possibly give an opportunity to complete tasks on time and pick up on mistakes that can possibly occur while working. A stressed-out piece of work can have more mistakes than the work that is done on time.
5. E-mails:
Sometimes checking e-mails first thing in the morning leave you overwhelmed or frustrated for the whole day. You feel pressure on your nerves by just looking at the amount of work that is in front of you. It is better to focus on the projects you are already working on and check e-mails periodically during the day.
6. Meetings:
“Walk and Talk” is the growing trend for meetings nowadays. Merely holding meetings while walking gives you the necessary time for your creative thinking. Research has shown that walking meetings are more productive and lead to more direct conversations with employees as compared to traditional sit-down meetings.
7. Value the gift of health:
“Nurturing yourself is not selfish, it’s essential to your survival and your well-being”. ~Renne Peterson Trudeau
When you create the right kind of climate in your body, mind, and emotions, everything about your health is taken care of. Exercise helps to reduce threats of common ailments such as high cholesterol, insomnia, chronic diseases, or allergies.
8. Refuel Yourself:
Working without taking breaks is a bad habit; it can jeopardize your career, health, and life. Therefore do not overdo any work and understand the importance of one of the biggest secrets of productivity—the refueling principle.
9. Be patient like an owl:
Cleverness and courage are not the only tactics for being successful; we need to be patient with people and our work. It is important to be patient in our behaviors and practices as it is the only thing that can save us from a big downfall.
10. Be Supportive:
“We rise by lifting others”. Robert Ingersoll
Being supportive of your colleagues can really boost morale and enthusiasm. Interact, enjoy, and share your achievements with your colleagues as well. This will lead to better results in the form of higher productivity.
11. Socialize with your colleagues:
You don’t get to choose your co-workers but you can get along with them if you want. Socializing can be really good for your career because you are never marked as a loner among others. You can get help from people who belong to a wide variety of backgrounds, therefore, building good relationships while working together.
12. Find flow with boring jobs:
Boring jobs can block our minds and can result in messing up even simple tasks. A positive attitude allows you to focus on problems that seem daunting and with determination you can master all challenges. Do not avoid difficult and boring tasks; just nail them with hard work and determination.
13. Be Positive:
“Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!” Donna Karan
Master your problems of everyday living with positivity and do not get defeated by anything. Positivity can give you peace of mind, improved health, and a never-ending flow of energy to live a life filled with joy and satisfaction.
14. Deal with compassion:
Kindness to tough people is more effective than you even think. Tough personalities in the workplace can be dealt with best with compassion. It is the best way you get along with people who hate you. While interacting, try to approach a situation with understanding and openness instead of confronting them with anger.
15. Avoid office politics:
In most workplaces, office politics kills the morale of the staff and prevent eligible individuals from taking part in the development of the business. Therefore it is better to stay away from such games and focus on your personal career for succeeding in life.
16. Understand and accept criticism:
“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving”. Dale Carnegie
Reacting in a negative manner is common when other people criticize our personal or professional manners. But the way we handle criticism creates a knock-on effect in various aspects of our lives. It is better to deal with criticism in a positive way and use it to our advantage to be stronger and more capable people.
17. Adapt to the changes:
“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change”. Stephen Hawking
The basic law of nature is to adapt to the changing that is happening in the surroundings. It takes a tremendous amount of skill to adapt to changes rather than being rigid and not moving out of one’s own shell. In order to survive physically, socially, politically, and spiritually, one needs to adapt to the changing environment.
18. Enjoy your vacations to the fullest:
Vacations are the only time to enjoy before getting back to work. There is nothing like a dose of holidays after hard work. Enjoy your free hours to the fullest so that you can face future challenges with an extreme amount of positive energy.
