What Are You Talking About?
Reams are written about improving your attitude; not so when it comes to defining that
thing you're trying to improve. In this checklist, we're going to fix that.
Though there are many ways to define attitude, I find the three checkpoints below to be
the most helpful. They make it clear not only what your attitude is made of but also how
it affects what you do.
1. How You Enter
Before heading down South for a vacation, I expected a relaxing and enjoyable time. This
is the first piece of your attitude: it is what you expect before something happens.
For me, I expected good things. Someone with a more negative bent--at least in relation
to traveling--would predict rough times ahead.
2. How You Live through It
The second piece of your attitude is the way in which you gauge progress. Do you notice
what is going wrong? Going well? Somewhere in between?
I went to dinner the other night with a few friends. I'm always on the lookout for
stories to use on the site, so when they started to comment on the place, I was drawn
in. One friend noticed how noisy the restaurant was, how grumpy the waiter seemed, and
how bad the food tasted.
On the heels of this cheery testimonial, the friend sitting
next to me said she loved the atmosphere, the style of the tables, and her dinner. Two
attitudes looking for very different things.
3. How You Exit
The last role your attitude plays happens at the end of a situation or experience. At
this point, your attitude affects the way you sum things up.
I was watching a competition-based reality show the other night and, when two people were
sent home, they were given the chance to talk to the camera one last time.
They were asked what they would take away from the experience. The first reflected on
the friendships he had made and the good times he had had. The second was angry and vengeful.
To her, the experience was a waste of time. Attitude strikes again.
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