Having a positive attitude is essential to professional productivity and business success. When we have a positive outlook, we accept who we are and allow ourselves to soar to higher heights. But so often, professionals may have the expertise they need to work effectively, but allow negative attitudes to undermine their efforts and results.

Here are 10 ways you can become more positive at work:

1. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR WORK, ACTIONS, AND LIFE.
Don’t pass the buck. Don’t make excuses. Take responsibility; acknowledge a mistake, fix it and learn from it. Don’t beat yourself up about the mistake, or hang onto past mistakes. Resolve them, own them and move forward — today.

2. ADOPT A THAT-DOESN'T-WORK-FOR-ME STANCE.
When someone offers a put down, keep in mind that your worth comes from you; your being, your true self. Others cannot change your intrinsic value unless you let them. Make it clear that what they are doing doesn’t work for you; keep your boundaries and move forward.

3. RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE'S TIME AND BOUNDARIES.
You may be having a bad day, feeling stuck, or enjoy procrastinating, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to waste other people’s time or cross their boundaries. Time is the most valuable thing we have. If you feel like wasting your time, that’s your decision. But don’t waste other people’s time. Try to use your time wisely so you feel good about yourself.

4. MAKE A WHAT-I-HAVE-ACCOMPLISHED LIST.
Too often people make huge to-do lists and then beat themselves up when they have only accomplished a few things on the list. Keep your master list of what you want to accomplish so you don’t forget things that are important to you, but keep a second list you update daily. Each day, keep a specific list of all the things you did and how much time you spent on each thing. You’ll know where the day went, can feel good about what you did accomplish, and see where you need to focus, to get what’s most important to you, done.

5. TAKE NOTICE OF THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
Co-workers, customers, clients, vendors, and other people you come in contact with each day. Acknowledge what they are contributing and don’t take them for granted. Thank them for buying from you, for their help, their value to the relationship, and for a job well done.

6. ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN YOUR DAY.
The compliment someone gave you on the insight you shared at the staff meeting. The big smile the customer gave you when they picked up their order. By recognizing your accomplishments even if they seem small or routine, you are acknowledging a job well done.

7. COMING FROM A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND PERSPECTIVE YOU WILL FEEL MORE IN CONTROL.
Consider each job and interaction as your best performance, rather than just running them together as part of your day. You will see the impact you have and the value you offer. People will be attracted to this. They will notice how well you do things and they will truly value you.

8. TREAT PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS AND RESPECT.
Everyone that you encounter should be valued and treated with courtesy and respect. Acknowledge that they have feelings and their own perspective on life; they may be different than yours but they are also valid.

9. AVOID COMPARISON.
Don’t compare yourself to people who have not mastered special strengths or those who may be more experienced or accomplished. Constantly comparing yourself keeps the focus on the other person instead of on what you can do, want to do, and are good at doing. Look inside and improve from there.

10. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING, SO AVOID NEGATIVITY.
Attitude is the lens that you look through to experience your reality. Take a look at your attitude. Are you negative? Do you color everything with fear or need? How will your life change if you change your attitude?

Positive affirmations or statements can be powerful tools for keeping your spirits up. What’s more, they can help you improve your work life and increase your productivity and overall success.

Try using positive affirmations and see what happens: Write down three or more statements that address your professional goals, or that focus on qualities you’d like to develop in yourself. Convert them to positive language, such as “I am . . . ” or “I will . . . ,” not “I won’t . . . .” Then review the phrases in your mind several times a day — right after you wake up, before every meal and right before bedtime. Do this every day for 30 days, and then evaluate how much your attitude and skills have improved.

To help get you started, try repeating the five phrases below every day and see how your attitude and motivation improve…

- “I AM ready for success.”
- “I WILL do my best for every customer and on every project.”
- “Each day I WILL learn new ideas so I can work smarter.”
- “I AM going to increase my income by 25% this year.”
- “I WILL maintain a positive outlook about my career or
business.”

One day, Devin’s cubicle mate, Judy — the only person who seemed to be able to get along with him — confronted him about his unpleasant demeanor. Devin admitted that he was disappointed and angry about constantly being passed over for plum assignments. And this made him not want to be a team player.

Judy assured Devin that he could easily change his attitude and circumstances. She encouraged him to put a positive spin on his negative outlook. Devin’s professional life began to change by MAKING A DECISION to change his attitude. He became more consciously aware of smiling and going out of his way to be more helpful and responsive to his co-workers. He began treating his co-workers with respect and told them he appreciated them for their efforts. Over time, Devin’s positive attitude made him one of the most effective team members in his department. His supervisor was so impressed with his performance that he gave Devin a team leader position — and a healthy raise.

The lesson of this story is that everyone has the power to change their attitude and circumstances. So make a decision to change yours today. You can do it!

“Your attitude determines your altitude.” - John Maxwell

“ For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.” - Harry E. Banks

“Hire attitude. Other skills you can train. Ensure that each employee understands the company's vision and mission and his or her role in achieving it.” - Dave Sharkey, Pres. & COO, Electric Lightwave, Inc.