Building a solid contracting business takes the right kind of attitude. If youâre generally upbeat, you may find it easier to solve problems and avoid stress. If youâre struggling to find reasons to look up, you might create more issues. And your attitude can also spread to the people around you. Here are a few ways that you can keep a positive attitude for yourself and everyone around you.
Start Work on a High Note
When you were a kid, your parents may have made references to waking up on the wrong side of the bed. This idiom describes what happens when you start the day in a negative way. There are lots of reasons that you might wake up in a bad mood, from a difficult nightâs sleep to unfortunate news. On these occasions, itâs important to give yourself the time and the freedom to turn your mood around. Find a pleasant distraction or give yourself a small reward as a way to boost your outlook. That way, youâll start the day happier and less likely to make mistakes.
Emphasize Qualities During Feedback
Throughout the day, you may have lots of opportunities to give feedback on the state of a particular situation. If youâre coping with a problem that isnât easily solved, itâs tempting to get stuck in a negative thought pattern. Sometimes, all you can find is problems. But when youâre dealing with people, itâs important to find qualities as well. If you have to give negative feedback or criticism, take the time to come up with one or two genuine compliments that you can give as well. When youâre struggling to find something good to say, see if you can wait to give the feedback until later. People are more receptive to criticism if they feel like youâre not just unloading on them.
Learn Something New
If you watch a small child playing with other children, youâll often see conflict that ends quickly. Children get frustrated at very small things, and then they completely lose interest once they are distracted by something else. This is a trick that you can use to fool yourself out of a bad mood as well. If you find that youâre getting stuck thinking about all the things that are going wrong, shift gears into a completely new way of thinking. One way that you can do this without compromising productivity is to learn something new. Read an article about a subject that interests you in your field. Test out a new piece of equipment, if you have the opportunity. You may discover a renewed sense of curiosity.
Focus on Solutions, Not Problems
Everyone is going to have to deal with problems on occasion. As a business owner, you may have issues that come up on a daily basis. Itâs easy to lose sight of your path when you feel like the road is full of obstacles. Instead, set your sights on what you need to do to get to the other side. If the problem seems too big to solve, ask for help or break it up into smaller pieces. Focus on what you need to do to solve the problem in the most efficient and effective way possible. For chronic problems, write down changes that you can make to your processes to ensure that they are less likely to happen in the future.
Avoid Toxic Positivity
Thereâs a big difference between maintaining positivity for your business and promoting a culture of toxic positivity. Like a pervasive cloud of negativity, toxic positivity can be really damaging to you and your employees. Toxic positivity describes an environment in which people are discouraged from voicing concerns. Youâll know that a business culture leans in this direction if you hear people saying things like, âJust be positive!â or âLook on the bright side!â Having a positive attitude doesnât mean that you sweep problems under the rug. Instead, it allows you to address issues as they come up, without letting them sink your day.
Creating a positive workplace is an important part of running a successful business. To find out how you can be your own boss as a licensed contractor, visit CSLS today!