External negative circumstances can really affect our attitudes, and this is why we need to pick the people we associate with so carefully. We all get affected to some degree, and we need people around us who can pull us through the dark times. We all need to see the opportunities from any situation, but most of the time as business owners, we are too close to the action to find the answers ourselves.
Someone said to me some time ago that at the end of every year, we should split the people we have spent time with over that year into three categories. Category 1 are those we have spent a lot of time with who we look at as being close friends or associates and yet they are so much of a drain on our attitudes. We really need to either limit the time spent with this category or not associate with them at all. Harsh I know, but our own personal attitude is too important to allow others to influence it. Category 2 are those we do not spend a lot of time with but every time we see them we feel energised. They have a massive positive influence on our lives. We need to be spending more time with these people. Category 3 are those that we like and are good friends but we feel better when we leave their company than we do when we arrive. With these, we need to limit the amount of time spent with them.
The current health crisis we are going through will bring to the fore those we need to be spending more time with. If at the end of 2020, we go through this exercise, it will really show us where we need to be spending our time. I guarantee if you do this once, everyone who comes into your life from that moment forth will automatically be categorised by you and will ensure your time is primarily spent with those who are a positive influence in your lives, those who will always see the good, see the opportunities and uplift you.
Over the 30 plus years I have been in business I see some people posting negative thoughts on business posts, and I think to myself, “You should really not be posting this in the job, position or business you are in”. It is not what your customers or clients want or expect from you.
As the Winston Churchill quote above says, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”. The impact a positive attitude has on ourselves and the people around us is massive. As a younger person, I admit I did not have a positive attitude, but by associating with successful and success minded people, and by reading personal self development books helped to change that. My car was turned into a mobile university by listening to positive audio tapes. When our children were a lot younger and we were listening to these audio books, they were picking up the same information and the effect on them as they have grown up is astounding. A legacy we all need to leave the next generation is a positive and can do attitude, high morals and ethics, the way we treat people and this is more important than any money we leave them.
If you are struggling and cant see the wood for the trees and need business help and support from someone who has close to 40 years of personal development, over 30 years business ownership experience then please reach out. I guarantee you will feel so much better when we have finished a meeting or conversation that you did when you arrived.
Richard Knight – Lionheart Business Troubleshooting. Email: richard@lionheartmanagement.co.uk.
This article was first published on LinkedIn by Richard Knight on 15/06/2020