Can’t Quit Your Job? Change Your Attitude

One of the nuggets of wisdom my dad shared with me often as a child had to do with controlling your attitude. He would tell me about a job he had committed to when he was a younger man, that involved a construction project out in the middle of the desert. Now he was a steamfitter, so he spent a lot of time welding pipe, and you can imagine how fun that was in the desert. He got to a point where he just hated the project. He was miserable in the heat, and he dreaded going to work each day with a crew that wasn’t motivated. It was obvious they didn’t want to be there any more than he did, and they put as little effort into the work as possible. But my dad was not a quitter, so when he committed to go to work on that project, he was bound to see it through. So one day, he just made up his mind that he was going to make the best of his situation. You see, when you drudge through a job (or life in general) being sour and bitter, the one that is hurt and suffers most is YOU.

Each morning after that day, my Dad would get up and choose to have a positive outlook for the day…he would literally give himself a pep talk (psychologists today call this “positive self-talk” or simply being more in tune with what your inner voice is saying each day). A funny thing happened. As time went on, he noticed not only did he bear the daily grind better, but his co-workers noticed and started to reflect better attitudes as well. The project progressed to completion with fewer errors and in great timing, and my Dad was asked to head up another project elsewhere (in much better conditions) as a result of the relationships he had developed with people on that job.

Changing your attitude opens up the door of opportunity. If you really want to find a way out of working where you are, then the fastest way to make things happen is to take charge of your attitude and put forth your best effort. Not only will you gain more experience that’s beneficial to your employability, but you’ll also be in a position to proactively develop a plan for your future that involves what you find you do enjoy. So it’s time to choose to be amazing at whatever it is you are doing now, even if it’s not ideal for you. People who shine and are authentic in all that they do don’t get overlooked for great opportunities.

P.S. I love you Dad, and I hope you can see from up in heaven, that I was actually listening to all of your “life lesson” stories. You taught me how to “do life well”.

Check out this article for if you choose to make a career move.