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As 2019 begins, many people are working on New Year’s resolutions. Traditional resolutions often include a focus on eating healthier, getting more exercise and an overall desire for better self-care. Accomplishing these goals can also lead to another positive development — a better attitude. Simply put, it’s hard to have a good attitude about anything if a person is not properly taking care of oneself.

Having a good attitude is essential for a better life — both at work and at home, according to attitude specialist and author Matt Booth, who spoke on the topic during an educational session at the 2018 ISSA Show, in Dallas, TX. His session was titled, “A Bad Attitude Is Like A Flat Tire — You Can’t Get Far Without Changing It.”

“Attitude” is a subject that Booth has been researching, writing and talking about for many years.

“I love the topic, trying to figure out why
two people in the same situation view that situation two different ways, exhibiting
two different attitudes,” he said. “It’s a
huge topic.”

Booth defined the word “attitude” as, “How one person reacts to another person and/or situation that surrounds him/her.”

“If one person is involved in a minor car accident, he/she may react differently from another person who is involved in a minor car accident,” he said. “A person’s true attitude is exhibited.”

Booth asked attendees at the educational session if they had ever worked with someone, or had a customer, with a “flat tire” when it came to attitude.

“Isn’t it strange how many people, with the worst attitudes, don’t know they have
a ‘flat tire.’ They don’t even know they are running low on air,” Booth said. “I find that fascinating.”

Booth discussed how it’s possible to not only survive, but thrive in a negative environment, by exhibiting a more positive attitude.

“Most people understand the benefits of being positive at work, and in life in general,” Booth said. “They know that a positive attitude is essential to success.”

The problem, he added, is possessing a positive attitude most of the time. This is often easier said than done.

“We are living in an extremely negative world. The news is filled with floods, fires and hurricanes. There is a big ‘iceberg of negativity’ that floats into everybody’s living room each night,” Booth explained. “On top of that, people today carry around their electronic devices that let them know, almost instantly, every time a school shooting or terrorist attack takes place.

“This is the world in which we live, as well as our co-workers and clients. It’s therefore important to properly recognize each piece of negativity, in order to remain as positive as possible.”

Booth explained that it’s impossible to be positive all of the time. There are even studies that show certain benefits to being angry and negative at times. There is nothing wrong with having “one of those days.”

“The problem is when ‘one of those days’ turns into ‘two of those days,’ ‘three of those days,’ and on and on,” Booth said. “Obviously, that is not OK.”

To combat the pervasiveness of a bad attitude, Booth shared strategies, tips and practices people can utilize to be more positive.

“‘Awareness’ is the first big issue; being aware of your attitude, and the attitudes of those people around you,” Booth said. “Ultimately, better attitude awareness can improve a person’s overall work environment and home life.”

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Actions have consequences — both good and bad. Booth explained how common things, like the simple greeting, “Hi, how are you doing?” can be improved upon, in an effort to provide a more positive environment and better attitude development.

“That type of greeting has become so generic that many people either don’t pay attention to what you have just said, or they provide a negative response — reflecting on what is going on with their lives,” Booth said. “Often, if you meet somebody who has a ‘flat tire,’ you can’t help but become sucked in (to that person’s negativity).”

After listening to an audio tape from author and motivational speaker, the late Zig Ziglar, Booth decided to take a new approach to the customary greeting of people. He began to ask more people: “Tell me something good.” The response was often much more positive.

“A little change in your attitude, and how you communicate with people, can start a ripple effect. You begin to pump up people’s ‘flat tires,’” Booth said.

During his presentation, Booth asked attendees to spend five minutes discussing with a person sitting next to him/her about something good that had recently happened in his/her life. Booth then shared an example of something good that had recently happened in his own life — his personal focus on being more encouraging to those people surrounding him on a day-to-day basis.

“I learned that the best way to push out negativity in my world was to encourage others. I began asking myself, am I encouraging my children enough? Am I encouraging my wife enough? What about my co-workers, clients, other family members and friends?” Booth said. “I learned that it’s a big deal to encourage people, especially in today’s world.”

TAKING AN 'ATTITUDE INVENTORY'

The second exercise that Booth had his audience participate in involved an “attitude inventory.” For this exercise, he had each person write down the first name of five people he/she has spent the most time with on a daily or weekly basis. Each of the five people listed was then given a percentage rating, by the person taking the attitude inventory, based on his/her positive nature —
from 100 to 0 percent.

“Once you do that, put your own first name at the bottom of the list, and give yourself a score on how positive you think you are on a regular basis,” Booth said. “Then, add up the percentages of the five people you listed and divide that number by five. Compare this final number with the positive attitude percentage you gave yourself.

“What does that tell you? Let’s say you gave yourself a 90 percent positive attitude rating, while the five people you listed averaged 50 percent. Over time, common sense says, the people around you may pull your attitude down, or you could pull their attitudes up if you are a strong leader. What is it like to be more positive than the people around you? The answer is often: hard, overwhelming and exhausting.

“Flip that around. If you gave yourself a 50 percent positive attitude rating, while
the people around you averaged 90 percent, logically those people could either improve your attitude, or you could be the one doing the draining (of their once good attitudes).”

Booth added that most people measure value by how much they have of something. However, this is not always the case when it comes to attitude.

“I’ve been conducting the ‘attitude inventory’ exercise over the past five years, with hundreds of groups and thousands of people from all over the world. There have only been two times when somebody came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I’ve done something like this before,’” Booth said. “That tells me there is a huge lack of awareness regarding not only our own attitude, but the attitudes of those people around us.

“The key is to start the conversation about attitude, and to let people
know that attitude is important for building relationships, both at home
and at work.”

THE BASIC 'NEEDS' OF A POSSITIVE ATTITUDE

It’s very hard, if not impossible, for a person to routinely exhibit a positive attitude
if that person is not taking good care of his/her physical and mental state. Booth outlined five key elements to possessing a positive attitude, spelling out the acronym: NEEDS.

“If you know someone who has a ‘flat tire,’ check on that person’s basic ‘NEEDS.’
If you have a ‘flat tire,’ check on your own basic ‘NEEDS,’” Booth said.

They are:
N — Nighttime Sleep: “The average adult requires seven to eight hours of sleep each night. The problem is, some people wear (their lack of sleep) like it’s a badge of honor. It’s not. Your body and mind need the proper amount of sleep every night,” Booth said. “If you only got three hours of sleep last night, how are you going to be positive today? It’s impossible. Sleep is like a Swiss army knife of health care — it helps you in so many ways.

“If you are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, there is almost no way you can keep a positive attitude. You are doing a disservice not only to yourself, but also your family and work.”

E — Exercise: “It’s also important to get some form of exercise on a regular basis. You have to move. It’s another basic need for a positive attitude. If you don’t move enough, you will get cranky,” Booth said. “It’s important to find a form of exercise that is the right fit for you.”

E — Eat Right: “You have to eat right. Figure out the best food for your body.
This is critical to being healthy,” he added.

D — Drink Water: “I recently read a study that stated up to 75 percent of Americans are on the borderline of dehydration,” Booth said. “Our bodies are largely made of water. You have to stay hydrated.”

S — Spirituality: “I feel it’s important to believe in something bigger than yourself,” Booth said. “The world can be tough and it can be hard. It may be impossible to figure out life on your own.

“Remember, a small change for the better with your overall attitude can result in a positive ripple effect as it pertains to the people around you. Beware of your attitude, and the attitudes of others. Also, don’t forget to encourage people. This helps push out negativity.”

Visit www.mattbooth.com for more information.