Positivity breeds success
It’s no coincidence that positive thinking is a common characteristic among successful people. Think about it, do you know of any successful people who have a negative attitude? Probably not many.
Most successful people have worked very hard to achieve their goals. They have overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges to get to where they are in life. Some have faced bigger problems than we’ll ever know. But they kept pursuing their goals and eventually accomplished them.
How did they manage to do that despite their challenges? It’s all about the PMA (positive mental attitude).
If you’ve been struggling with making progress in a specific area of your life, fulfilling your dreams, or sticking with basic self-improvement habits, it could be your mental attitude holding you back. Here we’ve got 12 strategies that people with a PMA utilize that you can employ too.
1. They accept themselves.
Be yourself. Don’t change who you are just to satisfy other people. That’s the motto of people with a PMA.
It’s okay if your thoughts and feelings are different than others—that doesn’t mean they’re wrong or bad. You just have different perspectives.
Be true to who you are. Don’t behave in ways that are not authentic to your true self just to make other people happy.
Instead of trying so hard to be who you aren’t, make peace with yourself.
Accept yourself.
Stop wondering how others see you. If they change how they feel about you or look at you differently because you are choosing to be your authentic self, then they are not the people for you. And you should know that now instead of later.
At least now, you can look for people who accept you for who you are.
2. They listen to music.
Music can improve your mood and put you in a better frame of mind. When you’re feeling upset or just in a negative headspace, turn on your favorite tunes.
Everyone has that one album or song that just makes them happy. Once you hear that familiar beat, your toes start tapping, your hips start shaking, with your head nodding along to the song. Before you know it, you’re dancing (or trying to) and rocking out without a care in the world.
Don’t underestimate the power of listening to your favorite music when you’re in a funk. Some songs just put you in a better mood from the first few chords.
Studies suggest that even listening to sad songs can make you feel better. Sad songs can trigger memories that help distract you from what’s currently stressing you out, therefore acting as a mood enhancer.
The next time you’re feeling negative, turn on some music. Your brain will absorb the lyrics and pick up on the beat, which in turn will help put you in a better frame of mind.
3. They don’t resist change.
Change is inevitable. Nothing stays the same for long.
People with a PMA embrace change. Because the truth is, change will always happen, regardless of your attitude toward it. Things will continue to evolve.
Change can be positive or negative. If you resist all change, you’re also saying no to all the positive change that could come your way. You’re saying no to the change that initially looks bad but is actually for your own good.
Change can be scary. Not knowing how everything will turn out can be terrifying. But that’s also part of the beauty of life. Today your life could be a dumpster fire. Tomorrow, everything could change and you’re living your best life.
Just know that whatever challenge change may bring, you have the skills, knowledge, and strength to deal with it.
4. They use positive language.
Words can be used to build up or tear down. Sadly, we often use our words to tear ourselves down. But not people with a PMA.
So change the way you talk about yourself. You are not a failure, you’re learning a lesson.
Change the way you talk about challenges. When presented with a situation that you feel is beyond your capabilities, don’t say “I can’t…” Instead, say “I’ll figure it out.”
The way we frame unpleasant situations matters a lot. For example, on Monday morning, you wake up early for work but wish you could sleep in. Instead of saying “Ugh…I have to go to work,” say “I get to go to work and make a living.”
Initially, it won’t feel like much has changed. But, over time, you’ll find yourself feeling more positive about yourself and your ability to handle challenges.
By using positive language, you help yourself be more positive.
5. They view failure as a necessary part of life.
The fact that you have failed is not a cause for despair. Everyone fails at one time or another. Even the most successful people have fallen flat on their faces a few times.
Failure is a part of life.
As children, we stumble, tumble, and hurt ourselves as we learn how to walk. But we keep at it. Why? Because failure—that is, not walking—isn’t an option. At that young age, we know we have to learn how to walk. So, we wipe our tears, get up, and do it all over again.
Until one day, we stumble a little less. We don’t fall as much. And eventually, we start walking as if we’ve been doing it for years.
We could learn a lot from children about failure. They don’t let one tumble or mistake derail them from learning how to walk, read, or do any of the many things they’re learning.
Instead of giving up, they learn from their mistakes.
Embrace failure like a child would. Learn from your mistakes and make better decisions in the future.
6. They are present.
Being in the moment and focusing on what you are doing is key for a positive mental attitude. Usually, when we are caught up in our feelings, obsessing over a stressful situation, or ruminating over negative thoughts, we’re thinking about the past or worrying about the future.
We completely fail to enjoy our present situation. While this can sometimes be helpful in that it helps us prepare for an upcoming event or helps us learn from our past mistakes, it also distracts us from the present.
It’s important we stay focused on what’s happening right now because it ensures we don’t miss out on the good that’s happening in our lives. Being present also helps us to be better decision-makers because we’re not thinking about a future event that may or may not happen. Our minds are fully focused on what’s happening now and not distracted by regret or anxiety.
7. They avoid toxic positivity.
One of the problems with the positivity movement is that it puts a positive spin on everything. Every situation or behavior, positive or negative, is lumped together and praised.
Everything is wonderful.
You’re great just the way you are, and there’s no need to change a thing. There is no acknowledgment of problematic behavior.
Having a PMA does not mean ignoring a problem. It doesn’t mean pretending a problem doesn’t exist or putting a positive spin on a bad situation. It doesn’t mean celebrating everything.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do in a bad situation is acknowledge there’s a problem, find a solution, and work toward fixing it.
Toxic positivity will just keep you stuck celebrating the dumpster fire in front of you while pretending everything is fine.
8. They surround themselves with positive people.
A positive mental attitude is infectious.
Have you noticed that when you spend time with people who are happy and positive you tend to become more so yourself? You leave feeling happy. Perhaps even laughing at something they said or an antic they pulled.
It’s no wonder these people easily make friends. When someone improves our mood just by being near them, we naturally gravitate to them. We want to be around them more.
The more time we spend with them, the more our mood improves. Until we eventually become one of those positive people that others like being around.
Surround yourself with optimistic people. Hang out with people who always manage to see the silver lining in the darkest times. Their positive mindset will eventually rub off on you, making it easier for you to be happy as well.
9. They celebrate their achievements.
People with a PMA celebrate their wins. Especially the small ones. Small wins keep you moving forward to your big wins. The effort that goes into achieving them deserves acknowledgment.
So acknowledge the progress you’ve made toward current success by focusing on what you’ve done well. Don’t minimize the effort it took you to get to where you are in life. It took a lot of time and effort to get to where you are.
Celebrate your achievements.
10. They set achievable goals.
Many people set themselves up for failure by setting goals far outside their current skillset.
Choosing achievable goals is an important part of having a positive mental attitude. Positivity isn’t about being pie in the sky unrealistic. It’s about setting realistic and attainable goals that are consistent with your strengths and resources.
For example, suppose you have trouble with time management or organization. In that case, it’s probably unrealistic for you to expect to be able to be completely organized and on time for all your appointments from now on. It’s going to take time and effort to build up to that.
Instead, set a goal to put aside time every Monday to go over your schedule for the week or find a system that helps you track your appointments conveniently. This will make sure you have a better chance of achieving your goal.
Take it one step at a time. And don’t forget to give yourself room to drop the ball. You’re changing behavior you’ve had for a long time. The change you seek will not happen overnight.
11. They focus on the positive (unsurprisingly).
The world is in chaos. Everything is a mess everywhere. But that’s not going to change anytime soon and dwelling on it isn’t going to help, as people with a PMA are all too aware.
So focus on the positive instead. Look out for what’s going well.
For example, let’s say you hate your job. Your boss is difficult and always criticizes you. Look at the bright side of being employed. You get to make a living, pay your bills on time, take care of your family, and so on.
Think of the benefits of working with your boss. Maybe your skills have actually improved as a result of their micromanagement and nagging. Or think about all the times when your boss was supportive or helpful or when they weren’t entirely bad.
This also applies to how you think about yourself. Focus on your strengths. Think about the things in your life that bring you joy, the things you like doing, and the things you’re good at.
When something is stressing you out or getting you down, go to your happy place. Think about the positive.
This will reduce negative emotions and put you in a more positive state of mind.
12. They help others.
Helping the less fortunate reminds us of the many things we take for granted. When you’re volunteering at a children’s hospital, you realize there are a lot of families going through unimaginable difficulty.
If you volunteer to feed the homeless, you’ll understand that working for a living and having a roof over your head are actually privileges. Not everyone has that.
Volunteering your time and money helps not only your community but you as well by putting you in a more positive mindset. When you see what others are going through, you realize your problems aren’t so bad after all.
Finally…
Your mental attitude is your choice. You can choose to be happy. On the flip side, you can also choose to be unhappy. It’s really up to you to embrace each day or to focus on what’s wrong.
Your attitude is not determined by what someone says (or doesn’t say) or does (or fails to do). Blaming other people for how you feel and react gives them too much power.
Take your power back. Control how you react and interact with the world around you.
It’s important to remember that you can’t change your mental attitude overnight. It takes time to build and maintain a positive outlook on life. That being said, there are many things you can do today to start changing your mental attitude.
Initially, being positive will be a struggle. But keep at it. Keep looking at the bright side of things until it becomes a habit.
You’ve got this.
