Choosing Your Attitude
Everyone has bad days. Maybe you burnt your toast, got stuck in traffic, opened your inbox to a nasty email or spilled coffee on yourself because the day even started. Some days, you feel tired before you even get out of bed. And if you’re running a business, you don’t get to call in “bad mood leave”.
You can’t control every bad thing that happens to you. But you can control how you show up once it happens, and that’s what “choosing your attitude” is all about.
Why Attitude Matters More Than You Think
Your attitude sets the tone for the entire workplace. If you walk into the shop, office or worksite with a heavy sigh, muttering about how terrible your night was, the energy drops instantly. People mirror the mood of those around them, especially their leaders. This is how one person’s bad day quietly becomes everyone’s bad day.
It’s the same in reverse. A positive, optimistic attitude can lift a whole team. There’s often one co-worker who greets you with a genuine “Good Morning!” and asks how your weekend was. They don’t erase the fact that you had a rough morning or that day can still be hard, but they start things on a better note. That matters.
If you’re the owner or manager, your mood will influence productivity, morale and even staff retention. I know of so many employees who have completely checked out of their jobs when the boss was constantly rude and took their stress out on them. It’s a bit hard, but you can also do a hundred great things for your team, but one sharp comment or visibly bad mood can undo a lot of that goodwill.
I’m not asking you to fake happiness or pretend that nothing’s wrong. It means that you have to be intentional about how you carry challenges in the workplace. Saying “I’ve had a rough morning, but I’m going to focus on getting this project finished today” is very different from storming in and unloading on the nearest person.
A Simple, Fast Reset
If mindset books are your thing, then you can take a lot of tools from those. I don’t want to overcomplicate it here. On a busy workday, you need something simple and immediate. Here’s one I’ve used:
Acknowledge your mood. Don’t pretend it’s not there.
Add a “but” to it. “I’m stressed, but I’m going to win three quotes today”
Focus on that small, achievable goal and let it pull you forward.
It’s going to be quick, doable, and it’ll stop your emotions from dictating the whole day.
You won’t nail it overnight. If your default reaction is to carry a bad mood into work, you’ll have to continuously practice this shift, but over time, it’ll become easier, and you’ll notice your team starting to mirror the same habit.
Positive attitudes are contagious, just like negative ones. If you model it, your team will follow. So, if tomorrow morning starts badly, try this:
“It’s been a rough start, but I’m going to achieve [specific goal] today.”
It might feel small, but the small, conscious choices change the way you lead, the way your team works and the results you get.
