A Positive Attitude

In these trying times, those in marketing may find it difficult to maintain a positive attitude. But a positive attitude is exactly what will get us through the economic situation we find ourselves in today.

Every day brings challenges, as well as opportunities. If we focus only on the challenges we are not living up to our potential or the job we have to do. Whether we work for ourselves or an employer, our job is to deliver clear, concise messages to our target audiences.

Though we may have a long-range plan, we work one day at a time to complete the tasks at hand.

Over the years, I have sometimes felt overwhelmed by the amount of day to day work that needed to be completed - on top of all the meetings and time stealing events that come up. What I discovered was that if I just made a weekly plan and focused like a laser on completing the tasks for the week, I made regular progress.

Working for two Fortune 500 companies taught me that I was responsible for my job and my future. Those who succeeded had to have a plan and follow the plan every day, no matter what the distractions might be. Those who didn't have a plan spent their time either doing the work of others or not accomplishing very much.

What helped me the most was to maintain a positive attitude and stick to my weekly plan. Taking things in stride and adjusting the plan, sometimes one day at a time, helped me accomplish what needed to be done. Of course, some weeks were more productive than others. I found that focusing on the long-term goal by completing small steps every day worked best for me.

And, the positive attitude helped overcome a lot of obstacles and helped disarm those who could otherwise ruin my day.

Jim Thebeau
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com