Attitude

July 14 2009

Happy Bastille Day!

It is, you know, Bastille day. It's the French equivalent of our Independence Day. (So they do have a 4th of July in France!;-))


The line at the top of the page refers to the old joke "Do they have a 4th of July in England?" Well, of course they do, right between July 3rd and July 5th. I used it deliberately to inject a little humor into things because I think it's important to keep a sense of humor no matter what's going on with your life. I know, it's a lame joke and only a little funny, but it's a joke and that's the point.

The best way to keep a good attitude is to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself means that you need good food, exercise, recreation, and a reason to get up in the morning. Eat well, enjoy your relationships, play softball, go to movies, shop, whatever it takes for you to enjoy life. And remember that your job, your reason to get up in the morning, is to find employment. So what you do is get up, get dressed for work, and have at it, every day Monday through Friday, and quit after a full day's work, say eight hours or so later.

And what do you do? Why, you work in the five P's, of course. You research, probe, think, write, call, visit, whatever is up for today in the marketing campaign. It's probably a good idea not to take any time off at the beginning of your campaign, but to leave yourself a week or so at the end before you start your new job. Then you can reward yourself with a nice vacation, which you've earned, before you start your new career.

Things to remember to help you keep it going:

• Stuff happens to everybody. You weren't singled out. Honest.
  
  
• You can help other people, so you can get help back.
  
  
• You already know somebody who knows somebody. If you live in Vegas, I mean you have juice.
  
  
• It's a regular job, looking for work. You're entitled to time off the same as any other worker. You have a right to your weekends, if you want them.
  
  
• You can do what you need to do. This blog is here to help. So are lots of books and web sites. Even I have an online course you can use.
  
  
• You may well be on the verge of a new career doing something you've never thought of doing before. Go with it and see where it leads!

Attitude is the one thing you really can control. For me, the best way to improve my attitude is to be up and doing. Maybe you're different, but you could give that a try. Whatever you do, remember to keep smiling, because you can fool yourself into thinking you're happy if you work at it.

Until tomorrow, then,

Steve