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The fiscal year is coming to its end, many of you already achieved the target. It's time to be prepared for the next financial year, how will you set up your business for a prosperous 2018?

The financial year is going to its 4th quarter and its final three months of the year. This time most organizations calculate their goals and achievements, whether they accomplished or not. Most successful companies set their goals at this time. It's the time when CEO's check everything from the previous year.

Professional sportsman that inflict in crunch time is labeled "clutch." It takes a strong-minded footballer to shoot a critical shot with the game on the bottom line or go for the "Hail" pass with only a few seconds remaining on the clock. The executives need the same type of mentality to crunch the time and make it bold. This is the time of the year when executives put their skill into a big test and show how efficiently they can motivate their team.

Let's face it -- 

Finding ways to motivate employees is hard for most executives when the year comes to an end. December holidays and Thanksgiving are big notorious for decreasing employee productivity. Also, the mental stress of previous year's performance starts to increase this time. This is harsh news for CEO's as they try and make one significant push to end the year on a high note.
Fortunately, there are some proven ways to motivate employees specifically in Q4.

Lead by example.

An action speaks louder than a word. Finishing a strong year is hard for employees when they don't understand what the leader commanding. If executives fail to show motivation to the employes, it becomes harder. The employees always follow the executives. So, managers should explain what he expects from the employees. An example, get to the office earlier and leave later than the previous few months.

Employees admire their executive staff for direction. If they see their CEO giggling, having a decent time and not working hard on the primary job, workers will rapidly stick to this same pattern. True leadership during Q4 originates from managers moving up their sleeves and buckling down side-by-side with their employees.

Also read: 
8 Tricks Successful People Use to Stay Calm in Stressful Situation
5 Ways to Regain Motivation When You Are Discouraged

Recognize great work.

While extraordinary work should be expected through the year, it's critical to perceive and praise employees when they go well beyond in Q4. Nobody is expecting daily recognition for doing their tasks, but showing thankfulness after seeing an employee put in 110 percent effort on work will show staff members that executives are giving careful consideration to their shots at the end of the year.

Perceiving employees for their diligent work and expressing the value they bring is a proven technique to increase inspiration and engagement. A study by Make Their Day, an employee motivation firm, found that 70 percent of survey respondents revealed their most meaningful recognition "had no dollar value" and that 83 percent of people said recognition for contributions was more satisfying than rewards of prizes. Making sure that employees are receiving the feedback they deserve toward year-end could lead to a very promising Q4.

Also read:
How to Motivate Employees During a Recession
10 Tips To Stay Motivated While Working From Home

Set realistic Q4 goals.

Back in January, executives clarified objectives and goals for the organization to accomplish before the end of the year, and it's been proven that workers understand their organization's direction.

My company's Executive Priorities Report 2017, which was built from survey responses of over 400 managers, found that more than 75% of executives believe their employees have a clear understanding of their company's vision for the year. At this point, it's conceivable clear whether those objectives will be met or not. Regardless of the company's progress, officials will want to see the last push from their employees to set themselves up for a solid beginning to Q1.

One approach to fulfill this is to set Q4-specific objectives that will regain the concentration of workers and give them new focuses to go for. It's vital to make sure that these goals are challenging yet realistic, sufficient to drive workers to deliver great performances but fair enough to not dishearten staff individuals.

Also read:
10 Tips on How to Get Motivated as an Entrepreneur
7 Ways To Motivate Your Team Without Money

Offer incentives.

While prior I talked about a study that said that gifts and rewards aren't as satisfying as recognition, despite everything they work, particularly toward the finish of the year when the Christmas season is drawing nearer. Remember there are rewards and endowments outside of prizes and gift vouchers. Offering additional PTO days in the new year to the hardest laborer of the quarter is an approach to persuade workers without giving them an in a split second redeemable fiscal reward.

As we enter Q4, it's imperative to remain on track and keep vitality high. It's the official's obligation to discover approaches to spur workers amid this period and drive comes about. With the right outlook and procedure, Q4 could be the current year's most elevated quarter. Right now is an ideal opportunity for administrators to ask themselves, "Do I have what it takes to intention my group and complete this year solid?"

To cope with stress, you need to learn to manage your emotions. To focus on a task and start it to perform, you have to experience a moderate stress. But if it is robust and durable, it can make heart disease, depression, and cognitive impairment. 

Studies conducted by TalentSmart showed that 90% of employees with the best record in the know how to cope with stress and keep their emotions under control. Eight emotion management rules to help these people deal with stress.

8 Tricks Successful People Use to Stay Calm in Stressful Situations

1. Appreciate what you have

If you are distracted from work and make a list of what is most in life, chances are you will feel calmer. Feeling gratitude reduces the level of cortisol by 23%. Also, according to the results of the experiment conducted by the University of California, people who daily feel a sense of gratitude, improved mood, and physical condition.

2. Do not wonder, "What if..."

The more you concentrate on the possible scenarios, the less time you spend on the real action. Successful people do not ask "What if...". They know that the answer will not bring any satisfaction or peace of mind.

3. Remain positive

Positive thoughts distract from stress. To calm down, to think about something pleasant. This is an easy task if you have a good mood. But when you're on the verge of despair, you think to find something positive unrealistic. In this case, think and name at least one positive event that occurred during the day. Understand that, and on a bad day happens something good.

4. Care offline

Modern communication technologies provide people 24 hours a day, making us available to round the clock. If you have not distinguished between life and work, you are putting yourself at constant stress. To stop thinking about work, try to go to offline. Start with short periods, such as in the morning on weekends, when attempts to contact you at the least probable.

You will be surprised how much lower the level of stress in your life if you disconnect from work.

5. Drink less coffee

Due to the frequent use of caffeine quickens the pulse, there is a sense of excitement, energy surge. That's the way a survival mechanism, allowing you to quickly respond to the threat. If you do not pursue the bear, your body does not need this stimulation, as it increases the level of stress and anxiety.

6. Get enough sleep

When you sleep, your brain reboots and processes memories of the previous day. As a result, you wake up with a clear head. Lack of sleep increases the level of cortisol. Add to that the stress due to work and get emotional burnout. Want to work well - sleep well.

7. Do not engage in soul-searching

Each of us doing this periodically, but no good and it does give nothing to do with objective analysis does not. The more you think about the negative, the more power you give it.

The best way to get rid of this painful process - to switch to something else.

8. Ask for support

It is inefficient to do everything yourself.

When you need it to work quietly and efficiently, you have to admit your weaknesses and ask for help.
Such an approach will not only perform tasks more efficiently and faster but easier for you to work.

If you have a lack of motivation at work, What should you do to regain the motivation? Encourage yourself to get motivated to do anything as a businessman and entrepreneur.
Not long ago, the owner of a business that usually read my column asked me the following question:

"I wonder, what do you do when your motivation levels are low as well as your self-esteem? What do you do to regain the motivation to continue with your plans and complete your tasks?

This is a big question, and the answer is:

First of all, let me say that I had never been so sure of what I say as now: motivation comes from within, not from the outside. No one can motivate you more than yourself. I mean long-term motivation. Many years ago, Frederick Herzberg wrote an article on motivation in the Harvard Business Review; In it, said that others can motivate you, but only in the short term. I called this PELT ("Kick At The T... You Understand It").
Also read: 5 Ways to Stay Positive in Negative Situations

On the contrary, long-term motivation emanates from within. That leads to the question: as a business person, how can you stimulate you from the inside when your levels of motivation are found on the ground?

First, you must understand that practically all people must deal with this at some point in their careers. I have never met anyone who is immune to this (and I certainly am not). So what do I do as a businessman and as an entrepreneur when I feel low spirits?
Also read: 10 Tips on How to Get Motivated as an Entrepreneur

Here are some of the things that have helped me to motivate myself to work hard:

1. Minimize contact with negative people. 

This is not always possible, but do it whenever you can. At least, do it for a short period. Surely you have run into people who complain about absolutely everything. Stay away from them as you try to regain your spirits.

Spend more time with people who recharge you. They say you become the five or six people you most relate to, and I think it's true. So connect to individuals who push you to be better in all aspects of your life.

3. Read / listen / see positive things.

 If you feel down, read a real book. Listen to an audiobook or podcast with a positive message. Watch a movie that makes you laugh. Surround yourself with things that have a positive influence on you. Incorporate these words into your life as much as you can.

4. Learn to prioritize. 

Give priority to the things you should and want to do. Make a list. As a businessman, I live on the lists. The more control I can exercise over the things I want and should do, I can solve them better.

5. Eat the elephant one bite at a time. 

Take that list you created and open it every day. If you really commit to it, you'll be amazed at how much you can get. The more you do, the better you will feel. This will fuel your motivation.

You can do much more things to generate motivation, but I think this list is a good start. Also, keep in mind: if your motivation levels are low, it is always helpful to try to get out of the picture, that is, the daily routine, and try to visualize the complete image. Ask yourself, why are you doing what you are doing? Allow yourself to be encouraged by a greater vision of things, and let your goals drive you.

Learning how to motivate your employees will unlock their potential and lead to higher performance and a more productive employee. Instead of ignoring the pink elephant in the room, it’s vital to take initiative and implement strategy to keep your employees motivated towards a common goal.

Without communicating effectively, obtaining creative contribution, empowering your staff and sourcing leadership to the right individuals, you could be headed towards a downward spiral.


The first and most necessary step is communication. During a recession rumors may swirl causing a level of panic and unease. Uncertainty sits in which propels employees to fear for their jobs, to fear for demotion or in a worst case scenario, that the company will crumble.

Informing employees of the situation at hand and explaining the steps the company is taking to combat market conditions will provide stability in the workplace. An example points to a recent commercial that was created by GM. The commercial addressed the situation GM is facing and explained that there was a time that their prior business model, which carried several brands, made sense.

Now the focus is on fewer brands that highlight efficiency and economies of scale. They admitted that their pricing structure could no longer compete. They admitted that restructuring was the only way they could survive. They basically admitted that they FAILED and are now having to implement a change in fundamental business strategy to compete once again. This was a very straight forward approach that not only addressed the condition of the auto industry but also gave a glimpse into GM’s direction and integrity.
During harsh economic times, employees will often feel that the company failed them or failed business objectives.  When the company needs to shift its focus and change business strategy during a recession it can be a difficult transition and employees may feel they are in the dark. It’s imperative that employees are made a central cog in the process of refocusing resources and objectives.

Not only does this provide for additional perspective from an array of minds but it also empowers employees to feel that their opinion and ideas are worthy of consideration and perhaps integration. Empowerment is an excellent source of motivation and motivation is ultimately a central force in driving change in the workplace.

When company layoffs have employees chewing off their fingernails in anticipation of the big axe, it’s crucial to inform the remaining employees that they remain for a reason.

Only the strongest survive and hearing that the company feels that they are a core element in rebuilding the companies foundation towards success will also empower the employees; this is called recognition. Recognizing employees’ contributions and their place in the workforce reinforces their position and motivates them to continue forward despite the doom and gloom references.
Lastly, it is essential to identify your cream of the crop. This group can act as your mouth piece, prophesizing the company position and agenda. A disconnect can exist between management and staff so identifying the leaders among the staff and empowering them through additional duties and responsibilities can have a trickle down effect that changes the culture from dismal to positive.

Although recessions often result in a focus on numbers and expense reduction, it’s imperative to implement strategy to keep your employees motivated and excited for the brighter days ahead. After all, who wouldn’t want to be accredited for helping turn the company around?

You are an entrepreneur and running your own business, Running a business is hard work, especially if you’re doing it all on your own. There is always a chance to burnout the business. Then you maybe wants to know "How to avoid a business burnout?" This article will help you all the steps you need to avoid this problem.
You have to juggle every project, every client, every task & every detail.
(Not to mention all of the stuff in between)
There are so many ups & downs with running your own business, it’s quite the roller-coaster.

When business is great, it’s seriously wonderful. You feel on top of the world.
When business isn’t so great…..it feels like your life is coming to an end (maybe not literally, but you know what I mean). Your spending most of your time worrying, than actually creating. It feels like you’ve just totally lost interest in your own business…and that’s scary.
Recommended: 8 Business Advice From a Father to His Son

What’s is a Burnout?

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.”    Source: www.helpguide.org

So, What’s a Business Burnout?!

It’s when you become unproductive & totally unmotivated to do ANYTHING related to your business. Even if you love your clients, your industry & your business…. too much of a good thing, can still be too much.
Running your own business & having to deal with all the highs & lows…. and stress, can lead to some crazy emotional & mental exhaustion. It’s like, even though you have things you have to do (which normally you love doing)…. you’d rather curl up into a blanket cocoon and watch Netflix for 47 straight hours.

I think the biggest culprit of the-big-bad-burnout…..is lack of balance.
Focusing too much on business & not enough on ourselves.
Always putting clients & projects in front of our own priorities.
Having to juggle so many things, by yourself.
All of this causes stress and the burnout is a direct reflection of that.
I’m sure we’ve all felt this way, to some extent, in one way or another.
Sometimes, we totally know we’re in a burnout stage… and than we start to feel guilty about it, which just adds to the exhaustion…. which just amplifies the burnout.
Recommended: Business-Success: 10 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Startup

So How do we avoid it?

Here’s 5 strategies to help you stay motivated as a creative entrepreneur:

#1 – Set Boundaries & Learn When To Say No

#2 – Make Time For Yourself

#3 – Get Organized

#4 – Re-Evaluate Your Goals & Priorities

#5 – Find Your Inspiration

You have to get re-inspired.

• Go experiment with recipes in the kitchen.
• Read a book about other successful creative’s business journey.
• Look at another person’s creative work, that isn’t in your industry.
• Browse Pinterest and try out a new craft.
• If you’re feeling extra saucy, get a new haircut.

Some ways that help me:

• Trying out new restaurants across town.
• Exploring somewhere I’ve never been, whether it’s a new hiking trail…or a trip out of town.
• Scooping out Groupon for deals on activities I haven’t tried out yet (this is how I started kickboxing…. and now I’m obsessed with it)
• Walking around the thrift store, looking for furniture to up-style & makeover.
• Teaching myself something new…..last year I bought a sewing machine…
• Browsing Pinterest for either inspirational quotes, or new DIY crafts.
• Experimenting with new recipes & tweaking them to make them my own.
• Reading books… self-help books, business books, or fiction books…. any books.
• Painting. Drawing. Coloring…..those adult coloring books are pretty addictive.
• Helping someone, with anything. Whether it’s in the form of donations, volunteering or teaching someone a few web design tricks that they’re having trouble with.
• Watching Shark Tank. Seriously. Something about those entrepreneurs make me want to get out a notebook and scribble down a million new business ideas.

Basically, do something that makes you happy.

Really happy, like can’t think of anything else because you’re so focused on what you’re doing because it makes you happy…. happy.
Your inspiration isn’t gone forever, it’s just hiding…you have to go find it.
Basically, the bottom line is, burnouts suck. The key to avoiding them is figuring out your personal plan to staying balanced & motivated.

What is your strategy for avoiding a burnout?

Sometimes You Need Some Inspiration!
We all need a little motivation every once in a while. Maybe you aren’t feeling on top of your game. Or perhaps, you have suffered a loss or setback. Sometimes we fail at things. When this happens to you, how do you get yourself motivated?

Stress hits us all in life, and while a little stress is good — it keeps us focused and motivated — too much of it and it can grind our lives to a complete halt. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed-out, you may become paralyzed and unable to do much of anything.

Just as bad are unhealthy coping methods to deal with stress. Turning to food, alcohol or drugs often just turns one set of problems into another that can balloon out of control. It’s better to avoid those unhealthy coping mechanisms from the start, and find good ways to keep your stress under control. Below are 20 ways to motivate yourself easily.

20 Ways to Motivate Yourself

Here are 20 ways to get yourself going when you need a little motivation:
1. Exercise – One of the best ways to pump yourself up, is to exercise. It doesn’t matter what form as long as you enjoy it.
2. Read One of Your Favorite Quotes – Keep your favorite quotes nearby where you can see them. Here is one of my favorites:

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, and dream for tomorrow.”

3. Do It Today – What have you been meaning to start? Start something today that you have been putting off.
4. Finish Something – Nothing feels as good as finishing something to completion. And remember, when you can’t do big things… do little ones. Here are 5 Easy steps to start meditation at home.
5. Get up! – Really! Get up and move around. Walk around. Better yet, go outside and do a lap around your house or office. The fresh air will do wonders for your motivation.
6. Play Some Music – Keep your favorite music at hand. Whenever I need some inspiration, I have a special playlist on my phone.
7. Clean Something Up – When I say something, I mean anything. You desk, your files, even your cell phone. (Delete those unused apps!) A clean environment leads to productivity and motivation.
8. Tell Someone About Your Goals – A great way to motivate yourself is to tell someone about your goals and what you will accomplish. Often, you will gain a deeper understanding of your motivation by explaining it to someone else.
9. Read a Motivational Article – Here is one of mine.
10. Workout with a Partner – Having someone else to workout with can help motivate you to exercise and work harder while you exercise
11. Stretch Yourself – Do something you didn’t think you could do. We are all stronger than we think. (Read: Choose Slower Pastimes To Be More Productive)
12. Get Your Productivity Started – Sometimes you just have to sharpen your pencil and get your productivity going. Your motivation will soon follow.
13. Visualize What Success Means – Think about what success means. Motivate yourself by visualizing what things will be like when you accomplish your goals.
14. Write a Letter to Your Future Self – Write your future self a letter about what you will have accomplished. Here is a great site to help you do that: FutureMe.org.
15. Think Back to a Time You Won – Remember something from your past when you succeeded. How it felt, what you did, why it made you feel proud.
16. Finish Something Ahead of Schedule – Finishing something ahead of schedule feels great.
17. Be Early – Being late brings stress. Be early and be happy.
18. Build Some Momentum – Sometimes you need get some motion in order to motivate yourself. Here’s how to build some productivity momentum.
19. Call a Good Friend– Even better if it is someone you haven’t reached out to in a while.
20. Be Yourself – In our society of conformity, remember what makes you…you. Celebrate why you are unique.

Inspire Yourself

Sometimes we just need to pick up our mood. Other times, we need to pick ourselves up from the ground. We all have ways that we motivate ourselves.
I invite you to share below your favorite methods of motivation.
How do you motivate yourself when you need some inspiration?

Contrary to what many fancy programs would have you believe, weight loss really isn't rocket science. Stay motivated with your weight loss plan or workout routine with these 11 popular inspirational tips. I made this list short to help motivate you to stick to your fat loss plan and transform your body & life forever.

When a person makes the decision to lose weight, one of the most important parts of a successful weight loss program is the level of motivation that a person has. So take control of your motivation level. 
Also read: 10 Tips To Stay Motivated While Working From Home

11. Never Give Up

If you fall off the wagon, cut your losses. Don’t let it weigh on your mind and hold you back because it’s only minor damage that can be dealt with. The important thing is to get back on track, immediately. Never, ever, EVER give up. I believe in you.

10.Don’t Procrastinate

Do it now. Whether you’re thinking of cleaning out the pantry or finally starting to exercise, STOP procrastinating and DO IT now!

9. Identify Exactly What It Is You Want…

…then don’t let anything stand in your way of getting it. By setting specific goals along with deadlines you are providing yourself with a measuring stick.
Also read: 5 Ways to Stay Positive in Negative Situations

8. Do Your Best With Everything You Have Control Over

Most people fail to control themselves, and end up only with regrets. We trade minutes of pleasure (i.e. fast food) for days, weeks, months, and years of regret.
Remember that the pleasure of eating lasts for only minutes, but you inhabit your body 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for life.
Rather than trying to “out-cardio” your bad diet, you must PLAN ahead to overcome obstacles. Otherwise, you’ll never succeed.

7. Replace Bad Habits

Everyday you will be tempted to fall back on old bad habits. To make a lasting change in your health and appearance you must do everything you can to resist that. Try adding a new healthy habit each day to replace an old unhealthy habit.

6. Be Consistent With Baby Steps

The best approach is to build your life one positive step at a time and the way to do this is by taking baby steps to improvement each and every single day. Be a little better than yesterday.
Also read: 8 Tips for Staying Motivated When You're Not Enjoying Your Job

5. Test

There are no failures, only good and bad tests.
You should always be trying something new, monitoring your body’s response, and deciding whether or not that food or exercise belongs in your “tool box”. Do everything you can to learn more about your body. The more you know, the faster your success will be.

4. Social Support & Role Modeling

You can’t soar with eagles if you’re hanging around turkeys.
By hanging around others who want to lose weight, you can leverage their knowledge, commitment, support, and success to push yourself harder than you otherwise would be able to.

3. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

People will do almost anything to stay in their comfort zones.
If you want to accomplish anything, get out of your comfort zone and strive to increase order and discipline in your life.
Discipline means doing the opposite of what you feel like doing. Setting goals and deadlines are the easy roads to discipline.
Also read: How To Lose Weight Fast Safe and Naturally: Diet Plan

2. Plan

Planning is the ultimate key to fat loss success.
With a weekly plan of meals and workouts in place, you will be much less likely to hit a road bump that takes you down the wrong path. Try setting aside one day a week to map out your weekly itinerary and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body transforms itself.

1. Realize YOU Are In Charge of Your Success

Og Mandino once said, “I shall shape my future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man’s doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me. Or I can be lost in the maze. My choice. My responsibility. Win or lose; only I hold the key to my destiny.”

Everyone can succeed and reach their goals. It’s a just a matter of how badly you want it.
I know you want it. And I know you can do it. And I’m really looking forward to your success.

If you ask me to know how I stay motivated working from home. I have my own business’s and struggle with motivation, staying on track and being productive throughout the working week.
Since I work from home, this feeling of staying motivated while working from home is very overwhelming. It can be tough to stay motivated in any job, especially when work from home. I know having own business means more work more ways to spread your creativity.

Working from home has it’s advantages and disadvantages like anything. I love the fact that I have the freedom to set my own hours, no traveling to and from work, that’s just naming a few. It can become a little challenging sometimes when you’re at home 5 days a week, on your own, confined to four walls.

I’m hoping what I share with you today, will help you stay motivated whilst working from home.

1. Set your intention for the day, from the minute you wake. Make sure you start your day in a positive way, exercise first thing in the morning, healthy breakfast, spend some time alone, meditate, journal, and then you’re ready for a productive day.
2. Dress like you are going into the office for the day. This is vital, you must feel like you’re in a working environment. What you wear makes you feel different instantly.
3. Define your work space, separate work from home. Make sure you have a working space preferably a room, it doesn’t have to be big, but at least a space where you can call it an office. A room where you can set up your computer, paperwork, files etc so it feels like a work environment.
4. Set your working hours. Like you would if you were working in an office, be strict, this will force you into a good routine.
5. Schedule breaks throughout your day. Morning and afternoon tea breaks and a lunch break. Make sure you leave your office, sit outside if it’s a beautiful day or at least eat in a different part of the house, even go for a short walk. Change environments throughout the day, will keep you stimulated.
6. Put your phone on silent throughout the day whilst you are working. I can’t tell you how much of a difference this makes to the productivity of your day.
7. Be strict on social arrangements. When I first started to work from home, I remember friends trying to arrange catch ups during my working week, because I worked at home they thought it was really convenient, I could catch up at anytime. You can fall into this trap very easily.
8. When you finish your working day, make sure you stop working. Turn the computer off, tidy the desk and close the office door until the next day. Define your spaces, work and home.
9. Each Sunday night set 3 goals for the coming week. Email your goals through to your mentor, coach, or friend, this makes you accountable. It seems like a simple task, that could get boring over time, but it really does make a difference to your working week. This is where the self motivation and commitment needs to come in, make a commitment and stick to it.
10. If you’re having a challenging day, call a friend and release your frustrations, go for a short walk or meditate. Make sure you take a short period of time to release the stress and then refocus straight away, otherwise you will find you’ll be day dreaming all day and getting nothing done.

If you have any tips to share, I would love to hear them and I know the other women in our community would too.
Sending you lots and lots of love for a beautiful week.

#Positive thinking: We all face negative situations in our life. Someone may say something bad about you, or something you’ve worked hard on is rejected.
In situations like this it is difficult to keep a positive attitude. However we’re judged by our communications so staying positive is the professional way to react to adverse situations.

Your natural inclination is to release your inner Hulk and bash. This  negative reaction will make  the circumstances worse and you will end up filled with disappointment and anger.

You can beat negative situations by keeping a positive attitude. The attitude you take when faced with a negative situation is a choice. In the business world keeping a positive attitude in negative circumstances is a valuable skill to learn. It will keep your professional reputation intact and show you can handle any negative situation.

5 Rules to Help You Stay Positive

The best way to overcome a negative situation is by keeping a positive attitude. It is not easy and requires discipline on your part, but you can do it. At first you may not succeed every time so consider it a training program. Eventually you will learn to control your reactions out of habit.

Rule # 1 – Control Your Response

The golden rule of staying positive in a negative situation is to control your response. Take a deep breath, count to 10, do whatever it takes to remove yourself from the negativity. Wait until you calm down and have thought clearly about your response.

If you respond out of emotion you will only make it worse. Remember Thumper’s rule. “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.” This is good advice when you find yourself in a negative situation.
Negative situations compound when they cause you stress. Learn how to deal with stress to remove the extra negativity.

Rule # 2 – Learn From Negative Situations

Look at a negative situation or event as an opportunity to learn and grow personally. Albert Einstein said “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Don’t channel your energy into a negative reaction, but into something positive that will make the situation better, not worse.
If you do react negatively take note of it and the circumstances that caused it. Learn from it by identifying the triggers that caused your reaction so you can watch for them in the future. Train yourself so you control the situation instead of allowing the situation to control your actions.

Rule # 3 – If You Make a Mistake, Admit it

We are human so we all make mistakes from time to time. When you do you need to step up and admit it. One thing I told my boss a long time ago was that if I ever made a mistake he would hear it from me first. If you make a mistake that leads to a negative situation, admit to it, learn from it and move on.

Rule # 4 – Maintain a Positive View

Don’t allow your opinion of someone to become jaded by a negative situation. Keep a positive view about a person or a situation and don’t jump to conclusions. Be proactive in dealing with adverse circumstances, not reactive. If the negativity is true see rule # 3. If not then affirm what you already know about yourself and your work.

When you are working under pressure it is hard to keep a positive attitude, but for a manager often pressure is part of the job. Learning how to work under pressure will help you overcome a source of negative situations.

Rule # 5 – Accentuate The Positive.

Remember that scene in The Jungle Book where Baloo breaks into a song about staying positive?
You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
Words of wisdom from a dancing bear.

• Emphasize your positive attitude by your actions and in your words.
• Eliminate any negative thoughts generated from a negative situation. Nothing good is gained from a negative reaction.
• Affirm the positive truths you know to be true about yourself and your work.
• Don’t flip-flop between positive and negative. When negativity comes to you remove yourself from the situation, flip to the positive side and stay there.

Take Away

In the middle of writing this piece I had to put this into practice when the power went out for 2 1/2 hours during a thunderstorm. Rather than get mad because I had lost my writing time, I grabbed a notebook and started writing my to-do list for work tomorrow. A negative reaction to something beyond my control would have wasted time and energy.

Life will continually present you with negative situations. You choose how you react to them. Rather than waste energy and your reputation by reacting negatively, learn to turn a negative situation into a positive. Don’t let the actions of others or circumstances turn you to the dark side of the workforce.
Keeping a  positive attitude in a negative situation is hard, but if you work at it you will learn to overcome your emotional reactions. 

Doing so will enhance your professional appearance and show that even under negative circumstances you can maintain control and deal with any issue in a positive way.

By flooding your mind with encouraging quotes and other positive material, you will start to win back the war against a further downward spiral. Your ability to get through whatever it is you're going through will mainly depend on what you focus on. Focus on the possibility of things getting better and you'll start to feel better and will therefore start doing things that will actually make your situation improve. On the other hand, continue to focus on how things will remain bad or how things will get worse and you'll have a self fulfilling prophecy.

Encouragement

“When written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.“ – John F. Kennedy

”Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

“There is in every true woman’s heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity. “ – Washington Irving

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up.” – Les Brown

“God uses suffering as a whetstone, to make men sharp with.“ - Henry Beecher

“Press on – nothing can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge

“Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.“ – Rainer Rilke

“Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement – and we will make the goal.“ – Jerome Fleishman

“Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.” – Ralph Emerson

”Often we women are risk averse. I needed the push. Now, more than ever, young women need more seasoned women to provide that encouragement, to take a risk, to go for it. Once a glass ceiling is broken, it stays broken.” – Jennifer Grahnolm

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.“ – Friedrich Nietzsche

“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.” – Unknown

“Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known. “ – Garrison Keillor

“If the wind will not serve, take to the oars. “ – Latin Proverb

“Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” – Anne Frank

“Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.“ - Charles Swindoll

“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.” – Audrey Hepburn

"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” - Alexander Graham Bell

”In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” – Tony Robbins

“Get going. Move forward. Aim High. Plan a takeoff. Don’t just sit on the runway and hope someone will come along and push the airplane. It simply won’t happen. Change your attitude and gain some altitude. Believe me, you’ll love it up here.” – Donald Trump

“When you get to your wits end, you will find, God lives there.” – Unknown

“God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.“ – John Aughey

“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.“ – Oprah Winfrey

“The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them.“ – Bernard Baruch

“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” – Stephen King

“Fortune knocks but once, but misfortune has much more patience.“ – Unknown

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.“ -Corrie Boom

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche

“It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever – the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.” – Vince Lombardi

“The best revenge is massive success.” – Frank Sinatra

“Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.“ – Edwin Markham

“If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves.” – David Allen

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.“ – Edmund Hillary

“This too shall pass.” – Persian Sufi Poets

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller

“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein 

Here are 36 Motivational quotes I have added, and I'll keep adding till 50+ as I get it useful and realistic. If you have any saying, please comment.