7 Ways a Positive Attitude Can Make You More Productive

If you aren’t as productive as you’d like to be, take a moment to think about what’s going on. While you may think you are unhappy because you can’t get things done, it may be that your productivity suffers because of your attitude.

By working on accepting challenges, being receptive to feedback from others and regulating your emotions even when things get tough, you’ll see improvement in your productivity, your relationships and your ability to enjoy life.

Here are 7 ways that a positive attitude can make you more productive:

1. It reduces your stress

No matter how challenging a job might be, if you can stay positive, you’ll reduce your stress levels. While some stress can be good for getting short-term projects done, long-term stress takes its toll on your physical and mental health. If you are healthy, you’ll get more done.

Discover why it helps to have a positive attitude towards stress at work »

2. It attracts social support

Nobody likes complainers or people who are always negative. You’ll get more support and cooperation from your supervisor and colleagues if you stay positive. Support and cooperation usually leads to increased productivity. This particular tip is good for our friends in office.

3. It contributes to a great work environment

Your attitude is apparent even to colleagues who don’t work with you directly. A positive mental attitude infects your entire workplace, making it a more pleasant place for everyone, including yourself. If you look forward to going to work, you’re going to get a lot more done while you are there. If you’ve ever worked in a corporation with someone who can’t be bothered to simply say hello, it’s a real buzz kill. Be nice, say hello or check-in on your colleagues – it feels good to make someone’s day.

4. It can boost your creativity

Staying positive helps you keep your mind open and ideas flowing. This increased creativity can help you work faster and smarter. This not only makes you more productive, but also improves the quality of your work.

5. It can make you more proactive

When you’re feeling positive, you’ll have an easier time being proactive rather than reactive. This means that instead of solving problems after they occur, you’ll be able to identify and address challenges before they have a chance to become problems.

6. It improves your time management

If a bad attitude makes work a struggle, it’s going to take longer to get things done. If you stay positive, you’ll have an easier time staying focused and meeting deadlines.

Check out 3 practical strategies for procrastinating less at work »

7. It leads to better relationships

Being positive and productive affects all your relationships, not just those at work. If you enjoy going to work and come back at the end of the day in a good mood, your family and friends will notice and want to be around you.

You don’t need to feel like a Pollyanna

Don’t confuse being positive with being a Pollyanna who buries his or her head in the sand. Having a positive mental attitude shouldn’t stop you from identifying and addressing problems. But if you address problems with a positive attitude, you are less likely to get discouraged and more likely to be proactive in finding solutions. You’ll also have an easier time getting others to support your efforts.

These great thinkers were positive. Are you?

Have you ever heard of Napoleon Hill? If you want to understand the laws of success, you might enjoy reading his books.

He wrote Success Through Positive Mental Attitude and The Law of Success. These books were published in the 1920s after he interviewed hundreds of successful people, including Dale Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, F.W. Woolworth, and so many others. These leaders had several things in common – including cultivating a positive mental attitude.

Want to turn your daily commute into an opportunity to be inspired? Browse 4 inspiring audiobooks to help you become a better leader »