Checking Your Mental Diet

Previously, I've written about your role in the overall attitude of your organization. Now I want to give you specific actions you could take to change/improve your attitude.

Not someone else’s.

Yours.

That change starts with your thoughts.

Creating a great organizational attitude starts with what we are thinking about most of the time. Whatever is currently capturing our attention is what literally starts the chain reaction.

So, what are you thinking about?

More directly, let’s talk about how we can manage what we think about. It starts with what we feed our mind. Let’s consider seven things that directly impact our thoughts.

What we read

You have heard this one before, but does that knowledge change your reading stack? There is likely professional, trade, and industry information you need to read. Perhaps you need (or want) to read a newspaper. And there is of course the email and other information you must process every day. But what are you purposefully reading to feed your mind with jet fuel for your attitude? Maybe it is reading the documents of your faith, teaching and writing from uplifting authors, poetry, or even a set of positive blogs. Find something that lifts your thinking and spirits, and invest 10 minutes a day for the next month. At the end of 30 days, you will notice a difference and likely be reading more than 10 minutes a day.

Who we hang out with

Your attitude is influenced by the people that you interact with most. So, who are you spending time with? Do you spend time with uplifting, supportive, and positive people? Or Negative Neds and Henny-Pennys who are predicting when the sky will fall? Not only do others impact our attitude directly, but they also impact our thinking. The conversations we have, topics we discuss, and the perspectives of others all play a role in what influences us. Consider this one a doubly powerful influencer. Now that you have thought about it this way, with whom do you want to choose to spend more time?

Where we hang out

If you are a parent, you know this. You wouldn’t want your teen spending all their time in the neighborhood pool hall or other den of bad influences. Yet how often do you think about how places affect your thinking? Where are the places that you feel most alive? For me, there are places both near and far that provide this respite, this personal revival. Figure out where these personal places are for you. They needn’t be spectacular or impressive to others, as long as they feed you. Church, Starbucks, a park, your backyard – figure out which places rejuvenate you. Then make sure you spend time in them intentionally and more often.

What we watch and listen to

Ok, I’m talking mostly about TV, but you can include radio and music too. Some mindless viewing is fine. But are you watching too much violence? Taking in too much negativity and gossip? Too many accounts of the devastating storm? Massive research proves the more of it we watch, the more it impacts our thinking. Keep an audio/video input diary for a week and you will find there is a lot going into your mind. Some of it might not be in the best interest of your short and long-term attitude.

What we experience

This is related to several others on the list, but deserves a separate comment from me and thought from you. We think about every situation in which we find ourselves. Consider this the combination of the people and places. Consciously looking for new experiences helps us learn new things. This generally has a positive impact on our thinking and attitude, beyond the nature of the experience itself.

What we talk about

Based on most of what is above, we talk about what we are thinking about. And when we verbalize things, we crystallize and imprint our thoughts. Pick topics that will engage your mind (and the minds of others) in a positive way. Think about it this way - consider less gossip and more possibilities. Less doom, more happiness. Less destruction, more encouragement.

While these are the major inputs, there is one other thing we must consider and too often don’t.

How we interpret it all

Is your glass half empty or half full? Is there a 50% chance of rain or a 50% chance of sun? This simple mental shift is part of what I mean, but there is more. Yes, you can stop watching the news, but perhaps you want to be informed. The news, on reflection, often holds learning opportunities for us. We don’t have to allow our mindset to become mired in the negativity of it. Beyond that, think about your experiences: What you experience is unique to you in any situation. When you discuss an experience, movie, TV show, or book with someone else who was with you, watched the movie or TV show, read the book, you quickly realize you had different experiences, lessons, and thoughts! The filters through which you view any situation make all the difference in your thoughts and therefore your attitude.