Optimists say the glass is half full. Pessimists say the glass is half empty. We’ve even met a few people who say “Glass, what glass? You got a glass? I didn’t get a glass. Hey, where’s my glass?!” Well then, we must be super-optimists because our glass is always full!
What’s the secret? Attitude. Sure, there are plenty of books out there on the power of positive thinking, and we really do believe it works. But you’ve got to put it into practice. Even when we fall, our attitude is what enables us to see the lesson instead of the skinned knee.
We had lunch with our friend and colleague Lori De Milto a few days ago and the conversation veered toward the difference attitude makes in freelancers’ success. (And, by the way, if you haven’t yet read Lori’s book, The Mighty Marketer, what are you waiting for?) We all know writers who always seem to be complaining about something, whether it’s whining about not getting anything out of the meetings they attend, lamenting about lost business opportunities, or moaning about not wanting to market themselves and their businesses. And you know what? That’s exactly the reason they don’t get work. Talk about needing an attitude adjustment!
If you’re an entrepreneur, you need to inject your freelance business with the attitude to succeed no matter what. The right attitude can help you get much more out of the next meeting you attend than a rubber chicken lunch. A positive attitude can make you more receptive to new business opportunities and more desirable to prospective clients. Let’s admit it, clients can smell negativity and desperation. If you exude those kinds of vibes, clients will run fast and far away from you. We know; we’ve seen it happen.
We’re all wired differently. But whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist, an introvert or an extrovert, the way you handle the challenges freelancing throws at you will make all the difference in your success. From our perspective, attitude is everything!
Photo Credit: Cyndy Kryder