Williams James, the American father of psychology, once said “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.”

Not every job is enjoyable. Even when you enjoy what you do, not every day is enjoyable. For the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market the work they do isn’t glamorous. It’s cold, wet, smelly, sloppy, and difficult work, but the environment around the market is electric and high energy. They might not have a choice of what the work is like, but they do have a choice in what attitude they bring to the work. They’ve chosen to bring a sunny, playful, cheerful attitude; they’ve chosen to be world famous, not ordinary. This makes this smelly, sloppy, and difficult work enjoyable, which is evident by the crowds of people who flock to the market each day to watch these mongers at work.

For some, the accounting profession might not seem glamorous or enjoyable. We have long hours, deal with numbers, and work with the IRS. So how do we make it through the day or tax season? At Ketel Thorstenson, LLP we choose our attitude. By keeping positive and upbeat attitudes our staff is able to make their work enjoyable and maybe even glamorous. Each KT employee has the choice of attitude they bring each day – a frustrated, negative attitude, or, like the fishmongers, a positive, playful, cheerful attitude.

So here’s my challenge to you. Over the next few weeks choose your attitude. When work is tough, choose your attitude. When your day doesn’t go as you’ve planned, choose your attitude. When you’ve got too much to do and not enough hours in the day, choose your attitude. I promise you’ll see a difference. You bring your attitude with you, so why not make it a good one.