Did you know that your perspective about life determines your outcomes in life? Bad attitudes are virtual guarantees that life will be burdensome and less satisfying than it ought to be. If you are pessimistic about your relationships, business, career, health, and personal development, it will affect what you make out of every opportunity that comes your way. What you need is to eliminate the bad attitudes that are destroying you.

What Is a Bad Attitude?

A bad attitude is a feeling, manner, or disposition that is not cooperative, optimistic or constructive. Have you ever wondered why people with bad attitudes are not usually happy? People with bad attitudes are described as:[1]

What Are the Effects of Bad Attitudes?

Now that we’ve gone through some words used to describe people with bad attitudes, we can look at the effects of this kind of outlook. Bad attitudes can hinder you from developing the right perspective about life. They can also prevent you from maximizing those things that bring joy. They can become the very limitation that blocks you from maturing and learning coping strategies for life’s challenges.They can limit you from attempting new things that may be exciting. People with bad attitudes may end up lonely, depressed, and stressed.

What Are the Causes of Bad Attitudes?

People with bad attitudes usually experience situations and people in unpleasant manners. While some studies indicate that a bad attitude is a component of temperament, some therapists affirm there’s a learned aspect that is reinforced by your habits. A child who is highly sensitive to physical, as well as emotional discomfort, for example, may tend to develop bad attitudes. But at the same time, your environment can shape your habits and train you to be more realistic about life.[2] Not everyone is born to exhibit bad attitudes. They can be learned and can be taught by a parent. For instance, any parent that exhibits a bad attitude is by default modeling this perspective or habit in their children. This makes the children learn pessimism by modeling their parents. Bad attitudes can also stem from life experiences — a history of failure, abuse, or trauma, despite your input.

How Do You Eliminate Bad Attitudes?

1. Remove Negativity in Your Life

You need to be responsible for what you do. Take control of your life as you internally engineer those negative circumstances. Eliminate every condescending thought and establish an atmosphere of positivity by taking responsibility for your actions. For instance, if you are not getting 5-star feedback on a project, it’s not because the client does not like you. It may be related to your performance on the job. You can communicate with him or her on how you can optimize your quality instead of blaming him or her. That way, you will be making positive changes. Negative thoughts produce negative actions. If you want to exhibit a good attitude, you will need to cultivate good habits.

2. List the Bad Attitudes and Make Every Effort to Change Them

There’s a secret behind listing the attitudes that hold you back from taking charge of your life. Don’t just write a list; burn it to symbolize that you’re letting the bad attitudes go. On a piece of paper, highlight any habit or attitude that you consider bad. Read the list and check off those things you can change. For instance, you can disconnect yourself from abusive relationships, or you can save money to resolve a financial issue. As soon as you have thought of how to change that habit from bad to good, burn the list and write down the new things you want to experience in your life. You need to let go of the old for the new to come!

3. Let Go of Expectations

A bad attitude typically begins with an expectation of yourself or others. You want to please yourself or others, so you establish unrealistic expectations. When you fail to meet an unrealistic expectation, it will create a bad attitude and a negative environment. You need to accept that there’s no perfect condition. Imperfection is a component that makes life beautiful and helps us to form a good character. When you fail, move on and imagine what it will be like to succeed. Also, if someone says you are not good enough, understand that nothing is wrong with you. Overlook it and let it go. When you linger on a negative thought, it will only produce bad attitudes. Practice mindfulness and meditation to free your mind of things you cannot control and do not hold on to bad experiences. Meditation can help you eliminate any bad attitude.

4. Forgive

You need to forgive not only yourself but others. Sometimes, you may complain about how your imperfections and bad attitudes have wrecked your dream of becoming exceptional in life. Languishing in this thought and holding grudges will also empower a bad attitude. The ability to forgive will help you focus on the positive things around you. Forgiveness is the enemy of bad attitudes. It creates room for good attitudes. Not only that, it will minimize stress and increase your joy, peace, and prosperity in life.

5. Avoid Negative People

You cannot exhibit good attitudes by having negative people around you. Have you noticed that great individuals don’t keep company with those who would hold them back or bring them down? For example, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, Ben Carson, Richard Brandson, and others? I have! The people you share your time with have a major impact on your attitudes. If you want to eliminate bad attitudes, you will need to start by eliminating negative people from your sphere of influence. If it’s difficult to remove an individual to avoid hurting the person, you can limit exposing yourself to that person. You can also nullify his or her bad attitudes by highlighting and emphasizing the positive in what he or she says or does. This approach will prevent you from being dragged down a negative path.

6. Respond to Change

Negative emotions usually go hand in hand with change. The best way to manage change is to respond. While you don’t have the power to control every situation or person, you can choose to respond to them, and not react. For instance, when someone drops a nasty comment on your social media post, don’t react to that comment immediately. Come up with a response, then wait for 24 hours before responding. In that time, you will possibly decide to tone down your response. That way, you can deescalate any tension. If your employer retrenches you, or you have a project terminated, thank your boss for that opportunity and say, “Working with you has made me a better person. This is a chance to discover something that I am passionate about.”

7. Help Others

Life becomes meaningful when you make an impact on the lives of others. Helping others can help you change some bad attitudes and give you a new paradigm for life. You will become more positive when you see the results that come from you reaching out to solve the problems of others. For example, you can volunteer in a local school or library or help friends and family members over the weekend. When you help others, they feel good, which in turn makes you feel good. A life that is built on giving love and support will manifest a good attitude.

Bonus: Shift Your Paradigm the Bob Proctor Way

According to Bob Proctor, the Chairman and Co-Founder of the Proctor Gallagher Institute: To change your paradigm, you need to follow the same pattern in which it was created – via repetition of information. Also, you need to realize that before you can shift your paradigm, you will have to consciously and deliberately substitute bad attitudes with good attitudes. Bob recommends that you begin the process by selecting some new beliefs that align with the new attitude or good habits you want to form. Replace the old habits and belief system in your subconscious mind with these new ones. You can actualize this through positive affirmation. You can use positive words to mirror the new attitude you want to form and read the statement aloud. For example: “I am so excited and grateful that opportunities abound in my life via multiple streams of income continually. I know how to make, manage, and multiply money.” Another strategy he recommends is to create a mental picture of you exhibiting those good attitudes. He calls it “visioneering.” Practice this technique daily and consistently, and you can eliminate any bad attitude once and for all.[3]

Conclusion

Only those who work on their habits can develop good attitudes that become significant in their lives. The impact of a bad attitude affects not just you, but others. But with these proven strategies on how to eliminate bad attitudes, you can become a better person and a force of reckoning in your sphere of influence.

More Ways to Achieve a Positive Attitude

How to Think Positive Thoughts When Feeling Negative 5 Tips on How to Change Your Attitude for the Better 10 Ways to Greatly Improve Your Attitude 11 Tips for Maintaining a Positive Attitude

Featured photo credit: Allie Smith via unsplash.com