Improvement, ahoy!

In talking today to my good buddy Benmo, we reached the conclusion that something in our work arrangements has to change. We both expressed the feelings of anger, frustration, monotony, and pointlessness that our jobs are inspiring in us. We both find ourselves feeling exhausted and depressed. Myself, I need this job at least through next August because a change in job or perhaps even career while planning a wedding is just a bit too much for me to handle. Ben feels like he wants to do something totally different, but doesn't know where to find that. So we decided to embark, again, on improving our attitudes. I set up homework assignment 1: Research ways to improve one's attitude, and report in for discussion.

So, with improvement as our goal, here is what the web has to say about improving one's attitude.

My initial query was just what I thought an every-Joe would ask: "How can I improve my attitude?" From here, the results varied between how to change outlook in general, and how to change outlook toward specific things, among them work. For now I'm sticking with the work-specific ones. Perhaps to expand out for second day's homework.

• Set goals - The writer suggests that even a mundane job can have improved performance goals. In my own job, I know there are several places I could improve. Concrete goals to this end may be helpful. I often lack the persistence to follow goals, though, if they're challenging to meet. Practicality: C
  Potential: B
• Make it a game - Give yourself "points" for handling a customer well, total them at the end of the day and treat yourself to dinner? That's maybe a little simplistic and childish for me. And I'm probably going to treat myself to dinner, anyway.
  Practicality: D
  Potential: F
• Stop what you are doing, breathe deeply, and count to 10 - This author seems to think that work attitude problems stem with anger. I can't say as I completely disagree, however his anger-management-101 suggestion feels a little bit non-applicable. I mean it's not as if I'm assaulting copy machines or shouting down customers.
  Practicality: F
  Potential: D
• Make a list of the positive aspects of your job / Talk about what works - It feels sort of like "look on the bright side" but I think that there's a lot of truth to "look on the bright side". If you choose to spend your time noticing good things - even if you really have to look for them - then you'll start seeing more of them. It goes for what comes out of your mouth, too. If you spend a lot of time complaining (like I do), especially with groups of sympathetic people (like Twitter), then it's sort of just a feedback loop. You feel validated in your complaints, you validate their complaints, everyone's getting positive brain chemicals from focusing on the bad. It's positive brain chemicals so it's hard to go wrong, but at what cost?
  Practicality: C
  Potential: B
• Be diligent and proactive - It's kind of the argument against procrastination, right, which is certainly easier said than done. Though for my particular kind of work stress, if I could simply learn to approach my dull, boring, mundane types of tasks more positively, I think it'd almost be the game over to the problem.
  Practicality: F
  Potential: A
• Remember that everyone is doing the best they can with what they know at each moment - OK this is the one that ALWAYS gets me. I know in my heart of hearts that adopting this attitude would be world-changing. I would be the person I always wished I could be. I would transcend. But I JUST. CAN'T. DO. IT. I practice this in the car. First guy cuts me off I'm like "Hey, he didn't see me." Guy doesn't want to let me in. Gets a little harder. Basically by the third or fourth offense, that buffer has worn off and I'm just like "There is NO WAY you are not simply a giant ass-hat! No other explanation exists!" True also for stupidity, or especially laziness. You put in a help ticket that says "oulook no working" - That is it. The entire ticket. Even after I've emailed you on the last 3 tickets asking for more information. You STILL don't understand that I'm not a mind-reader. (You see? I'm getting all worked up even typing up a hypothetical.) Yeah, that I can't get on the "doing the best they can" wagon.
  Practicality: F
  Potential: A

Now, what to do with this list? I suppose decide a thing to try. A place to start.