Catch Yourself Complaining With a “No-Positive” Technique
Once you’ve developed a habit of complaining about things, it’s not always easy to close it . An easy way to help yourself stop is to catch yourself in the scene and add a positive twist to it.
When you’re just starting to change something, you need to take tiny steps towards your goal. There is no switch to turn off complaints, so you have to start somewhere. John Gordon, author of The No Complaints Rule , suggests filtering yourself out with a “no-positive” technique:
If you are feeling constrained, add a “but” and say something positive. For example, I do not like commuting, but I am grateful, at least, that I can drive a car and I even have a job.
Yes, your complaint is still being flooded, but the positive note you add helps to clarify things a bit. You register that you filed a complaint, add a reason why you might not want to complain, and over time, complaints will become much less common.
No Complaints Rule | John Gordon via Fast Company