The most important adjustment you ever make will be the one you make today . . . in your own attitude.

Your attitude today will define how you act, and how you act will define what you do, and what you do will define what gets done, and what gets done will represent what kind of person you are to others. When you boil it all down, your success hangs entirely upon your attitude today.

It’s not about how you feel about yourself, but about how you perceive what you can accomplish throughout this day. If you have no desire to achieve, then you have no passion for what you do. Passionate people know no other way than to be the best at what they do, every day, even when they don’t feel like it, especially when they don’t feel like it, because there is no other way to be the best.

If you have no desire to be the best at what you do, no one can convince you. Oh, you may be able to accomplish tasks and keep schedules and goals moving forward, but if, at the end of the day, you have no thought whatsoever on how things either could have been better today or should be better tomorrow, but instead you only complain about how everything is an insurmountable problem, and how nothing ever seems to improve, then you most likely have little or no passion and are just showing up for work. And probably not for long.

If, on the other hand, you wrestle with ideas and concepts on how to improve and refine systems; if you suddenly brainstorm over dinner on a problem you’ve been working on that day, and you can’t wait to see how it can be implemented to make your job easier, or the product better, or a communication stronger, or to improve your life and the lives of others in some distinctive way, then you are demonstrating a desire, nay, a passion, to achieve something so much more significant than simply earning a paycheck: you want to succeed.

And with that attitude, you will.

Usually as I am getting ready to start my day in the morning, I like to have some classical music playing in the background because it has no lyrics to distract me from my thoughts. For me, classical music has an enriching quality that allows me to think and prepare for my day more effectively.

At any rate, as sometimes happens with random things, one day last week I was struck by a song that had begun to play. I was in the middle of my morning routine, but this song made me stop and listen, just for a few minutes. It happened to be Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.” I was hooked. It is my absolute favorite of musical pieces. It is a brilliant and majestic piece of music that, even though it is very popular, never (at least to me) loses it’s vitality.

If you’re not familiar with the tune by its name, if you heard it, you would instantly recognize it. It is typically played as a solo piano piece; slow, methodical, it unfolds quietly in geometric rhythm and beauty. It stopped me, and forced me to put my busy routine on hold. I had to pause and listen; I had no choice. I was inspired.

What is it that inspires you? Is it a piece of music, or maybe a favorite story? Maybe it’s a quote or inspirational video or movie that grabs your heart and causes you become energized, or revitalized, or to remind you of who you are. Inspirational things have that effect on your life. They allow you to close out everything that can cause you to be distracted; distracted from what you need to be doing, what you are really all about. And they bring you face to face with the fact that there are bigger purposes that make all of the stress and the struggle worth it.

Don’t lose sight (or hearing!) of what inspires you. If you live life uninspired, you will never be doing your best in life or bringing the best you have to offer to work. Living life in an inspired way is what gives your life value and makes you who you are. Be inspired to do your best, and you will inspire others around you.

“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others.” -- Robert Louis  Stevenson

With everything that has to be remembered and acted upon each day, it isn't difficult to become distracted. However, when we become distracted, we can lose our focus and our determination. But determination is the very thing that fuels our strength to continually do our best and accomplish what needs to be done.

“Always remember, there is more strength in you than you ever realized or even imagined. Certainly nothing can keep you down if you are determined to get on top of things and stay there.” --Norman Vincent Peale