I recently heard James and Betty Robison on LIfe Today interview Randy Draper, author of a new book entitled Happy To Do It: Get Your Snap On! The theme of the book is “Attitude is a choice.”   Less than 48 hours after I heard the interview, I had an opportunity to try out the theory for myself.

I was preparing for a particularly busy day -- a videotaping session, shopping for a Christmas party with 34 guests, planning for overnight guests, three telephone interviews, and a community Christmas event for which I promised five gallons of mulled cider.

The same day was also “burn day” -- an annual event on our property in which several family members and friends create a huge bonfire to burn leaves, which seem to accumulate endlessly, along with other appropriate items -- including boxes of old papers I purged from the attic on one of my Productive Environment™ Days -- for which I am most grateful.

Just as I was getting ready to walk out the door, my one-of-a kind husband asked innocently, “Would you go through the bags in the garage to see if there is anything in them that won’t burn?  I’m going to burn them so I don’t have to haul them to the dump.”  My immediate reaction was -- well, you can imagine...

Then I remembered Randy Draper, and I said, “Happy To Do It!”  So I went through the garbage bags.  Thankfully there weren’t very many bags, and they were primarily paper!   But can’t you just see the picture of “yours truly” digging through the trash in my videotaping attire...  What was truly amazing to me was how that “Happy To Do It” response changed my entire day from what it could have been.

The videotaping went well, and everything on my “to do” list got checked off -- which doesn’t often happen, so I think I’ll try that approach again.  I can’t think of a more important technique for creating a “productive environment™!”

How about you?