In every business and at every job level, there are negative situations. You may be faced with challenging colleagues or a client who's not holding up their end of a deal. It could be easy to loathe your job or let it get to you. You may then experience mental health challenges or problems with your home life. Or you could empower yourself and learn to face things with a different attitude. Your choice could change the outcome or launch you into something better. 

Here are 4 best practices to stay positive in negative situations.

Make the Decision, Again and Again

Ask any fitness guru or super athlete how they became so strong and they will tell you that it comes down to choice and commitment. Entrepreneurs do the same. Once you make the decision to do something, you begin to shift your energy in a forward direction. You set goals but when you experience setbacks, it can be challenging to commit again. Do it anyway. Commit again to reaching for your goals and facing the challenges, even when you don't feel like it. 

Set Boundaries

There are plenty of people who are too terrified to attempt what you're already doing. There will be critics and those who will want to tap into your optimism. It's very important to limit your time around these people. Setting boundaries is extremely important with clients too. Be clear on scope, time limits for meetings, expectations for payment and consequences. Don't fall prey to someone else's negativity, especially when you're struggling to stay positive. 

See also: How to deal with toxic client relationships

Assess and Reassess

There's an expression that says, "Worry is like a rocking chair. It keeps you moving but you're not getting anywhere."

If you find that you're in deep or beginning to have obsessive, worrisome thoughts, it's time to take a step back. Take stock of the situation and determine what you have control over. Make changes where you can. Accept what you can't fix. Reassess how you've been doing things that put you in the situation in the first place. Ask for help if you need it. Lighten your load by getting organized or outsourcing a task that is overwhelming you.

Face Discomfort

Speaking up or facing uncomfortable situations is scary but empowering. It begins with not taking things personally. That can be especially tough to do when you're trying to run a business and your client seems to have disappeared without paying you.  It can be terrifying to consider the effect of losing a customer or cash flow on your business. Look at the thing that is scaring you. Assess and decide again that your value doesn't diminish because someone else doesn't see it. Follow-up and do what is needed to protect your self-interest and your business. 

These best practices will train your mind to not always accept things as they are. You will shift to making changes where you can, limiting your time around negativity and facing those things that you used to avoid. These empowering practices will either turn around a negative situation or offer very powerful lessons to make your life and your business better.