There is a phrase "no man is an island." Quite true, isn’t? In order to live a full and complete life, you need to be able to interact with others. That doesn’t mean you always need to be with people. In fact you might be one of those individuals who requires some alone time in order to replenish your resources. There is no hard and fast rule about how much time you need to spend with people, but to really thrive in life it is important to create great connections with others. Whether it is family, friends or business relationships you want to interact in positive ways.

Here are 5 Winning Habits for Developing Positive Relationships.

1. Communicate clearly and respectfully

Speaking so that people understand what you are saying and being respectful is the cornerstone of being an excellent communicator. Every once in a while you might encounter someone who is dismissive and condescending when they speak. How did you like that experience? Sometimes it is not what you say but how you say it. The tone you use. Tone can also be present in email or text messages. Being mindful of how you say things and inviting the other person’s participation in a conversation creates respectful relationships.

2. Develop great listening skills

This is a tough one. Often people say they have great listening skills but in fact they don’t exhibit it. To be an excellent listener you need to closely pay attention to what others are saying without making assumptions, being distracted or composing your response. If you are guilty of any of these faux pas, you are not alone. In today’s world you are often being rushed from one thing to the next. Listening requires you to stay in the moment and concentrate fully on what is being said. This is a skill that can and needs to be developed.

3. Check complaints at the door

If you have a colleague, friend or relative who is always complaining, you probably don’t want to spend a great deal of time with them. Now turn it around. Are you an individual who often complains and moans about what is going on in your life? Will Bowen, a minister who is the author of a book entitled, A Complaint Free World, created the strategy for dealing with complaints. He suggested wearing a rubber band or bracelet on your wrist and every time you complain you transfer the band to the opposite wrist. This serves to punctuate an awareness of complaints. At the same time think of something that you are grateful about. The goal is to go for 21 days without a switch as it takes 21 days of doing something different to create a new habit.

4. Focus on the present, don’t dwell on the past

It is always important and necessary to learn from your mistakes, however being stuck in the past and thinking how you should of, could of done it differently is non-productive. The past can’t be changed. What wisdom can you take and apply to your present work and life situations. Dwelling on the past generally leads to complaints and stifles creativity. The more focused you are on what is occurring in the present, the better you are able to resolve issues and create dynamic solutions.

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