The vast majority of people love to complain. It makes them feel productive, even when they are doing nothing for them.

Last week, I flew from Charlotte to Boston to deliver an Accelerate Leadership workshop just after a significant snowstorm hit the East Coast. Sitting in the airport gave people a megaphone for their frustration. “Delays, airlines, weather.” You could hear it everywhere.

As I worked while waiting to board, a man sat down across from me next to a friend. The friend immediately started complaining about yet another delay.

Without missing a beat, the man said, “I don’t have time for complaining. I make time for things that make me money.”

That was it. The complaining stopped. He opened his laptop and used the extra time to work on his business.

He had trained his mind, and his actions followed.

Here’s the hard truth. Most of us don’t have that kind of friend, and we haven’t yet trained our minds to reject complaining.

So know that complaining does nothing for you, and most of us do it far more than we realize. That’s because complaining is not a reaction; it’s a habit.

Today is a good day to change that habit. Catch the complaint. Then exchange it for action, or choose silence instead.

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.