“Success
is measured by your ability to maintain enthusiasm
between failures.” - Sir Winston
Churchill
Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, and Christopher
Reeves are just a few names that come to mind in
a discussion about optimism and success.
People who are successful in life measure high on
assessments of optimistic attitudes. It would be easy
to presume they are optimistic because they are successful,
but there is enough research to show that the optimism
comes first.
Traditional wisdom puts forth the idea that to be
successful, you must have two things:
......1.
Talent, aptitude or skill
......2. Motivation
More recent research shows that a third element contributes
strongly to success:
......3.
Optimism, particularly in the face of adversity
High scores for optimism are predictive of excellence
in everything from sports to health, elections and
sales. When Metropolitan Life used an assessment of
optimistic attitude to select and hire salespeople,
those scoring highest on the optimism scale outsold
others in their first year by 27 percent.
Optimists are more resistant to infectious illness
and are better at fending off chronic diseases of middle
age. In a 1980 study of 96 men who had their first
heart attack, 15 of the 16 most pessimistic men died
of a second heart attack within eight years, but only
five of the 16 most optimistic men died.
Dr.
Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism, has
shown that optimists not only do better educationally
and in their careers, they also enjoy superior health
and longevity.
A Dynamic Optimist vs. a Passive One
“Don’t
ever become a pessimist; a pessimist is correct oftener
than an optimist, but an optimist
has more fun – and neither can stop the march
of events.” - Robert A. Heinlein
On the surface, optimism may appear to be a simple
case of “don’t worry, be happy.” However,
an effective assessment will show that there are
degrees of optimism. Not all kinds will move us forward
in life.
Max
More, Ph.D., has proposed two distinct kinds of optimists:
those who are “dynamic” and
those who are “passive.” Dynamic optimists
have an active, empowering attitude which creates conditions
for success by focusing and acting on possibilities
and opportunities. Passive optimists simply tell themselves
that all will work out just fine. They expect other
people and organizations will solve the problems.
Dr.
More proposes that effective optimism requires study,
understanding and practice. A passive optimist,
while more effective than a pessimist, sees no need
to take action. They think positively but don’t
know how to turn thoughts into actions. Those who are
really dynamic in their optimism turn their thoughts
into behaviors. They apply optimism in diverse ways
to attain goals in career, finances, spirituality,
health and leadership.
Optimism Can Be Learned
Pessimists, passive optimists and dynamic optimists
all selectively focus their attention. Dynamic optimists
interpret their experiences differently than other
people. They also influence outcomes differently by
translating effective thoughts into specific kinds
of actions.
The differing ways in which optimists and pessimists
focus their attention lead to noticing different things,
experiencing different motivations, and taking different
actions. The pessimist focuses on problems, pains,
and pitfalls. The passive optimist sees only what is
encouraging and enjoyable, but blinds him- or herself
to potential obstacles. This leads to missed opportunities
or limited success.
The dynamic optimist dwells on the constructive and
enjoyable while de-emphasizing pain, difficulty and
frustration. Such a person can look at a frustrating
event, fully accept its reality, and then choose to
interpret the event in a way that leads to action,
growth and mastery. They recognize dangers but have
a wider vision open to solutions, possibilities and
assisting forces.
When
You Hit that Wall…
“For
myself I am an optimist – It does
not seem to be much use being anything else.” -
Anonymous
Think about the times during the day at work that
you are blocked and feel discouraged. What do you do
when you hit that wall?
The optimistic individual perseveres. In the face
of routine setbacks he or she persists. He or she keeps
on going, particularly at the crucial juncture when
the competition is also hitting the wall and starting
to wilt. In the face of major failure, the optimist
persists.
Optimism
helps every time your work gets hard. It can make
the difference between getting the job done
well or poorly– or not at all. Even in non-competitive
tasks, such as paper work or writing, an optimistic
attitude can make the difference.
Procrastination is the result of not having an optimistic
mindset to start and finish a task. But at the root
of putting things off is the internal dialog when facing
an unpleasant, routine or boring task. A pessimist
thinks all sorts of negative thoughts when facing such
tasks. The optimist thinks positive thoughts that actually
encourage and energize.
Failure
often does not stem from laziness, or from lack of
talent or lack of imagination. It’s often
simply ignorance of some very important tools not commonly
taught in schools or in workshops.
Coaching for Optimism
When working with a coach, you can use the opportunity
to work on developing the skills of optimism.
Here are three important tools for learning to cultivate
an optimistic attitude:
......1.
Become aware: look at how you selectively focus on
events.
......2. Examine your internal dialogue, and then change
what you tell yourself.
......3. See negative events as opportunities rather
than problems.
“A
pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” -
Sir Winston Churchill
As
your coach, I can help you look at yourself in a
way that can’t be done on your own.
You deserve more in your life, and you can start going
for it today! I have a few spots available for January
coaching.
Call me right now.
