Want to Be More Optimistic? Here are Seven Ways to Do It
Optimism is absolutely essential for winning, meeting and exceeding
goals, and feeling accomplished and fulfilled. It helps us deal with
unexpected change, worries and stress, and inevitable disappointments.
Optimism is what helps us learn from mistakes rather than feel defeated
by them.
But optimism doesn’t just make us feel happier. It also gives us
confidence by helping us believe in ourselves and our ability to bring
about a solution.
The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals are a case in point. These talented
athletes had already mastered the mechanics of pitching, batting, and
fielding. Yet the Cards hadn’t won a World Series in 20 years. When I
was hired as their first ever Director of Mental Training, I focused on a
different type of coaching. They needed to learn how to set goals,
focus on their priorities, stay positive, be disciplined, and win. They needed to learn how to cultivate optimism and confidence.
The season I worked with them, the Cards won their first World Series
in two decades. I worked with them again in 2011 when they won a second
time. This is a testament to the fact that optimism can not only be
learned, but that it can yield dramatic positive results.
Want to learn how to be more optimistic and confident? Here are seven ways to do it.
1. Play a 30-second “movie” of your life every day.
Create an imaginary movie reel of your ideal life. Include specific
details about how you look, how you feel, where you live, what you’re
doing, what you’ve accomplished, and what your life is like. For 30
seconds every day, play this movie in your mind. Set an alert on your
phone to remind you. This simple mental training exercise will boost
your mood and transform the way you think about yourself, your
potential, and your future.
2. Try focusing on the solution, not the problem.
If you find yourself obsessing about a problem, experiencing self-doubt,
or feeling negative, focus on the solution instead. Ask yourself, “What’s one thing I could do differently that might make this situation better?”
Replacing problem-focused thinking with solution-focused thinking gives
you a sense of forward movement, possibility, and hope—the foundations
of optimism.
3. Look for any improvement to the current situation.
Get into the habit of looking for any improvement in the
current situation as a solution, no matter how small. For example,
losing a half pound may seem small when your goal is 50 pounds, but it’s
movement in the right direction. Noticing small, positive changes is a
basic behavior that helps you practice optimism and positive thinking.
It orients you toward success.
4. Find your inner coach.
It’s natural to be more confident and perform better when we have
someone cheering us on. Yet a major component of being a successful
person is learning to be self-aware and accountable to oneself. One way
to reinforce these traits is to conjure up a coach in your mind. Recall a
role model who inspired and challenged you. When faced with a daunting
task, ask yourself, “What would So-and-So do if she had two reports and only 24 hours to complete them?”
5. Give yourself “done wells” daily.
Take a few moments every day to ask the question, “What have I done well today?”
This simple gesture reinforces optimism on a regular basis. Your
answers accumulate and eventually help you develop self-confidence,
which is extremely important for success.
6. Identify the obstacles to success.
What distractions or obstacles routinely get in the way of meeting
your goals? Is it your sleep schedule? Unproductive habits? Negative
people or saboteurs? A key to achieving optimism is to make steady
progress, and that means limiting distractions. Figure out ways to avoid
temptations in your life so you don’t deplete your reserve of
discipline before getting priorities done. If you waste time on social
media, don’t visit the sites until the end of the day. If you have
difficulty saying, “I’m busy” to friends, let their calls go to
voicemail. Succeeding rather than failing keeps you optimistic.
7. Nurture your body.
A healthy body helps you generate happy thoughts and emotions.
Optimism is easier when you feel good. Factors that interfere with one’s
ability to moderate a good mood and positive energy include: lack of
sleep, depleted energy from poor eating and lifestyle habits, and too
little exercise. If you have a big goal to achieve, “train” for it like a
professional athlete. For optimal mental focus and performance, take a
holistic approach to physical and mental health—sleep, rest, manage your
stress, have a good diet, and get plenty of vigorous exercise.
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