In my last blog, I considered what is optimism in respect of a key consideration when it comes to resilience and business growth.

As a quick reminder, the Cambridge Dictionary describes it as: “the quality of being full of hope and emphasising the good parts of a situation, or a belief that something good will happen.”

 

Whilst remembering that the first step is to be grounded in reality!

 

Optimism is the attitude that reflects a positive disposition, hope or belief that the eventual outcome of a specific event or situation may be favourable and desirable.

 

So having defined optimism, I now want to consider what steps business leaders can take to become more optimistic in the workplace and help them achieve their targets.

 

I hope my checklist below will be useful:

 

Surround yourself with optimistic people

There’s no doubt that people around you can define your lifestyle – either negatively or positively.

 

If you learn to spend time with optimistic people, or align yourself with an optimistic mentor, then you’ll consciously, or unconsciously, naturally become optimistic.

 

Create positive thoughts

By thinking positively you’ll respond better to situations around you.

 

Work on your thought patterns by changing unhappy thoughts to positive ones. You can also challenge negative thoughts by confiding in a colleague or a life coach.

 

Limit your exposure to negative news

With so much doom and gloom going on around us across the world, research shows that exposure to negative news can instil fear and doubt in us.

 

Instead of being all consuming, limit your intake of news stories, especially negative ones, and this will help you remain optimistic.

 

When watching the news, ensure you use a credible outlet instead of alternative ones which could be biased and inaccurate.

 

Instil your mind with positive mantras

Positive mantras are phrases or sentences expressing your basic beliefs.

 

These are usually positive messages which you can write down and constantly remind yourself of. Repetition of these will help instil them firmly on your mind.

For example:

• “I can achieve this.”

• “I’m stronger than I think.”

• “My Strengths will guide me.”

• “I must learn from the past and allow it to inform the future.”

 

Let mindfulness play a part in your daily routine

The art of mindfulness involves being aware of your environment or personal situation at any given time. You can use yoga classes, listening to sounds, and writing journals and meditations.

Key hints include:

• Use a quiet place.

• Limit yourself to short periods when you start and then build up.

• Make sure you’re comfortable.

• Don’t judge any wandering thoughts.

• Breathe in and out slowly and regularly.

Align yourself with a role model

Building a close relationship with an optimistic role model and observing their reactions to situation will build your optimism.

Over time, optimism will become more natural to you and looking up to your role model will help this process.

 

Focus on success

Dismiss any distractions and work hard.

 

Learning new skills will boost your confidence and increase your happiness.

Release the past

Many personal past experiences can contribute to a pessimistic nature.

 

Instead, make sure you focus on the future and remember there’s no point dwelling on the past.

 

If you imagine what your future looks like, you can work towards achieving it. Writing down your goals will help you achieve them faster.

 

Cognitive restructuring

Challenge any negative and limiting thoughts by following these simple steps:

 

• Identify what situations trigger your negative thoughts.

• Consider how you’re feeling.

• Think about what evidence supports any negative thoughts.

• Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

 

Celebrate your successes

Let your mentor assess your performance and congratulate yourself as you put the steps above into practice and become more optimistic.

 

Look out for the next two articles in this series: “The Importance of Optimism,” and “The Benefits of Optimism.”

 

If you need further information about these approaches, or any other resilience topic, please contact russell@theresiliencecoach.co.uk.