Optimism Makes You More Successful

"You can take my bunny, but you can't take my spirit!" - Betty Suarez, Ugly Betty‍

In the TV series, Ugly Betty holds onto her optimism and magazine career goals amid bullies who would bring her down for being different. And Betty's optimism makes her more robust and more successful. And guess what? This is true for the rest of us.

Optimists tend to have more successful careers than pessimists. In a Harvard Business Review article - "The Financial Upside of Being an Optimist" pointed out, they are 40% more likely to get promoted, six times more likely to be engaged at work, and five times less likely to burn out than their counterparts.

Other research has found that they take more risks and are more resilient than their pessimistic counterparts. Optimists also attract more powerful, engaged people and are more solution-oriented.

And on top of all of that, optimism is contagious - that means a person who has an optimistic view can be an extremely positive influence on an organization's culture.

The more optimistic a culture, the more likely that there is:

• Increased productivity
• More creativity
• Better teamwork
• Lower turnover
• Better customer service
• Potentially increased profits

So why wouldn't you want to be more optimistic? You probably think you are born either optimistic or pessimistic and you cannot change it. And you are wrong.

Research has found that you can change your mindset. Here are some ways:

• Acknowledge your pessimistic thoughts and re-frame them.
• Note the company you keep. Optimism is contagious, and so is pessimism - if your peers are constantly griping, they can be impacting your mindset.
• Understand what you can and cannot control.
• Focus on potential upsides and not just downsides.
• Keep a gratitude journal.
• Acknowledge negative things and make sure you do not overstate their impact.
• Faking optimism can increase optimism.
• Learn from the past but don't dwell on it.
• Focus on solutions.

Changing mindsets takes time and effort, but it is totally worth it. Becoming more optimistic will not only positively impact your career, it will also enhance your life and health. Don't let your pessimism prevent you from trying.

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Check out Sheila's TOP 3 REASONS THAT YOUR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS IN A DROUGHT & HOW TO MAKE IT RAIN where she shares the top reasons that your business development efforts are not producing the results you want and what to do to remedy it in both the short and long term.