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Put simply, optimism is a habit of thought. By taking the time to consider how we react to any situation, and by coaching ourselves to respond more positively to our emotional experience, we can move towards an optimistic attitude.
There are some key traits that Optimists share.
1. Perseverance
Optimists have the ability to see problems as being temporary or isolated, allowing them to persevere particularly in the face of adversity. It is their belief that they can make a difference that creates greater resilience which increases the chance of success.
2. Achievement
The evidence is very clear that optimists do better at school, university and sport. Optimists do especially well in business, particularly in high adversity roles like sales, leadership and call centres. According to Dr Seligman, optimists outsell pessimists by 38%.
People want to work for leaders who give them hope. Top call centre people are 50% more optimistic than average performers. Because of this resilient style of thinking, optimists tend to bounce back quickly from setbacks. According to research, the link between optimism and performance is persistence.
Optimists usually captain the ship, or lead the pack. They are willing to ride out the tough times because they have confidence and patience. On the other hand, pessimists are those people who see problems as being more permanent and pervasive. They tend to take problems to heart and may suffer from helplessness under pressure and eventually give up.
3. Good Health
No matter how bad a setback, rejection or failure is, it can’t kill us. But research shows our explanations of these events can. Evidence shows that pessimists have twice as many infectious diseases and twice as many visits to the doctor and die 19% younger than optimists. Consider optimism as a preventative rather than a cure!
4. Proactive
In any situation, optimists make choices about how they feel or the actions they take. They are in control of their emotional, physical and spiritual direction. Problems become opportunities for positive change, and they pursue those opportunities. This makes them less dependant on others and more fun to be with.
It’s true, optimism comes more easily for some than others. But by being aware of the importance of optimism we can become more optimistic. Because optimism is a habit of thought, often a low state of awareness, we initially might find it difficult to recognise. It is very hard to change something of which we are unaware. Therefore, awareness of our thinking style and habits of thought are important.
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