Positivity is advantageous when it comes to achieving one’s goals. Pessimists pay for their pessimism by making it more difficult and less likely that they will achieve their goals, in large part because their beliefs make it more challenging. Your thoughts motivate your actions, and your actions generate your outcomes. If you believe this to be true, the first step in achieving your goals is to adopt a positive outlook.
There will be difficulties and obstacles
As they pursue their objectives, optimists do not believe that they will encounter no obstacles or difficulties. They anticipate facing the same problems and obstacles as pessimists, but they believe that any obstacle can be overcome. There is a subset of pessimists who attempt to present themselves as realists.
The realist is a pessimist attempting to appear optimistic. No such thing as a “realist” exists. You either believe there are problems and obstacles that you will overcome, or you believe they will prevent you from achieving your goal.
Optimism is optimistic, future-focused, and self-confident. These traits are what enable them to persevere in the face of adversity, firmly believing they can overcome any obstacles.
There is a way forward
Always, there is a way forward. Those with an empowered mindset believe there is a way, and they will take action to achieve their goals. The pessimist believes that there is no way forward, and even if there were, it would be too challenging. The optimist’s belief that there is a way forward enables him or her to continue acting even when things are complicated and little progress is evident. Their optimistic outlook will enable them to persevere, continue pushing forward, continue attempting, and never give up.
If the optimist believed there was no chance of success, they would give up. However, the optimist does not stop, as doing so would be contrary to their nature. When circumstances are bleak, optimism is a source of illumination.
Failure Is Not Me
Optimists do not have negative self-perceptions. They do not believe that the underlying cause of any error they encounter while pursuing their goals is a fatal flaw that prevents success. They are at ease with failing, adjusting their approach, and retrying. Shortly, deficiency does not constitute failure; it is merely an occurrence. Optimists and pessimists are both identities. The optimist rejects the notion that their failures are due to a fatal flaw that defines them.
Those with pessimistic beliefs believe that any failure says something about them personally, that they are inadequate or deficient, and that the failure defines them in some way. One of the most empowering beliefs you can adopt is that your failure does not define you and there is no flaw that will prevent you from achieving your goals.
Failure is not me
The question I am asked most frequently by B2B salespeople is, “When do you give up on your dream client?” Their frustration is caused by a prospective client’s repeated refusal to agree to a meeting; they consider the situation to be permanent.
Optimism requires the belief that any failure is temporary, that it is not permanent, and that over time, a different and better outcome will be achieved. The optimist’s continued efforts to succeed are supported by the belief that the current outcome is not permanent and that things will change in the future.
Failure is not permanent
There are numerous ways to interpret an error. You can choose to believe it is your identity, that something is impossible, or that the success of those who are achieving the outcome you desire is due to some advantage you lack. This is how a cynical, pessimistic, and skeptical person views failure.
Positive belief system individuals view failure as feedback. When something does not go as planned, they remain hopeful and do not give up. Instead, they seek instruction. Failure teaches you what did not work, why it did not work, and what you can do differently next time. Those with a positive outlook are empowered to use constructive criticism to improve their next attempt.
I will succeed eventually
If an optimist has a defining belief, it is that they will eventually succeed. The justification for the second, third, and forty-third attempt is the belief that you will eventually succeed. The best way to ensure that you will not achieve your goals is to believe that they are impossible and to attempt them with little effort.
Even if you fail, you will gain knowledge that will improve your next attempt. The optimist pursues his or her objectives over a longer period of time than the pessimist. Even if it takes time, the ability to decide what you want in the future, hold that vision in your mind, delay gratification, and act consistently under your goals will lead to success.
Adversity is Growth
The pessimist views difficulty as negative and something to be avoided. Those who achieve their objectives view difficulty as an opportunity for development. The allure of lofty ambitions is that their pursuit requires personal development.
Adversity is something to push against, and by exerting yourself in pursuit of your goals, you become stronger and are able to make distinctions that enhance your performance. Your optimistic outlook and mentality do not view adversity as something negative. Instead, it anticipates difficulty and frames it as an opportunity for the necessary growth to achieve its objectives.
Progress Over Perfection
People who are optimistic, future-focused, and empowered value progress over perfection. The optimistic individual is sustained by forwarding movement in the right direction. Even then, they remain on the plateau for extended periods, making little discernible progress.
Negative people jump from one thing to the next, never achieving their objective because they are unwilling to accept progress and seek an instant result. When the desired outcome is not achieved quickly, they change their objectives, modify the means by which they were pursuing those objectives, and begin again, only to continue this pattern forever.
