Beyond Folders : optimism

Regret Not: Tips for Avoiding the Should’ves

Community Manager — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:43:00 GMT

What's your biggest regret? We all have them and a recent article in Forbes.com lists 25 examples that will make you think. Take a look: you may see one of your own regrets listed.

While many regrets focused on missed opportunities - in jobs and in love -we noticed that many are linked to time, specifically how we choose to spend it. Many lamented the failure to devote time to deep relationships, or for over committing hours to work and career, at the expense of meaningful time with children and spouses.

While there's no silver bullet for avoiding regret, our take away from this Forbes piece is to carve out the time to do what you love with the people you love.

Finding time in a busy life isn't always easy, but it is doable. To find more time in your day, read our past posts Tackle Your To-Do List with Time Blocking and Nine Ways to Leave the Office by 5:00. And make sure your weekend time is sacrosanct with the tips in our post, Work-Free Weekends.

Not an Optimist by Nature? Tips for Faking It

Community Manager — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:28:00 GMT

Good news, pessimists of the world: if you weren't born wired with a positive, sunny worldview, optimism can be learned. Experts believe that learned optimism is a talent that can be cultivated, just as you would any other skill, with deliberate, conscious effort.

When you consider that optimists enjoy better health and enhanced work success, cultivating optimism makes sense, even if you are a bred-in-the-bone pessimist.

Practice Makes Perfect: In How to be an Optimist, Oprah.com outlines five exercises rooted in scientific studies to help train your brain.

Rule of Thumb: In Learning Optimism with the 24 x 3 Rule, the author suggests training your brain to avoid negative thinking by using the 24x3 rule. The next time you encounter a new idea or person; try to wait 24 seconds before saying or thinking something negative. Next, work up to 24 minutes. Finally, work towards waiting 24 hours - one single day - before thinking or verbalizing the cons.

Lead with Optimism: The ability to create and instill optimism is a crucial component of leadership, says leadership expert and author John Baldoni. Given the recent flood of bad business news, instilling optimism and confidence amongst the ranks is more critical than ever. In Craft a Narrative to Instill Optimism, Baldoni suggests that leaders take time to communicate a narrative that allows employees to make sense of their work and future in a hopeful manner. Even challenges and obstacles can be recast in a manner that inspires hope and resilience without subverting reality.

Practice Realistic Optimism: For pessimists who view sunny optimism as akin to denial or unrealistic thinking, read From Despair to Hope: How to Become an Optimistic Pessimist. The author makes the case that true optimism is not putting lipstick on a pig, but rather the ability to recognize the current reality for what it is, imagine a better future, and then summon up the strength to dig in, make tough choices and do the work necessary to bring about desired outcomes.

How do you cultivate optimism in your life? Do you have tips for staying on the sunny side even when confronted with obstacles or challenges? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

How Optimism Fuels Success

Community Manager — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:55:00 GMT

Lucky optimists, they not only see the world through rose colored glasses, they enjoy better health and greater work success than their pessimistic counterparts.

The link between optimism and health is easy to understand: A positive worldview adds up to less stress and its attendant ill health effects. But why does a glass-is-half-full outlook result in enhanced work outcomes for those disposed to the sunny side of life?

Optimism Breeds Success: Optimistic employees, who view the proverbial glass as half full, succeed at work in greater numbers than their pessimistic half-empty counterparts says expert Susan Segerstorm, author of Breaking Murphy's Law: How Optimists Get What They Want from Life - and Pessimists Can Too. Segerstorm argues that optimists have significant advantages in the workplace over pessimistic colleagues since work success is fueled by motivation and optimists are more naturally motivated to reach their goals. Pessimists on the other hand can't foresee success and are less likely to invest time and energy in ambitious projects and goals.

Optimism is the X Factor: Harvard Business Review Senior Editor Jeff Kehoe also is an optimist advocate, calling optimism the crucial ingredient for the success of a business. Kehoe defines optimism as "the simple, clear, energetic belief in the potential success of an idea" and argues it must be present to achieve success. Without this X factor, businesses aren't created, talent isn't hired, and good ideas wither on the vine.

Easy Does It: Interestingly, optimism itself can sometimes be a negative. In Lean Towards the Sunny Side, But Don't Over Do It, the New York Times examines the down side of life on the sunny side. While optimism garners benefits, extreme or unrealistic optimism can have a negative effect that impairs judgment and ends in disappointment. Pessimists will also be relieved to learn that some careers call for a pessimistic outlook: lawyers do well by always preparing for the worst.

Do you agree that optimism play a role in creating work success? Has an optimistic nature give you a leg up? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.