What are you forecasting?
As a resident of Green Bay WI, we experience some pretty harsh winters to say the least. Besides a Packers win, I’d say the most excited we “cheeseheads” get is when the weatherman (or most likely the weather app on our phone) provides us an optimistic report.
Early this December, for example, the forecast called for a high of 45 degrees and you would have thought they had found a cure for cancer the way people were talking about how nice the weather was going to be. It wasn’t just small talk, people were genuinely excited to share the good news to anyone within listening distance. I got so caught up in the moment that I even wore shorts outside when I took my dog for a walk; unbeknown to me was the the low for the day was in the mid twenty’s; no one had told me that!
You see, people can choose if they want to take on an optimistic view point or not. Instead of saying, “the low today is going to be below freezing” or, “you still better be sure to bundle up if you go outside” people decided to approach the day with a “glass as half full’ mentality; and choosing to focus on the positive (unless you love cold weather).
Why can’t this way of thinking be the way we go about our daily lives? What if we chose to count our blessings instead of grumbling or complaining about our daily obligations. Instead of trying to conquer an insurmountable “to do” list, what if we set out to check off boxes from a daily “get-to list” taking into consideration just how lucky we are that we actually get to do the things on our list (jobs, family obligations, etc.)
For whatever reason most people find it easier to be pessimistic, calling for a 70% chance of rain opposed to a 30% chance of sunshine; however I’ve yet to meet or read about the bleak individual who is able to lift the spirits of others or the cynical person who constantly achieves his/her goals. Fact: not only does optimism feel better, but it has shown to produce better results! According to Achor (2011) optimisitic salespeople outsell their pessimistic counterparts by 56 percent (p.15).
Quotes to live by
“Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” — Mary Lou Retton
There’s nothing more important than attitude, and it’s YOUR choice.” — Mike Krzyzewski
“I believe one of my strengths is my ability to keep negative thoughts out. I am an optimist.” — John Wooden
Coach Nelson holds a doctorate in sport and performance psychology and currently serves as a high school football coach, trainer for the positive coaching alliance (PCA) and adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University. He has worked for multiple professional sport franchises, a Fortune 100 Company, a division 1 athletic departments and has won numerous awards for his LEADership abilities.
His mission is to positively influence the world through Love, Effort, Attitude and Discipline (#LEAD). To learn more about the LEAD philosophy follow him on Twitter Levi Nelson or reach out via email at rln10@zips.uakron.edu He’d love to learn about or help you in your journey!
References
Achor, S. (2011). The happiness advantage: the seven principles that fuel success and performance at work. London: Virgin.
