I have a confession to make... I’m a positive, optimistic person!
Sometimes when you’re someone who likes to see the glass half full rather than half empty, you get accused of being unrealistic, or having your head in the clouds or just plain annoying!
When actually there are many important reasons why we should all be more positive in our approach to work and life. And having a positive mindset is even more important when you're making a big change like say.... transforming your career, as really believing that what you are planning will work out for the best, is essential to keep you motivated and resilient!
In this episode we’re looking at
- What being positive in your thoughts and attitudes actually looks like
- Why a more positive mindset should be one of the tools in your arsenal
- How YOU can make positive thinking part of your life so you can achieve your dream job and create a lifestyle you love!
If you’re looking to change your career but struggle to be positive about succeeding, this episode is for you!
So get comfortable, click on play and get ready to power up your positivity!
Are you feeling frustrated or stuck in your career but struggle to know what direction to take instead? Do you want to discover what you really should be doing with your life?
https://www.nicholaohara.com/burningpassion
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/7903
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-power-of-positive-thinking
https://today.duke.edu/2011/01/optimistic_mba.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/optimism-competitive-advantage-jon-gordon/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can’t listen right now? Don’t worry, I have you covered...here are some of the key points!
When you have a healthy positive mindset It‘s not that you believe that difficulties, obstacles and challenges don’t happen, but if you have naturally got ,or have developed, a positive thinking mindset you will approach them in a different way.
Now, positive thinking can’t be forced, someone has to be willing to be more positive! Sometimes with yourself and others, it needs to be a more gentle approach.
So if you are now feeling rebellious against the concept of thinking more positively, because you think that it is not realistic or you prefer to think the worst, don’t force yourself, but do try to adopt some of the strategies I mentioned to help your mind gradually adapt to new positive habits.
You may be wondering, are you born with a positive or negative mindset or is it learned?
Well, it can be one or the other, or both!
You can have a naturally positive or negative bias but that can be accentuated or reduced by what you learn as a child or teen. For example you could be told ‘not to get your hopes up’ by a parent as they want to protect you from being upset if it does not work out. But that can plant negative seeds that things most likely will not turn out and form a limiting belief in later life.
Some people also use negativity as a protection mechanism, by saying the thing they hope for will probably go wrong, they are protecting themselves from hurt by self or others opinions.
It’s a way of saving face and protecting yourself from the embarrassment of not having achieved it. But by speaking those negative words you are subconsciously creating a negative belief for yourself and influencing your actions. It could mean if you ask for that promotion, you don’t have the belief behind it so may not look like the best candidate, or if you go to the interview you do not perform as well because you already have told yourself that it won’t work out.
BUT, having a positive mindset doesn’t mean you have to be happy and upbeat all the time. There is such a thing as being too positive! That can be detrimental to you as you may overestimate what you can handle or be overly positive in a situation that it is just not possible to be successful at.
If you are overly optimistic, you can also be blind to the dangers in situations or chose to ignore them because you just ‘feel’ or ‘know’ something is going to work out, without doing the due diligence necessary.
Negative thoughts do serve a purpose, they can protect you from harm, from taking too big a risk or putting yourself in an unsafe situation. This is a basic human instinct. However, negative thoughts can hold you back if you can’t see past the fear they create.
As with everything in life there has to be a balance, right!
But what’s been proven is that to be more on the positive side of that scale is far more beneficial for many aspects of your life.
First up, your Health. Your mental and physical health benefit greatly from being more positive in your thoughts.
The Mayo clinic (a non profit American academic medical centre) reported that they are:
- Increased life span
- Lower rates of depression
- Lower levels of anxiety
- More resistance to ailments like the common cold
- Better psychological and physical well-being
- Greater coping skills during hardships and times of stress
Researchers are not sure why a positive attitude has such an impact but the Mayo clinic surmised that ‘having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body’.
They then follow up by saying ‘It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess’.
So for your health alone, it’s worth adopting more positive habits!
In addition, positivity can make you more resilient and able to overcome obstacles.
It can get you through dark times, and we know all about that right now. At the time of recording this episode, we have been in a pandemic for 16 months and it doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon. It’s really tested our resilience and I know I for one have had to really count my blessings and focus on the positives to cope with the long periods of lock down.
Confidence - If you are more positive about yourself and what you do, you automatically feel more confident and able to face the world. Mind and body positivity can be a crucial aspect of embarking on anything new, particularly regarding the working world where we have to put ourselves out there to be judged. When you have a positive attitude to yourself and your work, you will be more attractive as an employee or as a business people want to work with.
Next, having a more healthy positive attitude makes you better to be around and helps you create better working and social relationships.
We’ve all had that one friend or work colleague who you like but just can’t bear to be around for too long as they bring you down. They’re a mood vacuum because they suck any positivity from you with their constant glass half empty take on things. Therefore you avoid them to protect your own mood and thoughts. You really don’t want to be that person! Think about how you are with other people, and if you can show more positivity when approaching life. It will make you more pleasant to be around.
Last but not least …. Optimists are more successful! That’s right! As well as having all the physical and mental benefits, you can actually be more successful if you adopt a more positive mindset!
As a positive person, you are action oriented in the face of adversity. Also as you do not dwell on what went wrong for too long or focus on your fear, you can be more creative and will be more confident to take the risks needed to move forward in the path of your choosing. Duke University study found that optimists in the workforce tend to earn higher starting salaries than pessimists and they also are promoted more frequently.
But what if you are not inherently positive in your thoughts? Is it possible to develop an optimistic attitude? The answer is yes! Like all habits you can train your brain over time to have more positive thoughts.
So If you have a optimistic nature but want some more ideas for difficult times, or if you tend to err on the more negative side and want to be able to adopt positive thinking , here are some strategies that I think will help you:
Check yourself, when you notice a negative response coming from your mouth or in your brain. Think is that really the only thought I could have, is there a more positive take on this?
Swap a more positive response instead.
So for example, if your thought is ‘I don’t have enough time’ , think ‘I may not have time right now but I can re-prioritise’This one is a really powerful tool. I call it the ‘One day at a time’ mantra. If you are struggling with your career change path, just take one day at a time and be optimistic for what you can achieve that day and eventually that positivity will grow as you move forward.
Another strategy I advise is to think of the worse case scenario. This will appeal to those of you who like to face the worst! But in this case you will think of it, think of how potentially you would deal with it and then put it away in a box in your mind and mentally lock it. Or write it down and file it away, or put it in a file on your phone or PC in a little used folder. This way you have a plan B but know you will not ever need to use it.
Acceptance can be powerful - There are some things you absolutely cannot change, like illness, death, other people's actions, world events etc. So there is little point worrying about them, accepting that they are happening can be powerful.
You absolutely should change the things you can if that will bring you want you want in life. Positivity comes from things you can make happen, you can take action on. I have kept that card in my purse ever since and pull it out whenever I need a reminder of what’s in my control, want words of comfort or crave a boost of positivity.
Every morning or just before you go to sleep, think of all the things in your life you are grateful for. They could be big like you are grateful for your family, or your home, or your health, or more niche like you are grateful for the sun that day or that your coffee was served just the way you like it. Small gratitudes have just the same effect, when you are feeling negative they are a nice reminder of life’s perks
Next up is affirmations. The way I use affirmations that works for me and keeps my mind on a positive track is to have a few that I have written down and keep to close to hand. My favourites are ‘Trust yourself’, ‘You can do hard things, ‘Whatever it takes’ and the one you may know if you have tuned in before as I say it at the end of every episode ‘This is your time’
I have them on a pin board near my desk, on post - its stuck to my Mac and on my phone, ready to look at when I have a wobble of confidence. I can testify they never fail to get me back on track. So think about positive affirmations that work for you and repeat them regularly.
Surround Yourself with Positive people. Negativity feeds from negativity and Positivity is infectious, so try and keep a positive vibe in the friends you keep close. If you have toxic frenemies (friends who are really enemies) that put you down or do not support you or feed your fear, it's time to cut them loose. This goes the same in work situations, you want to work somewhere where your colleagues have a positive attitude, where the culture is optimistic. If you have ever worked in a toxic office environment then you know what I mean, it can be hugely demotivating to be surrounded by negative nellies or nigels who complain about everything!
Last but not least...Smile! A University of Kansas study found that smiling—even fake smiling—reduces heart rate and blood pressure during stressful situations and helps you feel happier and more optimistic and positive.. So try a few minutes of something funny on YouTube or your favourite sitcom, or just try some laughter therapy where you force yourself to laugh until you are actually laughing!
Like all habits it takes time and repetition to change, so don’t expect overnight results. It takes at least 60 days to change a habit, so this is something you will need to consciously think about each time. So add in some of the strategies I have given you into your daily routine and practice them.
So what does all this mean for YOU in your career and life change journey?
You can be guaranteed that you will have difficult moments when making a change, that you’ll doubt if you can succeed at all, that you will see all the things that could go wrong for you or that you just are not good enough to make the move. But in those moments I challenge you to think, what if it does all work out, what if I do succeed, what if I am good enough!
Now, even with the best laid plans and sometimes, some of those things you worry about may happen, but by dealing with the situation with a more positive attitude you will be able to deal with them, learn from them and move on.
Although cultivating positive thoughts is just one tool in your mental armoury (and we’re going to talk about a lot more in future episodes), it’s a great place to start!
So, time to get positive!!
Thanks so much for listening and if you would like to listen to more episodes, follow or subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google or Stitcher,
I’d love to hear your feedback on the episodes so far or to know what other topics you would like me to include, leave me a comment below or visit :
Or email me at [email protected]
Join me in the next episode and remember, everyone deserves to live their passion, so get started this is your time!
