The Value of Optimism
From placing the ball to walking a few paces back to where his run-up would begin, he didn’t feel in control of his legs and the voice in his head – an inner narrative he believes everyone has and is key to wellbeing – offered up only negativity. What if he sliced the ball? Or didn’t even hit the target? Southgate felt the weight of attention that would never, really, leave him; the burn of a spotlight that would scar.
Those that followed English football in the 1990s know that any hope of success was eventually snuffed out from 12 yards by a team of imperious Germans. This was best demonstrated by Gareth Southgate’s weak effort on a balmy night at Wembley in 1996, ensuring that football wasn’t actually coming home after all. But why did the result repeatedly end this way? Technique? Practice? Luck? Or was it about the German team having a more optimistic mindset? Research has shown that players thinking about the impact of missing a penalty are less likely to score than those focusing on the glory of scoring. England have consistently had some of the best footballers in the world since the game was formed, but only have a 60% scoring rate in shootouts against a global average of 71%. The German rate is 85%. Is optimism the key to success?
It’s not easy to approach life with optimism at the moment. Even the most indefatigable amongst us are affected by the impact of omicron, inflation, global political instability, and a range of other factors creating a “perfect storm” of concern. I have certainly sensed this and I recognise it in many friends and colleagues. Given this I have started thinking about the power of optimism, and why I believe we should all attempt to actively enhance our ability to think and live optimistically.
The Benefits of Optimism
When one reviews the available research it is very hard to find anything that isn’t beneficial about being more optimistic. A 2019 study led by Lewina Lee from Boston University School of Medicine suggested that optimists live longer lives, with the most optimistic having a lifespan almost 15% longer than the least. Lee said it was not yet clear why optimism is linked to longevity. “In our study, healthier behaviours, fewer depressive symptoms, and more social ties only partially accounted for the association from optimism to exceptional longevity,” she said, adding there are likely to be other mechanisms at play, such as optimistic people coping better with stress.
Research also shows that optimists are, unsurprisingly, happier than pessimists. There are numerous reasons for this, but one of the most interesting is that according to researchers from Stanford University optimists have higher quality and longer-lasting romantic relationships. And, perhaps surprisingly, these results hold when only one partner is an optimist. Psychologists believe optimism leads to a greater sense of perceived support from a partner, which helps couples fight fair. When asked about a point of contention in the relationship, both optimistic thinkers and their partners were more likely to say that the other partner was invested in making the relationship better, leading to greater conflict resolution.
Optimism also has the benefit of leading to improved performance at work according to Dr. Beth Cabrera, Senior Scholar at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University. “One study looked at the impact of positive thinking on performance of insurance agents working at MetLife. The researchers discovered that agents who scored in the top 10% on an assessment of optimism sold 88% more than insurance agents who scored in the bottom 10%.” And MetLife is no anomaly. Dr. Cabrera said that a study of several organisations showed a correlation between employee optimism and higher performance ratings. “People are more likely to work hard and persist towards their goal if they expect to succeed,” she said.
Martin Seligman Ph.D has published prodigiously on the subject, “optimism can increase the duration and intensity of your positive emotion, can enable you to use your highest strengths and talents more effectively, and is invaluable for the meaning of life. With a firm belief in a positive future you can throw yourself into the service of that which is larger than you are.” Dr. Seligman has led the concept of Learned Optimism, and has proven that it is possible to become more optimistic through following basic and simple techniques.
Becoming More Optimistic
So how does one become more optimistic? It certainly isn’t as simple as choosing to be so. Below are some tips that may help.
Assess your own optimism
Optimism vs pessimism isn’t black and white. We all exist on a sliding scale and this can be ever changing. To assess your own current level of optimism try to actively notice your thinking and assess whether you are focusing on positive or negative thoughts, and whether you are being fair and reasonable to yourself when evaluating situations. More formally there is a test that can be taken within Dr. Seligman’s book, Learned Optimism. A pdf of the test is available here, although I would recommend purchasing the book for a fuller view.
Spend time with positive people
Optimism can be contagious (unfortunately so can viruses and so be careful on this one). If you surround yourself with negative people then this is likely to impact your own view of the world. Positivity doesn’t have to come in the form of a Ned Flanders figure, legendary Scottish football manager Sir Alex Ferguson would never give his players more than a “well done” in praise as his whole mantra was based on positive belief in winning. I personally find a calm, authentic and positive voice in a business environment very inspiring.
Keep a gratitude journal
This won’t be for everyone but a tangible step that can be taken is to write down three things each day that you are grateful for. It sounds very simple but it can have a significant impact on resetting negative thoughts. My own personal experience of this is that it can be very useful short term, but can end up repetitive in nature after a month or so, hence losing impact. There are tools such as The 6 Minute Diary that can be purchased to facilitate this process, but my advice would be to try this initially without spending any money and invest only if it is working for you.
Get some sleep
On average two thirds of people reading this will not be getting enough sleep. For many experts the lack of sleep in the developed world is the greatest health crisis that we face and is the root cause for many of the other physical and mental health challenges that gain significantly more media attention. A lack of sleep leads to tiredness, which leads to becoming emotional and anxious. It’s much harder to be rational and logical when you are tired and so optimism will suffer. Rather than create a big list of tips here I recommend reading Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, but my top tip is to be conscious of the impact of substances such as caffeine and alcohol on sleep quality, because quality of sleep is just as important as quantity.
Look after your body and your mind
Rather than putting anything preachy here I’ll just reinforce the need to take care of your physical and mental health. Those that don’t are more likely to think negatively. I am a fan of mindfulness and there are many books and apps which can help train how to meditate (Waking Up by Sam Harris is excellent). I’ve personally found that escaping into the countryside on my bike serves the same purpose and so I make sure that I carve out time to do that as a priority.
Don’t believe the doom
Even prior to the pandemic the newspapers and social media made pretty grim reading. It’s hard to feel positive about the world when it appears that it is falling apart, and many social media platforms are awash with anger and falsehoods. My recommendation is to assess whether social media is enhancing your existence, and if not then remove yourself (as I did from Facebook). Regarding the world falling apart, this is actually as far from the truth as you could be. On pretty much any measure such as inequality, life expectancy, famine or democracy the world is improving. But rather than take my word for it review the data for yourself; Our World in Data is a great resource for seeing the facts for themselves.
Before I finish I just want to reveal a Shawshank Redemption style twist; I am by any test and measure a natural pessimist. My awareness of this means that I need to be conscious of my thinking, and ensure that I follow my own advice. It is important to mention here that when applied rationally pessimism can be realism, and can be of great value. I work best with those who dream big, not because my nature prevents these dreams becoming reality, more that I see likely problems and challenges before they arise so that proactive plans can be made to overcome them.
I started this blog talking about a negatively minded Gareth Southgate missing a penalty in a major football tournament, and by a twist of fate a quarter of a century on he is now manager of the English national team. This Summer, back at Wembley, his team had the chance to win the tournament on a penalty shootout. Did his focus on positive thinking result in a breaking of the voodoo? I’m afraid for these green lands (and the narrative of my blog) it didn’t, a team of talented and fearless Italians deservedly won the trophy. Optimism didn’t lead to Southgate’s team winning, but without doubt it will mean that they can take the loss constructively and strive for better in the future.
However you see 2022 and onwards I hope that you are able to see some hope on the horizon, if not then please reach out to me for a chat. I wish all of my clients, suppliers, colleagues and friends an enjoyable Christmas period and an optimistic future.
Suggested Reading
Learned Optimism (Martin Seligman)
Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker)
Waking Up (Sam Harris)
