The Real Meaning of Optimism and How to Apply It to Your Business
“Things done well, and with care, exempt themselves from fear.” William Shakespeare
We all have good days and bad. But when you’re running a business the effect is magnified. One day you’re excited about a new business win; the next, you’re despairing about a valuable colleague relocating to Australia.
Obviously, It’s Easy to Be Optimistic on Good News Days
That expansive feeling can even spill over into other areas of your business – success feeding success to everyone’s benefit. However, as we all know, the opposite can also happen.
It does seem rather cruel the way optimism vanishes when it’s most needed. And yet, isn’t that the whole point? Anyone can have a positive outlook when the going’s good; it takes real optimism to keep smiling when cash flow’s down, business confidence is low and irate creditors are calling.
Yet, That’s the Secret of the ‘Glass Half Full’ Brigade
Their optimism is not reliant on external events. It’s self-generated. As Richard Reed, entrepreneur and co-founder of Innocent drinks brand said, “The trick to staying positive is not to get too distracted by the external events you can’t control and to double down and focus on the things that you can”.
Making a similar point, highly decorated football manager, Carlo Ancelotti claimed to value performance above results: “Nobody can control outcomes. All you can do is give yourself a better chance to succeed and you do it by working well and performing well”.
More specifically, Joel Spolsky, co-founder of Stack Exchange famously said, “Every day that we spent not improving our products was a wasted day”.
In other words, keep doing the right things every day and optimism follows – as eventually will results.
So, if your small business takes positive actions, such as researching which marketing initiatives deliver the best ROI, developing a recruitment strategy or taking out insurance against significant threats, you increase your store of optimism.
Over time, this optimism can spread throughout the business – an upbeat buzz that creates an expectation of success.
So, Optimism Is Not Just Some Superficial Mind Game
It’s a practical, common sense approach to business that you can apply every day.
And that’s yet another very good reason for optimism.
More Small Business Guide
Richard Reed, Journey of Optimism
Watch the founder of Innocent Drinks as he reveals the key to success.
Marketing Your Startup
Innocent Drinks founder Richard Reed urges entrepreneurs to have a clear, concise brand mission to drive business forward.
Small Business Optimists: Matthew Wheeler
Here’s what small business owner Matthew Wheeler learned in his mentoring session with Innocent Drinks founder Richard Reed.