Celebrating Small Victories for Greater Wins
Jessica Rice
I help ambitious leaders become sought after powerhouses in their industry. | Executive Brand and Team Coach | Host, Hello You Show | 2X Founder, Jessica Rice Coaching and Rowan & Hazel Co.
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Have you ever struggled to tell yourself, “Good job.” or give yourself that pat on the back?
If so, you are not alone.
In fact, research indicates that 80% of our thoughts are focused on negative thoughts, which is known as negativity bias.
The?negativity bias?is a cognitive bias that results in adverse events having a more significant impact on our psychological state than positive events. Negativity bias occurs even when adverse events and positive events are of the same magnitude, meaning we feel negative events more intensely.
Referenced in The Decision Lab article on Negativity Bias.
In essence, we struggle more with positive thinking, and when given two scenarios, one positive and the other negative, we tend to remember or dwell on the negative. According to research published by Tobias Grossman of the Center for Brain and Cognitive Development, “…adults display a negativity bias, or the propensity to attend to, learn from, and use negative information?far more than positive information.”
Negativity bias impacts how we perceive our accomplishments, which determines our self-efficacy or proclivity to believe in our ability to succeed, even after we have achieved a goal.
How does this impact our overall success?
When we dwell on negative thinking, we can subconsciously self-sabotage personal goals and diminish our efforts to follow through on new goals or larger dreams.
There is hope, however.
Our brains are also wired to look for positive reinforcement. While we may struggle to acknowledge successes, especially if we impose a degree of comparison or potential judgment, smaller rewards built over time can help counter our overall propensity toward negativity bias. We can start forming new thought patterns and associations through quick wins that happen more regularly.
Think about simple successes: each time you read one email, complete one task, pay a compliment or take a sip of water. These small accomplishments are small wins that can send a quick dopamine spike to our brains if we pause for a moment and acknowledge them.
This can help us feel more accomplished overall.
It’s real, and our brain requires it to be real, but more than that, our brain is paying attention. By taking note of the number of positive interactions you are having, the thoughts shift and help to balance out the negativity bias that has been dominating your thought patterns.
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How Negativity Bias Impacts Us Personally
When we set large goals for ourselves, we may also be battling negativity bias and the propensity for negative thoughts to dominate our minds. The habits we create around our belief systems and self-efficacy are powerful, so it’s important to notice root causes and deeper associations to belief patterns and habits.
When we can step back and take deliberate actions that are not only small but simple to enact, we have a greater opportunity to challenge our assumptions and create a new perspective for our lives.
Think of the importance of your belief in the ability to achieve your goals. If you desire to create greater impact and meaning in your life, your mindset must be refined first.
There are a few ways that you can approach this, in addition to creating small wins. According to Harbor Mental Health, there are three ways you can overcome negativity bias:
How Negativity Bias Impacts Our Work
As leaders, this is equally important for motivating our teams. In organizations with high stress and competition, negativity bias can permeate team members' minds. This means a shift in perspective and personal belief in their capability is necessary to achieve what is required.
The article “What is Negativity Bias and How Can It Be Overcome,” published by Positive Psychology, states that “to boost team performance and lead more effectively,” a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative feedback is required to motivate teams to achieve lofty goals.
How we view ourselves and how we interact with our teams determines our ability to lead effectively. If we can first start with ourselves, we have the ability to create massive shifts in the overall outlook and culture of teams and organizations.
That is an incredible impact to make!
Final Thoughts
You don't have to fall victim to negative thought patterns sabotaging your success; by practicing joy, you are paving a new path forward.
Create ways for yourself to celebrate small wins and find space for positive thinking. By doing so, you are giving yourself the gift of joy, gratitude, and the ability to achieve greater success.
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