The Power of Negative Thinking
Todd Herman
Author, Alter Ego Effect | Co-Founder, upcoach.com - if you coach others, this is the platform to scale & simplify with. | Creator 90 Day Year | Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Company
For decades the self-help and personal development worlds have beat people over the head with the stick of 'think positive to be successful'. It's a nice idea... Sounds good.
Unfortunately, it's a red herring. It's a falsehood. Success and the human condition is far more complex than that...
As someone that has built a successful mental toughness training practice and had the opportunity to work with over 100 Olympians, 100's of pro athletes and teams and multiple high net worth business owners. I can tell you, TRULY high performing people THINK NEGATIVE.
They don't shy away from it. They don't shirk it. They embrace it and it's the difference between why they'll bounce back from setbacks faster and with more ferocity than the 'positive thinkers' out there.
It's frustrating to watch good people get constantly misled by authors, coaches and guru's pointing to the path of positivity as the way to success.
(Btw...Most of those coaches and authors only teach other coaches and authors how to be successful at coaching others how to be successful...hmmm...sounds a little dubious to me. They've never even stepped onto the field of play with a high performer. Reading a bunch of books on the subject and 'studying' others is like going to the zoo and watching the gorillas interact and calling yourself an expert on gorilla activity. Sorry punk. That's not how it works.)
I've spent 18+ years working alongside real achievers, seeing the intense focus, drive and sacrifice they've had to make just so they can wear the flag of their country on their back. Or, spent hours on the phone, boardroom or sitting on airplanes while listening to tough, powerful business leaders outline all the threats, weaknesses and challenges facing their next decision...and proceeding anyway.
The idea that 'positive thinking' will get you into the realm of the world class is such a myth, that the people that are actually world-class, probably won't like this quick post, because it keeps them safe from the misled and misguided with high ambitions.
But I'm hoping to steer a few off the wrong path and onto the right path, the real path, the true path...
If you'd like to get more on how to make this work for you... here's an interview I just did with the #1 podcast on iTunes, The Art of Charm.
I go over a lot more than just 'negative thinking', including:
>>> Why High Performers Battle Depressive States More Than Others,
>>> The Alter Egos Of High Performers,
>>> How Walt Disney Knew If He Had A Bad Idea Or Not,
>>> And A Lot More...
If you get any value, please share. And if you have questions or comments, leave them below...
Freelance copyeditor
9 年Great article Todd. And the podcasts are excellent. I'm glad I discovered these now as I am embarking on a change of career direction in another country.
Great article, Todd. I'm an optimist but I think sometimes a bit of healthy negative thinking can help dodge a bullet too.
We help women move from business ownership to business leadership
9 年Enjoyed the podcast last evening and this summary post. Nick DiNardo, I ran a brain injury center for several years and part of the work the psychologists did was based upon Martin Seligman's studies. We also had a professor, recently retired, here at the University of illinois, Ed Diener, whose work was on happiness. Both men, as well as Todd Herman used science as the basis of their work. I think many of today's coaches have hijacked the notions of positive thinking, happiness, how to succeed and turned the concepts into garden variety "cures" which are really quack science. Unfortunately, it shows their ignorance, only they don't even realize it. Changing habits, adopting new habits, using positive and negative thinking to one's advantage is hard work as was the rigorous science behind these topics. We need more coaches that understand their work as does Todd.
COO All Star Delivery Systems, Inc.
9 年Really enjoyed the thought provoking podcast, Todd! Interesting to learn about Bo Jackson's routine with alter egos. Thanks for posting.
CEO & Founder of ProperPlan
9 年Loved the podcast Todd. It kept me company on the way to a big meeting in London, and the bit that really stayed with me was on alter egos. I played some favourite songs of mine whilst I walked to the meeting, and let my alter ego take command and lead with confidence and certainty. I've heard you speak on negativity in entrepreneurs before, and this revelation led me down a path of acceptance in my personality that I can be me and that it is a great thing! I make no excuses for who I am or why I am the way I am, and this reflects in my personal brand in such a way that clients are drawn to my "realness". This was a game changer for me - thanks for sharing.