The Three Ps of Positivity

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." - Helen Keller, author

It’s easy these days to settle into pessimism. Our climate is changing. Our politics are divisive. Wars and hunger and poverty continue despite our best efforts. Brilliant candidates struggle to land jobs. Organizations struggle to engage and retain their best and brightest.?

Yet the benefits of positivity are well known, including:

• Increased life span and resistance to illnesses
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• More robust resilience, especially in times of stress
• Stronger intrinsic motivation
• Boosted creativity and increased inclusivity
• Higher career adaptability, job satisfaction, and levels of professional success

Martin Seligman, one of the founders of positive psychology, began his career exploring learned helplessness (when individuals believe they are incapable of changing their circumstances after repeatedly experiencing a stressful event - Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978; Seligman & Garber, 1980; Maier & Seligman, 2016). Seligman became curious why some folks overcome this pessimism.

When we engage in “learned optimism,” we shift our attitude and behaviors by recognizing and challenging negative self-talk. We catch ourselves before spiraling into doom and despair.

"Positive thinking is the notion that if you think good thoughts, things will work out well. Optimism is the feeling of thinking things will be well and be hopeful." - Martin Seligman

So how can we learn to be more optimistic? By tackling the three Ps that distort how we view life experiences. These 3 Ps often are our automatic responses to frustrating or disappointing situations - chipping away at our self-confidence, self-esteem, and overall happiness. In the WorkJoy way, we offer three key ways to build your resilience and boost your optimism.

Personalization

“It’s all my fault.” This is the pessimistic view of a situation gone wrong.?

Remember context. The optimistic view considers external factors and doesn’t shoulder all the blame. Own your actions but acknowledge how so much is OUT of your control. “Hey - when I try this again, things will likely be different.”?

Pervasiveness

“I failed at this task. I’ll keep failing at all related tasks.” Or, “I didn’t get this job - I’ll never get ANY job again.” We’ve felt this - the catastrophizing and the assumption that one (often isolated) event will affect all aspects of our lives.?

Reel it in. Failing at one task doesn’t make YOU a failure. You are more than the action or event. “I screwed this up - but I’ll learn and do better next time.”?

Permanence

“I’m never going to be happy.” This relates to the “fixed mindset,” in which we assume we are who we are and can’t change, elevate, or evolve.?

Recover your growth mindset. Challenges are opportunities to learn. And as long as we’re learning we can never fail. Our life is a changing landscape of experiences - so celebrate the journey and honor the fleetingness of the destinations. While enduring a particularly rough job I stuck a note on my monitor with one word on it - “TEMPORARY.”

Wrapping up.

"I believe in forever altering one's aspect to the sun. Hence my optimism." - Virginia Woolf, author

Be the change you want to see. As a leader, you are a role model for optimism and resilience. Put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others. Catch yourself when succumbing to personalization, pervasiveness, or permanence - and stop the fall. Secure the resources you need and build your personal and supportive “board of directors” - including mentors, coaches, role models, and colleagues. This will increase your ability to catch your team members when they slip down the pessimism path - and provide the help they need.

Turn toward the sun and bask in the light.

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Tina is the founder of WorkJoy , offering executive coaching, intuitive coaching, leadership coaching, team coaching, and keynote speaking solutions to pump up positivity and rally resilience in leaders at all levels. Let's discover happiness together - schedule your free chat today.

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https://www.workjoycoaching.com/