|
Content
16 December 2006, 16:33
The Science of Optimism: How to Achieve More with "3P
by Dr. Stephen Kraus, Success Scientist
Changing how you think can create profound changes in virtually every area of your life. This isn’t just wishful thinking or self-help hype – it’s backed up by sound science.
For example, research consistently shows that optimists – those with a positive outlook on life – live very different lives from pessimists. Consider these examples of how optimism enhances different aspects of life...
- Job performance. Many studies have concluded that optimists generally outperform pessimists in the workplace. In fact, many companies now use optimism tests to ensure that they only hire relatively optimistic employees.
- Sales. Optimism is a particularly powerful predictor of success in sales because optimistic salespeople take action, and continue taking action, even if their initial results are disappointing. As a result, optimists sell more and are less likely to quit.
- Sports. In sports, optimistic professional athletes and coaches perform better than pessimistic ones, particularly under pressure.
- Physical health. Optimists tend to be healthier and have better immune system functioning than pessimists. Optimists are also more likely to stick to efforts to improve their health (such as exercising and eating right). And when they do have health problems, optimists are often able to identify them relatively early because their belief that their actions can have beneficial results leads them to seek a doctor’s opinion.
In these areas and many more, optimists achieve greater success than pessimists. In part, optimists achieve more because they expect more, and as a result work harder and more persistently toward their goals. But it is also partly a self-fulfilling prophecy – optimists encounter fewer negative events in their lives because they take more proactive steps to avoid them.
Enjoy!
[55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] |
|
|
