Episode 203 - How To Stay Optimistic

<p class="p1"><strong>Summary</strong></p> <p class="p2">Optimism is pretty easy when things are going well. This week we explore how to stay optimistic, even in challenging situations.</p> <p class="p3"> </p> <p class="p1"><strong>Transcript</strong></p> <p class="p2">Hello and welcome to episode 203 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to stay optimistic, even in challenging situations.</p> <p class="p2">Optimism is pretty easy when things are going well. Seeing the bright side isn’t difficult when things are bright. But our lives aren’t typically either good or bad. Even in the good times, challenging situations can arise and knock us around. But how optimistic we feel has very little to do with our circumstances. Instead we can all learn optimism and apply it as a skill.</p> <p class="p2">Optimism is a lens through which we view life. Optimism zooms in on the good things to really study and make the most of them. It allows the good moments to spread across other areas of our life, and into the future over a longer period of time. In contrast, optimism zooms out in the challenging moments to gain greater perspective. It contains the bad things to one area of our life and to a moment in time. So how do we stay optimistic?</p> <ol class="ol1"> <li class="li2">Schedule time to step back and reflect. Often we end up on autopilot, letting our circumstances dictate how we think and feel. Instead, we want to grab hold of our thoughts and put them in perspective. We want to be intentional about how we think and feel. This requires time to reflect, and the best way to ensure this happens is to schedule it in your calendar. Take time at the start of each day to choose how you want to think and feel about any good and not-so-good things that happen. Take time at the end of the day to reflect on the things you are grateful for.</li> <li class="li2">Tame how you speak to yourself. Often the way we speak to ourselves is not very kind. Wh