Science of Optimism
Optimism can be defined as a collection of thoughts (positive expectations for the future) and behaviors (persistence, directing energy toward goals). The consequences of optimism arise from this collection of individual thoughts and acts: when people have positive thoughts about their futures, they are more likely to pursue goals that will make those futures come true.
Positive thoughts improve lives when they lead to positive behaviors, and those positive behaviors lead to building resources. If what you are doing builds a resource, then t is positive; if not, then it is neutral at best or possibly negative. And building resources makes people happier, more satisfied with their lives, and even healthier. So, optimism is important insofar as it leads people to be more engaged, persistent, and motivated in their positive behaviors, which leads to resource growth, which leads to happiness.
Optimism and happiness come from your daily choices. There is evidence to suggest you can develop a more optimistic attitude, and since your “nature” is really just your habitual attitudes, then changing your habits can actually change your nature.
A vision (or goal) without action is just a fantasy. Fantasies have the opposite effect on motivation and action that optimism does. Fantasies encourage people to linger on a dream, where optimism encourages people to ACT to achieve it. Optimism involves consideration of the contrast between what is now and what could be. Fantasy, on the other hand involves immersion in an enjoyable but entirely simulated future world that doesn’t admit the contrast between what is and what could be. As a consequence, when people ONLY visualize already having what they want they often disengage from actually trying to get it.
Optimists are automatically MORE attentive to positive aspects of their environment than are pessimists. Although automatic seems to imply “uncontrollable,” automaticity is merely a function of practice.
One simple way to train attention to the positive is to keep a log of three good things that happen each day. Not everyone pays attention to the good things that happen to them within a day. Those who don’t pay attention, miss the motivation and inspiring aspects of their lives, not to mention reminders of their progress and even their resources.
Noticing positive things every day can help people to realize that they have more resources than they were aware of and to feel different about their lives.
In fact, this attention change is one of the things that can lead to long- term changes in happiness.
A large study compared the effectiveness of several different one-week exercises on happiness six months later. The exercises included thinking about a time in the past when you were at your best, identifying your personal strengths, using strengths in new ways, expressing gratitude to someone you have never properly thanked, or writing down three good things that happened each day. Al these exercises made people feel happier, but happiness dissipated over time. The “three good things” exercise, though, actually increased happiness over time so that people who did that exercise got happier and happier over six months. WHY? First, people who did that exercise were more likely to keep doing it after their mandatory week ended. Second, as they did that, they got better at it. That is, over time, their attention habits became more optimistic. Third, noticing the positive helped energize motivation to behave positively, leading to an upward spiral to attention to one’s positive thoughts, motivation, positive behavior, and growth.
Journals
You can use a journal to create NEW habits of thinking. Being positive is not enough to get the entire optimism system working. Evidence for the missing piece comes from studies that asked people to write journal entries about important situations in their lives. Many people think of a journal as a place to express their deepest thoughts and feelings. However, deep emotional expression might not be good for people when their thoughts and feelings are pessimistic. Pessimists might get mired in rumination and depression. Fortunately for pessimists, you don’t have to use a journal to explore the deepest thoughts and feelings you already have. They can use the journal to refocus on the possibility of a positive future which is the equivalent of noticing three good things because it gets them in the habit of thinking positively about the future.
You can also use a journal to better self-regulate; that is, to be aware of your goals, to behave in a way that is consistent with your goals, and to explore ways to overcome obstacles. Writing about what you want AND also HOW you are going to get it activates the self-regulatory loop and actually increases the odds that you’ll get what you want.
Positive thoughts improve lives when they lead to positive behaviors, and those positive behaviors lead to building resources. If what you are doing builds a resource, then t is positive; if not, then it is neutral at best or possibly negative. And building resources makes people happier, more satisfied with their lives, and even healthier. So, optimism is important insofar as it leads people to be more engaged, persistent, and motivated in their positive behaviors, which leads to resource growth, which leads to happiness.
Optimism and happiness come from your daily choices. There is evidence to suggest you can develop a more optimistic attitude, and since your “nature” is really just your habitual attitudes, then changing your habits can actually change your nature.
A vision (or goal) without action is just a fantasy. Fantasies have the opposite effect on motivation and action that optimism does. Fantasies encourage people to linger on a dream, where optimism encourages people to ACT to achieve it. Optimism involves consideration of the contrast between what is now and what could be. Fantasy, on the other hand involves immersion in an enjoyable but entirely simulated future world that doesn’t admit the contrast between what is and what could be. As a consequence, when people ONLY visualize already having what they want they often disengage from actually trying to get it.
Optimists are automatically MORE attentive to positive aspects of their environment than are pessimists. Although automatic seems to imply “uncontrollable,” automaticity is merely a function of practice.
One simple way to train attention to the positive is to keep a log of three good things that happen each day. Not everyone pays attention to the good things that happen to them within a day. Those who don’t pay attention, miss the motivation and inspiring aspects of their lives, not to mention reminders of their progress and even their resources.
Noticing positive things every day can help people to realize that they have more resources than they were aware of and to feel different about their lives.
In fact, this attention change is one of the things that can lead to long- term changes in happiness.
A large study compared the effectiveness of several different one-week exercises on happiness six months later. The exercises included thinking about a time in the past when you were at your best, identifying your personal strengths, using strengths in new ways, expressing gratitude to someone you have never properly thanked, or writing down three good things that happened each day. Al these exercises made people feel happier, but happiness dissipated over time. The “three good things” exercise, though, actually increased happiness over time so that people who did that exercise got happier and happier over six months. WHY? First, people who did that exercise were more likely to keep doing it after their mandatory week ended. Second, as they did that, they got better at it. That is, over time, their attention habits became more optimistic. Third, noticing the positive helped energize motivation to behave positively, leading to an upward spiral to attention to one’s positive thoughts, motivation, positive behavior, and growth.
Journals
You can use a journal to create NEW habits of thinking. Being positive is not enough to get the entire optimism system working. Evidence for the missing piece comes from studies that asked people to write journal entries about important situations in their lives. Many people think of a journal as a place to express their deepest thoughts and feelings. However, deep emotional expression might not be good for people when their thoughts and feelings are pessimistic. Pessimists might get mired in rumination and depression. Fortunately for pessimists, you don’t have to use a journal to explore the deepest thoughts and feelings you already have. They can use the journal to refocus on the possibility of a positive future which is the equivalent of noticing three good things because it gets them in the habit of thinking positively about the future.
You can also use a journal to better self-regulate; that is, to be aware of your goals, to behave in a way that is consistent with your goals, and to explore ways to overcome obstacles. Writing about what you want AND also HOW you are going to get it activates the self-regulatory loop and actually increases the odds that you’ll get what you want.