“No sense being pessimistic. Wouldn’t work anyway.” – Price Pritchett
I was listening to a podcast recently, and the topic was about the different ways you could sabotage getting ready to perform as well as you would like. They were specifically talking about workouts, but the application can spread to any domain. You can check out the episode here. One of the biggest factors they kept coming back to was the mindset and attitude you take into the performance.
They highlighted that so many times we waste time, energy, and focus on the things we don’t like or would change about the event. We go into the performance in a deflated state and make excuses for how things will go before we even start. Some may even call this a pessimistic thinking style. It can be a demoralizing mindset to be in and even harder to escape.
If we know that taking on a pessimistic attitude is not helpful for our ability to show up and perform, then what is the alternative? There are two options. We could work to have a neutral mindset about the event or we could work to have an optimistic mindset. Let’s look at the difference. A neutral mindset takes an objective approach to situation. It simply just is. The situation itself is neither good or bad. We can work to have a neutral approach in how we prepare and walk into a performance by acknowledging what the task is, and create a game plan based on our personal skills and abilities. The workout will go how it will go.
An optimistic mindset is different in that it acknowledges what the situation and moment is, and then reframes it in a way that gives power and control to us. It focuses on what is possible, and what we can control in the moment. It adjusts and finds the small wins that help move us forward. It’s one of our core values because of how powerful an optimistic mindset can be for our overall health and wellness.
When we start to go down the rabbit hole of being pessimistic or find ourselves surrounded by others who are, it can be difficult to pull ourselves out of it. Being optimistic is a skill that takes practice and self-awareness. Let’s strive to bring optimism this week to the gym and to our lives by finding the small wins. Let’s keep our focus on the things we can control and how we can a meaningful impact on the moments we experience.
