NFIB

Optimism: A Key To Small Business Success
06/ 09/ 2003

by Jeffrey Moses

"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties." -- Harry Truman

It's obvious why having an optimistic attitude is key to small business success. Starting and running a small business means facing an on-going series of challenges. Without feeling that difficulties can be resolved successfully and that they're simply a step toward a happier, more prosperous future, a small business owner could easily throw in the towel. When bills pile up unpaid and customers are nowhere to be found, it's optimism that keeps the door open.

So is your glass half-empty or half-full? Let's examine the different ways optimists and pessimists view the world.

Optimists tend to focus on immediate problems and work to improve the situation, rather than dwell on how the problems potentially could make the future bleaker. In other words, optimists focus on the present and are more practical than pessimists.

Optimists realize that some solutions must be undertaken a step at a time. Pessimists tend to want quick and complete resolutions to problems.

It's natural to have periods of negative thoughts, but optimists tend to clip off a downward spiral of negativity. Positivity leads to creativity and energy; negativity leads to mental and physical fatigue.

Optimists feel that they have positive control over the future, and thereby feel that it is worthwhile to spend time and energy solving problems. Pessimists tend to feel that the future is beyond their control and may not be willing to give as much of themselves.

Since optimists tend to be more cheerful than pessimists, even when facing difficulties, they are more inspirational leaders. This quality in itself makes success more likely--and improves morale, too.

Interestingly, innumerable research studies have proven that optimists tend to be healthier than pessimists. Since small business owners need to be in good health to put in all of those long hours, this should be reason enough to adopt the principles of positive thinking.

Even if you aren't a natural optimist, you can work toward becoming one by carefully monitoring your reactions over time. When you catch yourself reacting to situation negatively, try to think of something positive that might arise from it. The more of an optimist you can become, the better off you and your business will be.

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