Everyone who knows me knows I love my job in the franchising industry. I love that I get to be a part of helping people achieve their American dream, and I often get swept right up in the excitement and joy of my clients! Now, no industry is all pros and no cons, but I think that the positive impact that franchising can have on families and communities is definitely worth the occasional frustrations. That’s why for today’s article, I want to explore the power of positivity in decision-making. After all, deciding to leave your 9-5 for the adventure of entrepreneurship is a huge life decision!
Know the Difference
A lot of people see positive thinkers as lying to themselves, or as ostriches with their head in the sand. I can tell you, though, that is not the case! Keeping a positive outset simply means seeing the whole forest, not just the trees; focusing on the things that you can control, and letting go of the things that you can’t. It means focusing on the actions that you can take, in order to keep moving towards a positive goal. Toxic positivity is real, don’t fall prey to the allure of blissed out ignorance.
Positive Problem Solving
As previously mentioned, approaching problems with a positive mindset can be a game-changer, because that mindset allows you to view each facet of the problem with less negative bias. It allows you a more broad and nuanced perspective, with which you can connect the dots and seek out a positive solution. Don’t believe me? There have been multiple studies on this phenomenon that prove that positive thinkers are able to juggle more information than those with negative outlooks.
Positive Resilience
If you’re the type of person who can make a make day out of a bad 5 minutes, entrepreneurship may not be in the cards for you. Keeping a positive attitude means shaking off those little setbacks in favor of the big picture. Most million-dollar ideas weren’t executed in a day, and they all had plenty of problems that needed solving before they became the next big thing. Lord knows I certainly get frustrated at times, but I always square off my shoulders, seek a solution, and keep forging ahead by the end of the day. Optimism breeds resilience in this way.
Positive Health
Anxiety is a hidden killer. Negativity can literally weigh down your cognitive abilities, making it impossible to code memories or handle new information. Chronic stress can lead to a myriad of health issues including increased risk of heart disease, insomnia, and muscle and joint issues. It is healthy to feel a wide array of emotions, but extremely unhealthy to get bogged down in the negative. Positivity and a growth mindset can ward off these unwanted negative effects, and lead to a longer, more enjoyable life.
The Importance of Being Positive
We hope that this article helped you see the benefits of working towards goals with a positive mindset. In business, it is so important to be able to view issues through multiple perspectives, and “zoom out” to see how small details affect the bigger picture. It’s important to make decisions that lead you towards your goals, rather than set you back. You have to be able to take a hit and keep on going, and these are all things that keeping a baseline of optimistic thinking will absolutely bolster. So go ahead and interrupt your inner saboteur, start each day with affirmations of gratitude, and fill up on the next happy memories that come your way. It’s sure to lead to a more successful, and joy-filled future.