ENDURE: April 25, 2014

Believe You Can and You Just Might

Spoiler Summary: Optimists have all the luck.....and the health....and the happiness.  OK, not all of it, but more than half the glass.

On Monday I was lucky enough to catch a video stream of Meb Keflezighi as he became the first American to win the Boston Marathon since 1983.  In the final miles as the chase from younger and (historically) faster runners was cutting into his lead I found myself literally out of my chair, so hoping that history would be made for a runner who not only seems to be a generally likable person, but for the city of Boston as they came back from tragedy.  Not only was the win historic, it was unlikely....as Keflezighi started to break away from the pack before the halfway mark of the race....almost assuredly a gutsy but premature move.  Had he been caught, the talk would've been that he made a surprising tactical error.....a rookie mistake even....but no guts, no glory I guess.....history was made because at some level he believed he could.

What about you? In the moment of truth, when the chips are down, which voice do you typically listen to?  Does the voice that questions the likelihood of success and warns you of the risks persuade you to give up? Or is it the one that says "c'mon, you've got this" that tends to win out?  In the face of adversity do you tend to invoke a "this too shall pass" approach or scramble in fear that "this could ruin everything if I make the wrong bet"?

Optimism is powerful stuff....not only in the proverbial "glass half-full" sense, but in the research that shows some impressive advantages that optimists enjoy over their more pessimistic peers.  Whether it be from a health perspective or in regards to work-performance or in measurements of happiness and life-satisfaction, several studies have shown those individuals with strong optimistic traits appear to have a leg-up.  Now this is not to say that pessimism doesn't have its place.  After all, if we never consider the lasting effects of dangerous choices, we could easily overstep into the category of unchecked-risk.....but in general, optimism has shown to have enough influence on achievement that anyone with a goal in mind should consider it when planning their pursuit.  But what if a person is not "naturally" optimistic?  What if pessimism is more natural for a person....are they doomed?  Well, by definition they probably think so.....but the coolest part of the research on the topic is that optimism can be learned, fostered and grown.....a really important finding.

Like most things, it helps to know where you're currently at by using a tool like the optimism questionnaire on this University of Pennsylvania website (you may need to create a free account to complete) and then building a plan.  Or, if that sounds like more time than you've got, consider these three key traits that appear to differentiate:

1. Permanence - when adversity strikes, optimists tend to see it as a temporary thing, pessimists see something permanent.

2. Wide-reaching - when something goes wrong, optimists tend to see it as a single moment, a compartment, whereas pessimists think catastrophe in all facets of life

3. Personal - while in the midst of a setback, optimists chalk it up to an external factor rather than looking inward to finding personal flaws or weaknesses.

But then what?  What can you do about it?  Like most things related to health, prevention and performance we can greatly increase our odds of success by getting our ELEMENTS in line:

Give you brain a breather - MOVE - research has consistently shown significant and beneficial neuro-chemical changes associated with exercise in as little as two weeks.  From better blood-flow to changes in chemicals that help our brain's cells communicate, getting active works.

Call off the dogs - FUEL - persistent inflammation has been linked with almost every form of chronic disease.  Certain diets promote inflammation, others reduce it.  If the body is constantly fighting something, it can be quite a bit harder to see the silver lining.

Inside the washing machine - RECOVER - recent research has shown that during deep, restful sleep the brain literally washes away harmful byproducts.  There's a reason why people are foggy after a poor night's sleep and why sleep quality is linked with test scores - it matters.

Build on experience - ENDURE - every time we overcome a challenge, no matter how small it might seem we are able to reference and rely on it when faced with the next challenge.  The act of succeeding itself and then celebrating the success builds resilience for the next pothole we face.

Been there, done that - CONNECT - learning from and building on the experience of others can act like a challenge simulator....lots of learning, without all the bumps and bruises.

Although it's unlikely that we will find ourselves leading the Boston Marathon anytime soon, we all face moments that feel like heart-break hill.....except without the cheering fans.  The people of Boston have become another excellent example that when those moments hit and our resilience is pushed to its limit, we can find more strength than we knew was there.....and nearly-39 year old Meb Keflezighi, one year later, has shown us that when you believe.....anything is possible.

Now go do something extraordinary,

Mike Eisenhart

Managing Partner, Pro-Activity