Introduction

Optimism is the key to meet your goals. Nurture it and it will pull you through the darkest of times. [url=https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Matthew%20Davies]My friend, Matthew Davies, was suffering from depression and a severe lack of self-esteem for the past 3 years[/url]. I introduced him to a social group which enforced optimism in his life. What happened afterward is nothing short of a miracle.

In just 3 months, he has noticed considerable improvements in his life. Seeing how it changed him, I decided to be more optimistic as well.

Baby Steps
In this article, I will share some tips that will help you to become more optimistic in life.

1. Change your perspective - Look at the solution and not the problem. People tend to procrastinate and wallow in self-pity when faced with difficulties. A more optimistic way to approach this standoff is to focus on the solution rather than the problem.

Instead of doubting yourself, ask this: “How can I improve the situation? What’s the one thing you should do differently that will put an end to your suffering? ”

This is known as positive reinforcement of thought and it provides you with the confidence necessary to overcome any task at hand- which in turn will help you develop an optimistic point of view regarding the world around you.

2. Positive Visualization - On average, a person spends about an hour every day wondering about their ‘ideal’ future selves. Good looks, a nice job, healthy bank balance, a real estate, your accomplishments, you know, all the good stuff.

Most of you convince yourselves that such a dream is impossible and give up on it. However, you should definitely not give up and use it to fuel your inner fire. Your desire to achieve your future goals is a very powerful way of influencing your mind to work towards a better future, both for yourself and for the ones around you.

3. Focus on achieving bite-sized achievements - The chief cause of negative emotion is setting up large goals that require a lot of time and dedication. The majority of you are setting yourselves up for failure when you decide, “ I will learn to play the piano in a month”.

Instead, focus on smaller goals. Executing a simple chord progression seamlessly is a much more believable and achievable goal and one which you are more likely to achieve.

Break down your end goals into smaller fragments and complete them one at a time. Attaining smaller milestones will motivate you to pursue your goals with renewed confidence.

4. Reflect on your positive actions - Preferably, before you retire for the night, make a list of the events you did that day and focus on those that made you happy or feel satisfied. It could be anything like helping a homeless guy or receiving a compliment.

Recognize them and let the feeling of your achievements sink in. A simple gesture like this will replenish your daily dose of optimism, help you develop self-esteem and refill your confidence.

Final Thought
I never believed in such shenanigans. However, after observing what it did to my friend, Matthew Davies, I learned to lead my life in an optimistic manner.