Makeover Monday: Optimism - A Renewable Resource

Today I realized that in 90 days or so, I will be unemployed. The job I've had for 22 years is being eliminated, and the job I was offered wasn't a good fit for me or for the company, IMO, so I'm taking a severance package and walking away.

Yikes!

Prior to this job, I worked for nine years at my previous job. Before that, I was in high school. In other words, in my entire adult life, I've always had a job.

Yikes!

What it boiled down to, for me, is that I either believe in myself or I don't…I have faith, or I don't. I advise others to do these things. It's time I walked the talk, as the corporate chatter goes. (Oooh, new #1 on the list of things I won't miss about Corporate America.)

While I'm more than a little nervous about this Big Change, I can't help but be optimistic. I've got some ideas that might be money-makers (even if they aren't likely to result in my current salary level), and this provides an excellent opportunity—maybe the chance of a lifetime—to try them out.

The trick with this, I think, is going to be maintaining this level of optimism. Sometimes I may have to reach for it a bit, and that's okay. All I need is a plan!

Cammy's (and yours if you want it) Optimism Renewal Plan
- Award credit for current and past successes. Make a list of them. (You can bet 100 pounds lost will be at the top of mine!) Post the list in a prominent place so that you can refer to it frequently. Oh, and don't forget to leave room for adding on to the list!
- Set specific and reasonable goals. Write those down, too, and refer to them often.
- Celebrate achievements and be grateful for them. Don't forget to reward yourself!
- Accept imperfection. I read a brilliant quote once:

If you're perfect, only the perfect will be comfortable with you and you'll
wind up lonely.

(Peggy Noonan, I think.)


- Challenge negative thoughts. I don't know about you, but I can become Empress of the Irrational when I'm on a roll. That never helps. We're far better off pondering the problem rationally and figuring out a solution. Now is not the time for the blame game or endless brooding. Oooh, I feel another quote coming on:

Put on your big girl panties and deal with it.

(I have no idea who originated that, but I've seen it on a jillion t-shirts.)


- Remember that lots of enormously successful people failed first. Face it, things WILL go wrong. That's a part of life, but it's not ALL of life.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Not necessarily the Pollyanna types {shudder}, but people who are good at the aforementioned tips and will gently remind you to practice them yourself.
- Restful sleep, a healthy diet, and regular exercise will go a long way toward heading off any moody, broody thoughts. I know this to be true.


If you've tried these out and none of them seems to be working…fake it! Pretend you're already successful. Act like you're an optimist, dammit! Remember this, from our first Makeover Monday?

We see what we believe.

(Quote was from Brian Tracy, if you don't have time to chase the link.)



Whether we're trying to change careers, lose weight, finish school, learn to cook, or any other shiny, new endeavor, optimism will be a key element in our success.

Thank goodness it's one of those renewable resources!

Before I print out The Plan, sing out in the comments with your tips, advice, suggestions for items I need to add to it! I'm all ears and eyes (and thumbs, judging from the number of typos my spell check revealed).



Happy Monday to all!


Links in this post:
http://www.suemorem.com/podcasts/Podcast013.php
http://tippytoediet.com/2008/05/make-me-over-may.html