I’ve blogged about this before, because it’s so important.  Optimism matters.  I’m not talking about being a Pollyanna in a pejorative way, where blind optimism can reflect naiveté.  Rather, I mean the ability to remain motivated and persistent when things don’t go the way you’d like.  Rather than giving up, optimists find ways to learn from their struggles, adapt and move on toward the best possible outcome.  Not only do optimists tend to be more successful, they’re happier to boot.  What’s not to like?

One of the best things about optimism is that you can develop it by training your mind to focus on your successes each day.  Adopt these practices and see if it doesn’t result in you becoming more optimistic

• Before you go to bed at night, write down one or two things that went well that day, and think about why they happened.
• And related to Tip #1, what are you proud of that day in the work you’ve done, and why?  Again, this keeps you in touch with your values, a strong motivation to press on.