The song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” serves as a darkly comic conclusion of the 1979 Monty Python film Life of Brian. Sung by condemned victims of crucifixion as they await death, the song has stood as a classic example of ironic British wit.
But beyond its sarcasm, the song — literally — offers some good advice that you should take to heart, says April-Lynn Levitt, a coach with the Personal Coach in Oakville, Ont.
“People who are optimistic are typically more successful in business,” Levitt says. “People tend to be attracted to others who are more positive in their behaviour.”
Levitt offers some recommendations on how you can use optimism to build a stronger practice:
> Close the deal
In the 1980s, psychologist Martin Seligman studied how optimism can help boost sales for New York-based Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. He concluded that embracing optimism can help close more deals.
Seligman’s book Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life explains how optimism can help you become a better producer. (It is available through major online retailers.) You can read a summary of the Metropolitan Life case study here.
> Remain realistic
While optimism helps close sales, you also must, as a financial advisor, base your analysis on facts. So, can you combine optimism with realism?
Yes, says Levitt: “You can still focus on the positive while being realistic. But it is a balance.”
One way to maintain that balance, Levitt says, is to a have strong belief in yourself.
“Optimistic people aren’t the kind to blame things on the economy or other circumstances,” she says. “They take responsibility and believe they will succeed in the future.”
> Learn it
Although the way you view the world may be innate, Levitt says, you can train yourself to think more optimistically.
One way to improve your outlook is to focus on the work you really enjoy doing. For example, if your passion is meeting with clients, then try to do that as much as possible. Delegate some tasks that you don’t enjoy, such as product research or marketing, to other members of your team.
> Control what you can
Another way to build optimism is to know the difference between what you can control and what you cannot.
For example, you know you have no control over market fluctuations. But you can control how you choose to prepare for volatility and how you react to it.
Following this practice, Levitt says, contributes to a stronger sense of self-confidence, which goes hand in hand with optimism.
> Build support
It is important to have a strong support network to help you keep your spirits up when the going gets tough.
For example, you might choose to work with a coach or find a mentor through your firm or an industry association, such as Advocis.
“Having someone else who is a cheerleader for you can help,” Levitt says. “Humans need appreciation and affirmation that they are doing a good job.”
As well, having a mentor can help you find other ways of to keep you looking on the bright side of life.