“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

– Helen Keller, author, activist and lecturer

One of the factors most associated with success in a coaching relationship is optimism. Perhaps one reason for this is that optimists see setbacks as temporary and summon the courage and tenacity to stay the course toward their goals. Pessimists, on the other hand, tend to see setbacks and failures as more permanent, and often give up far too soon with “what’s the use?” or “it’s far too difficult.”

Keller was faced with major life obstacles: she was deaf and blind from the age of 19 months. But she became the first deaf and blind person to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and she was an activist for women’s suffrage and workers’ rights, and many other progressive causes. She even published 12 books during her lifetime.

Exercise:

If you would like to exercise your optimism muscle, consider one of the following resources:

Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness, both by Martin Seligman

Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar (a well known professor at Harvard)