We are amid the 2020 summer Olympics with athletes giving their all and performing at their highest level to bring home a prized Olympic medal. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand the friendly international sports aspect of the games. But I can’t imagine any coach encouraging an athlete or team to just… finish. If that was the best inspiration the coach could offer, I’m sure their career would be short lived.
The athletes competing in the Olympic games are the best of the best. Many have spent much of their young lives learning, training, practicing, and competing. Followed by more learning, training, practicing, and competing to land on this international stage. That commitment can’t come with a mindset of: “well they will at least give me a participation trophy.”
Similarly, I doubt any of the athletes have an unrealistic view of the possible outcomes for the games they are competing in. They, their team, and their coaches have plenty of information such as performance data, the records of their competitors, and video footage. The athletes who are at or near medal caliber performance are likely operating with the mindset that they are Olympic champions. That belief, mindset, and attitude will fuel their performance to reach a championship level. In short, the athletes are optimistic about their chances of bringing home the gold.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines optimism as: “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome,” and optimistic as: “of, relating to, or characterized by optimism: feeling or showing hope for the future.” It is the anthesis of pessimism – an expectation of the worst possible outcome. Admittedly, I believe language and concepts are beautiful. The concepts of optimism and pessimism work in tandem. They are on opposite ends of the same continuum and are given more meaning by the adjectives that can be placed before either of them. They are largely interpreted through the lens from which we view the scenario.
The track athlete who has never finished higher than eighth place, who is coming off an injury, and whose best performance is seconds behind the three-time gold medal world record holding sprinter, would be labeled as wildly optimistic if they declared that they will win the gold and set a new world record. But that does not mean it cannot happen. Conversely, the sprinter who has always finished in the top three within milliseconds of the first-place winner, who held the world record before it was broken, and has always brought home a medal, may be considered overly pessimistic if they are not sure that they will even place this year. And yet it is possible that the sprinter may finish last.
In both scenarios, what may be lacking is objectivity. That simple modification is powerful. We can now speak in terms of objective optimism and objective pessimism. Thus, along the optimism/pessimism continuum, our assessment and what we feel, believe, or think can be filtered through the lens of objective facts and data.
Let’s take the weather as an example. Our weather models are very reliable. If the forecast calls for a category 5 hurricane to land in four hours, and there have been previously issued hurricane warnings for the past thirty-six hours, you can probably expect the outcomes that come with such a prediction. On the other end of the continuum, a five-day forecast with sunny skies and zero percent chance of rain is a great week for the beach.
You might be saying: I’m here trying to thrive and achieve, and you are talking weather forecasts and Olympic sports? I need something more than that. Well, let me suggest that’s just what you need: data, facts, and performance to ground you. The career move that you are considering; the start-up endeavor that you are contemplating; or the new relationship you are navigating will all be filtered through your feelings, thoughts, and beliefs along the optimism/pessimism continuum.
At some point you will have to accept the objective data of the scenario for what it is. However, there may be space to influence the outcome with an objectively optimistic mindset. If the facts overwhelmingly point to an unfavorable outcome you may decide to abandon the pursuit or continue to pursue it to learn from it. If the data is overwhelmingly indicative of success, you may put in just enough effort to secure the success, but there may be little inspiration in the performance of it.
But what if the outcome is in question? What if the data, the facts, and the history suggest the outcome can go either way and that you can influence it? What mindset do you want to embrace as you are given the baton as the anchor/last leg on the Olympic relay team? That you can’t do it? That you will come in last? When the pain is too much in your legs will those thoughts keep them moving? Even with all the conditioning and your lungs are still burning, will going for the bronze soothe them?
Or do you take the baton with a vision of being on the platform draped in your country’s flag and being awarded the gold? Do you run knowing that you can and will win, oblivious to any pain signals emanating from your body? Do you run knowing this is not just for you but for everyone in your hometown cheering for you?
Well, you may or may not be an Olympic athlete, but I’m certain there is something worthy that you are pursuing. Whatever that may be, I trust you will go for the gold and be the champion that you are!
Reflection Questions:
Where might pessimism (unsupported) show up in your life?
What data, facts, or evidence might you have that establishes this pessimism to be objectively unfounded?
What data, facts, or evidence might you have to support an objectively optimistic view of the same scenario?
What can you do to positively influence the outcome of this scenario?
Having considered these questions, what have you learned about yourself?