Mindless Optimism

There is something said for Mindless Optimism. I heard the term a few weeks ago. I think it came from an Op Ed in the Wall Street Journal in which someone was asked at a party how they were approaching 2010. The answer was with Mindless Optimism. What a great thought for today. Coming off of the last year or two, mindlessness feels pretty good, and optimism is always good.

But I see more wisdom in the term than that. I think mindless optimism gives us the freedom to focus on what we need to in order to be successful in challenging times. Worrying about what went on last year or how difficult things might be in the coming year is a waste of time and energy. In challenging times you need to be able to focus on what works. If you are no longer certain of what works, you need to focus time and energy on tweaking your process to make sure it works. Said another way, it's best to stop thinking and start doing. And the doing will be much more enjoyable and much more successful with an expectation of success. As we are all challenged to focus, to be efficient, to make business work with less margin for error, I think mindless optimism can free us up to concentrate on what needs to be done to succeed.

Todd Kmiec
Todd Kmiec & Associates
todd@toddkmiec.com

Comment by Heidi on January 13, 2010 at 11:23am: Amen Todd, this was an awesome post. Especially the concept of "just doing"

"Worrying about what went on last year or how difficult things might be in the coming year is a waste of time and energy. In challenging times you need to be able to focus on what works. If you are no longer certain of what works, you need to focus time and energy on tweaking your process to make sure it works. Said another way, it's best to stop thinking and start doing. And the doing will be much more enjoyable and much more successful with an expectation of success. ".

I'll admit LY, I've spent a lot of time thinking but now it's time for ACTION. Heidi

Comment by Brad Zirulnik on January 13, 2010 at 1:17pm: I was starting to think I was the only one. Thanks for making me feel human again, Todd.

Comment by Phil Peters on January 14, 2010 at 10:52am: This is something I always try to live by. Thanks for putting it so well.

Comment by Kristen S on January 14, 2010 at 8:14pm: Very timely post. And yes, I agree with what Karen said above. Take the lessons from last year, and march forward.