‘Unreasonable optimism’ separates the long-term winners from the strugglers

Mastery Den, Saturday Edition, 1 min read.

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Over a decade ago, I decided I didn’t want to work for a boss.

I wanted more flexibility and to have more of a sense of self-reliance.

I also wanted to rely on something other than any one employer.

Having several clients or customers seemed far safer than just one boss who could drop me any moment.

I decided, at 24, to leave the real estate office I was in, and work for myself as an illustrator.

I’d create my own luck.

My career since then has been peppered with 10x more mistakes than successes.

Cash flow was often non-existent.

Many times I felt dumb, inadequate and confused.

But I learned over time to develop a trait I saw in those who seemed to be unstoppable:

‘Unreasonable’ optimism.

It’s being ok with reality even if the data suggests things aren’t ok.

Those who seem to win long-term are no different than you.

We all face an uncertain future.

No one knows.

And so, to succeed and to stay sane, we must dabble in the ‘unreasonable.’

Reasonable anything is dull and uninspiring anyway.

You must be willing to say yes when others want to hide.

When you suffer a setback, it’s about seeing the lesson in it instead of the loss.

When others deliberate and ponder, you act, not knowing the complete picture.

Now THAT’s unreasonable.

And it’s how we need to live.

You must learn to keep it light when everyone else talks of darkness.

Nurture unreasonable optimism.

This keeps you energised and makes so much possible.

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Do you want less stress, and more enthusiasm and energy?

In a few weeks, I’m running a live group cohort on living creatively.

There will be 8 sessions, and feature interactive exercises, classes and live coaching. I will be sharing my philosophy on the creative life, and how making the best use of the mind changed my life.

I used to be continually anxious and unmotivated. I couldn’t move the needle. Since adopting a creative approach to living, I’ve built a readership of over 150,000, live where I want, and create prolifically.

Join the waiting list so you don’t miss the announcement and early bird bonuses.

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