Go ahead. When you’re practicing realistic optimism it’s part of the process to identify and acknowledge the constraints.
Because there will be obstacles and issues. Bad stuff happens. We have dilemmas and barriers.
Nothing is perfect. Ever.
But don’t stop there!
What you do after you’ve identified the constraints makes all the difference.
Realistic Optimism
Here’s a short video by Caroline Webb on realistic optimism – please invest a few minutes to watch it!
(If you can’t see the video player click HERE to go to YouTube)
Identify the Wriggle Room!
Caroline Webb, Economist, and former McKinsey partner says,
“Acknowledge the constraints, then identify the wriggle room within and around them…”
This process is what she calls realistic optimism.
What is the ideal?
What’s the first step toward to ideal?
- where have you succeeded before – use that!
- how and what have you learned from past endeavors that you could translate to this?
- who could help you get a step toward your ideal?
Optimists (realistic optimists according to Caroline Webb) get into discovery mode once they’ve acknowledged the constraints…
In which area do you need to enter discovery mode?
In which areas could you get out of your fight or flight mode and into discovery? Where can you identify the constraints and move on toward the ideal situation? Leave a comment!
On a personal note, perhaps one of the reasons I found this interesting is because of my values. Rob and I have identified three shared values as a couple: Loyalty, Optimism, and Discovery. We use our values when we make decisions. If you’re interested, you can read more about this idea of shared values and our value of discovery HERE.
