So if I wanted to change my attitude, how would I go about it? According to Psychology Today, optimism takes practice. The article in the magazine's April 2008 issue, "Second Nature" suggests that optimism is not captured through "positive thinking," it has more to do with the way you behave. It comes from being engaged with one's goals and persist in working toward them. An optimist expects a better future.
Pessimists, on the other hand, are skeptical that anything they do will result in a favorable outcome. And they tend to overlook positive outcomes when they do occur. To overcome this kind of behavior, you need to train yourself to pay attention to good fortune when it does happen. It's the "keep a list of at least three positive things that happen everyday" kind of behavior change. Create a goal, and then work out the actions you need to do to achieve that goal. This helps you create a road map to get to the place you want to be.
And so, I now come to the part where I need to figure out how to get to the goal I have set for myself. I'm already doing a lot of what I need to do—I'm exercising like crazy. I'm trying to watch the diet. I need to do a better job of that. So maybe that's where I should focus more energy. I have 1,000 plans for sticking to a good eating plan—ugh—I just want to eat all of the time. How do I overcome my appetite?
Read more
