{"id":155,"date":"2014-03-15T15:36:04","date_gmt":"2014-03-15T15:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.minotaurdesign.com\/blog\/?p=155"},"modified":"2014-03-25T02:43:09","modified_gmt":"2014-03-25T02:43:09","slug":"optimism-designers-developers-managers-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.minotaurdesign.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/15\/optimism-designers-developers-managers-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimism in Designers, Developers and Managers – Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re just joining us now, be sure to check out Part 1<\/a>, where we explored the inherent optimism of designers, developers and managers, and what specific elements of our professions increase our sense of optimism. In Part 2 <\/a>of this series we talked with real people in development and management roles to learn what leads them to feel optimistic about their work life and projects. Part 3<\/a> continued our exploration of optimism as we checked in with some designers to see what makes them feel hopeful about their projects and day to day. Part 4 <\/a>covered the dark side – how people feel and act when faced with the factors that discourage optimism rather than foster it. <\/p>\n

Walking the Walk<\/strong>
\nSo until now we\u2019ve only talked about optimism, right? Let\u2019s put it into practice. How do you cultivate a positive attitude when dealing with the hectic pace, stressful situations and the shear distraction of today\u2019s lifestyles? Glad you asked!<\/p>\n

1. Take inventory<\/strong>
\nStop, breathe and make a list of all the good things about your life. One by one, focus on what makes your job worth doing, what brings you joy at home, and the people inside and outside work who inspire and support you. What milestones are you looking forward to, and which have you already achieved? Sometimes it\u2019s easy to forget how good you really have it, and a simple and honest review of your circumstances may clear the fog and reveal a pretty nifty landscape indeed.<\/p>\n

Next, list out all your grievances. Add to the naughty list that client who never listens to your ideas, and write down the many ways Joe from accounting chews too loudly. Don\u2019t edit yourself here – if it bugs you, jot it down. This list is more useful than you might think in building optimism. It\u2019s what you\u2019ll reflect on in a moment, gazing through what I like to call the \u2018first world filter.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. Reach Out<\/strong>
\nHumans are a communal species. By and large we do better with others around instead of going it on our own. Empathy is a powerful tonic, and sharing your tales of wonder and woe (ie. the good and bad, the ups and downs) with other folks has several built-in rewards. You\u2019ll build better relationships, get some perspective when hearing about the challenges others face, and hopefully inspire someone else who\u2019s slogging through their own Fire Swamp, battling Rodents of Unusual Size. <\/p>\n

3. Harness Your Little Green Monster<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s normal to be envious of coworkers and friends who achieve great things or seem to live a charmed life. However, it\u2019s not healthy or productive to dwell on it, thinking how lucky they are and how you\u2019re not as fortunate\/connected\/blessed.<\/p>\n

Instead of living in a jealous fog, channel your energy towards building your own success. Envious of your pal who\u2019s winning awards or making bank with their new novel? Write a book! Can\u2019t fathom how your coworker has 10k Twitter followers and you have 200? Learn how to better market yourself, how to network and grow your personal brand. <\/p>\n

Use your friends and neighbors as the higher bar you strive to reach. <\/p>\n

4. Listen Up and Look Around<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s amazing what you hear when you start to pay attention. For example, there was a time I grew frustrated with what I perceived as a lack of opportunities to be creative. (crazy, I know!) <\/p>\n

I resolved to open myself up to anything that presented itself, regardless of how it might fit what I envisioned for creative outlets. WHAM! Suddenly it seemed I had opportunities coming from all directions – I had too many to participate in and had to turn some down. Did the creative forces of the universe turn on a dime? No, of course not. I simply started paying attention to what the universe what trying to tell me. <\/p>\n

5. Accept that you control your destiny<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s absolutely useless to blame anyone for your circumstances in life. Sure, that cabbie who didn\u2019t stop for you this morning and made you late – that\u2019s his fault right? Well, no. You could have gotten up earlier, or set up a carpool, or well… bought a bike. <\/p>\n

Choices you make every day, either consciously or unconsciously, define who you are and the world you create for yourself. Make good choices.<\/p>\n

6. Be happy<\/strong>
\nConsciously see the world through a positive lens. Practicing this single step will make an astounding difference, even if you\u2019re challenged in making process via other methods. Seriously, it\u2019s that simple an effective – give it a shot.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s my belief and sincere hope that you\u2019ll find value in practicing these habits, and that you\u2019ll find yourself experiencing a brighter outlook in your day job and at home as a result. <\/p>\n

Stay on the bright side\u2026<\/p>\n

Rich Lee<\/p>\n

Note: Also published on www.giantux.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re just joining us now, be sure to check out Part 1, where we explored the inherent optimism of designers, developers and managers, and what specific elements of our professions increase our sense of optimism. In Part 2 of this series we talked with real people in development and management roles to learn what … Continue reading Optimism in Designers, Developers and Managers – Part 5<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-design","category-development","category-management"],"yoast_head":"\nOptimism in Designers, Developers and Managers - Part 5 - Minotaur Design<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.minotaurdesign.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/15\/optimism-designers-developers-managers-part-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Optimism in Designers, Developers and Managers - Part 5 - Minotaur Design\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you\u2019re just joining us now, be sure to check out Part 1, where we explored the inherent optimism of designers, developers and managers, and what specific elements of our professions increase our sense of optimism. 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