According to the NFIB’s Small Business Economic Trends March 2024, small business optimism reached its lowest level since December 2012. One quarter of small business owners said inflation was their single most important problem. Sales for the past 3 months and expected sales for the next 3 months were down. And jobs remain unfilled. Will this pessimism among small business owners continue? Regardless of how you answer this question, it’s essential for you to stay positive.
Effect of positivity
It’s important for you as a small business owner to remain positive. This benefits your business and you personally. According to the Mayo Clinic, health benefits for owners include:
- Increased life span
- Lower rates of depression
- Lower levels of distress and pain
- Greater resistance to illnesses
- Better psychological and physical well-being
- Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke
- Reduced risk of death from cancer
- Reduced risk of death from respiratory conditions
- Reduced risk of death from infections
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
The Mayo Clinic isn’t sure what’s responsible for these good health outcomes, but perhaps they’re due to being able to cope better in stressful situations. And stressful situations are what small business owners experience on a regular basis.
Personal health is one big benefit of a positive attitude. Another is better leadership in your business. Having this attitude engenders trust by others and their willingness to follow. Bottom line: a positive attitude helps create better business performance.
How to develop and support positivity
There’s an old song (music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Johnny Mercer) made famous by Bing Crosby that starts:
“You got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mr. In-between”
Positive Psychology gives suggestions on how to develop a positive mental attitude. It offers this definition of a positive mindset:
“[P]ositive thinking actually means approaching life’s challenges with a positive outlook. It does not necessarily mean avoiding or ignoring the bad things; instead, it involves making the most of the potentially bad situations, trying to see the best in other people, and viewing yourself and your abilities in a positive light.”
It lists 6 traits and characteristics identified with a positive mindset:
- Optimism
- Acceptance
- Resilience
- Gratitude
- Consciousness/mindfulness
- Integrity
There are actually exercises you can do to develop and enhance a positive attitude, such as something as simple as smiling and giving compliments to others. Other ways to do this are focusing on good things, bringing humor to tough situations, giving yourself pep talks (positive affirmation), and surrounding yourself with positive-thinking people.
Here are some resources that can be used to foster a positive attitude:
- The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (it was first published in 1952 and has been revised and remained in print since then).
- Business News Daily: How to Develop a Positive Attitude in the Workplace
- HubSpot: 10 Creative Ways to Keep a Positive Attitude No Matter What
- Walden University: 5 Tips to Train Yourself to Think Positively
Final thought
I have a wooden sign on my desk I got at the local Hallmark store that says: Positivity, Patience, and Persistence. It’s helpful to remind myself of the need to stay positive. I’ve experienced personal losses in the past year and I’m sure that my survival is partly attributable to having a good attitude.
One last quotation worth remembering:
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
Read more about the importance of self-care in blogs published here.
