The Optimistic Mindset: How to Think Like a Goldfish and Transform Your Life

After a long workday, one of my favorite pastimes is getting into a great series on Netflix or Apple TV. Curled up with a cozy blanket in my favorite spot - the corner of our big sectional sofa, I turn on the large screen to my newest addiction, everyone’s favorite mustachioed football coach - Ted Lasso.

The show is about an American football coach who is hired to manage a British soccer team. Though facing an uphill battle from the get-go, Lasso is a heartwarming inspiration. What he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with his optimistic mindset, determination, and biscuits.

I am inspired each time I watch Lasso approach another dilemma with a cheerful outlook. It reminds me how an optimistic mindset can be transforming – for yourself and others.

When was the last time you thought about how your attitude and mindset have affected your life?

What if you could change your mindset to improve your career, your relationships, and every other aspect of your life? It may sound like an impossible task, but fortunately, it isn’t.

This week’s blog will give you some simple strategies to reprogram your brain and think like a goldfish (in the best way possible). After that, you’ll be ready to start changing the way you think and live.

What is Your Level of Optimism Now?

Let me ask you something – do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

An optimist tends to look at the world and situations with a “cup half full” mentality; versus the pessimist, who looks at life as a “cup half empty.”

In other words, do you tend to see the positive, even in challenging situations? Or do you immediately assume the worst?

Look back on your life over the last four weeks. Think about the things that happened, the good experiences to the bad ones.

Rate yourself on a zero to ten scale of Pessimist to Optimist.

When something good happened: Did you celebrate? Were you grateful for it? Or did you brush it aside and pick apart what didn’t work?

When something didn’t go your way: Did you grumble and complain to yourself, or others? Or did you find the positives and learnings in the situation?

How to Train Your Brain to Be More Optimistic

You may want to improve your optimistic mindset, or you may be naturally positive but struggling to be optimistic in a pessimistic world.

Regardless of where you find yourself, you can choose to be more optimistic. Here are a few simple strategies to take you up the optimism scale and maintain it.

It’s Not About What Happens

It’s how you respond.

In a favorite scene of the series, Coach Ted Lasso tells one of his players to “be a goldfish.”

Sam, a newcomer having a tough time finding his place, is shown up by the star player during practice. Lasso calls him off the field.

“Do you know what the happiest animal on earth is?” Lasso says. Sam shakes his head. “The goldfish. Do you know why? They have a 10-second memory.”

He explains that you shouldn’t let mistakes wear you down. You need to shake them off – let them go, just like a goldfish.

“Be a goldfish Sam. Yeah?... Yeah, you’ve got it. Now go ahead.” With an encouraging smile from Lasso, Sam nods his head and runs back out on the field to join his team.

Unfortunately, not everything that happens in your life is completely under your control. Sometimes things will not go your way – you will make a mistake, or someone will hurt you; it is an inevitable part of life.

You don’t always have control over what happens to you, but here is the good news – and the game changer. You can always choose your response.

When Others See Obstacles - You See Opportunities

Where others see obstacles, an optimist sees opportunities.

Take Ted Lasso, for example. Lasso was fired from his job after just nine months because of dismal performance ratings.

Instead of sulking or trying to appeal his firing, Lasso decided that being let go was fate telling him it was time for something new—and better.

Think about your own life, and if there is an obstacle you are currently facing. How can you change your perspective on the situation and see an opportunity?

View Criticism as Helpful

When someone criticizes you, or thinks that you don’t deserve something, their negativity is based on their own perspective. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to see that type of negativity as constructive feedback.

It’s hard not to get defensive when someone insults your work ethic or tells you that you aren’t good enough. When this happens, remember that everyone can be your teacher. You can take something to learn and improve yourself and discard the rest.

Don’t let negative feedback hold you back from pursuing your goals; instead, use it as fuel for change.

If there are changes that need to be made in your life—small or large—knowing which areas need work is crucial for growth and improvement.

Reframe Failure as Experience

Nothing highlights your ability to learn from failure like being optimistic in your life. Look at every setback as an opportunity for growth, a chance to reframe failure as experience.

If you have an optimistic mindset, then every time something doesn’t go as planned, or fails to meet your expectations, you reinterpret it as an opportunity for personal growth.

By doing so, you make it easier for yourself—and everyone around you—to accept failure and move on.

Back to the goldfish mentality. After a devasting loss for the AFC Richmond Team Ted Lasso gathered his players around. “Let’s be sad now, let’s be sad together, and then we can be a gosh darn goldfish. Onward, forward.”

It Takes Time

You have the power to choose an optimistic mindset. It can be cultivated, much like any other skill.

It takes time. The more you practice optimism the better your overall outlook, your well-being, and your relationships.

When negative events occur, you will acknowledge them, learn from them, and move on. You know – like a goldfish.

Choose an optimistic mindset and watch how it transforms your life.