An investor recently asked one of my partners, “What do you think of Matt’s optimism?”
“I think the most important lesson Matt taught me about investing,” she replied, “is that instead of focusing on figuring out what could go wrong – which we all know is very easy to do – he asks, ‘What are the opportunities if this works?’ I believe this is a more difficult mindset to maintain, but it’s also the reason why he’s able to identify great opportunities.”
I was quite moved by this conversation, and it made me reflect on the nature of positive thinking.
I often share the benefits of positive thinking in my articles and in regular conversations with entrepreneurs. It may sound “mystical,” but I think there’s a logic behind it. It comes down to deliberately training your mind to see opportunities that you can expand on.
Actually, if you think about it, when we’re starting a business or facing other challenges in our lives, most of the things that go wrong or keep us from moving forward are outside of our control. If we fixate on these unsolvable issues and devote our emotional and mental resources to them, our thinking starts to become rigid and our self-confidence erodes, ultimately doing more harm than good.
Maintaining a positive mindset keeps your thinking flexible and enables you to discover new ideas, approaches, and untapped markets that others haven’t considered, prompting you to take action. By practicing positive thinking, you create a mindset that allows you to “see opportunities” you wouldn’t be aware of otherwise.
If you’re consistently focused on identifying and acting on potential opportunities, how can your efforts not pay off?
Even in a challenging year like 2023, we’ve seen successful acquisitions and mergers by venture capital firms while several start-ups have begun to evaluate their business models to make them more robust and pragmatic. Watching these developments unfold, I’ve come to realize that if the trend continues to move in a positive direction, we’ll be even more successful when market conditions improve.
In fact, the risk aversion caused by the banking crisis and interest rate hikes earlier this year has already given way to a market that shows signs of a turnaround as we approach the end of the year. By adopting a long-term perspective, we can weather any storm, and after the storm has passed, those who have spent their time seeking out opportunities and working the hardest will be the most successful!
So as another year draws to a close, remember to maintain a positive mindset!
