Positive thinking

I'm getting really interested in the power of thinking in the business context. I'm reading a book by Daniel Tammet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIDMCC2SJek and it is totally fascinating and challenging. I have been thinking about some of Daniel's observations on the role of intelligence in success. He wonders whether talent can be learned or must be born. He has some very interesting observations about the role of coaching, practice and positive thought in the evolution of success.



How does this relate to smingl? Well, setting up a business is an immensely personal challenge. When people like what you're doing, you bask in the glory but when people criticise, you take it personally and deal with it as personal criticism. So how to evaluate criticism when it's so personal? This is, I think, where positive thinking comes in. You need to set an over-arching goal and keep repeating it to yourself as a sort of mantra (read Daniel Tammet on the effect of trained meditation - again, fascinating). The purpose is to keep counter-balancing any negative thinking related to criticism with lots of positive long term thinking about success. This helps you to deal with the criticism in a less emotional manner because a bit of feedback doesn't break the ultimate goal of success. But it should be a structured plan for success, not a naive 'I can beat the world' type of feeling. I have written some achievable goals for myself and I feel comfortable with them. They require me to hit certain points in the evolution of smingl which will almost certainly involve change and challenge. If I can deal with change, I can hit my targets (hate that word - this isn't about numbers, it's about goals). So this is why Daniel's book has been timely and very interesting.



Please do keep sending me feedback. I keep thinking of that often recycled Henry Ford quote along the lines of: If I'd listened to my customers, I'd have made a faster horse. I love this sentiment for its sheer bloody mindedness but I reserve the right to make some combination of car-horse to get to where I want to be.