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Optimist, Pessimist or Realist? Sometimes You Have to Be All Three

Have you ever wondered what personality traits make a great entrepreneur? Or what kind of person creates a successful business? The answer is: you! If you’re reading this post, then you’ve either started your own company or are seriously thinking about it. But are you an optimist, pessimist or realist? You actually need to be all three when you start a business venture. Here’s why.
Start as an optimist. Any successful business requires optimism to get off the ground. You have to believe that your product is exactly what people want to buy, or that your service will truly make a difference. You have to believe in your own abilities, and you have to have faith in your employees and customers. When you’re an optimist, you might order a thousand business cards and believe you’ll hand out every one of them in the next month. That kind of positive outlook is crucial for a new business. When you envision success, you will have success.
Plan as a pessimist. No one imagines their business faltering or failing – but that’s exactly what you have to do every day as an entrepreneur. What will you do if critical supplies are not delivered on time? What would happen if your storefront suffered a fire or a flood, or your online ordering system crashed? By imagining these scenarios, you can calmly put contingency plans in place now instead of reacting to an emergency in the future. Remember, you’re not admitting defeat if you plan for failure; you’re simply better prepared if it does happen.
Work as a realist. As a realist, you have a balanced outlook on business and on life. You may hope for the best and plan for the worst, but still take things one day at a time. After you’ve managed your business for a while, you’ll start to see where the kinks are and where your business process needs improvement. Whether you’re buying insurance, hiring a web design company, or interviewing new employees, you’ll make the best decisions when you approach everything as a realist.
Does your business need a healthy dose of optimism, pessimism or realism right now? Whichever state you’re in, you need to be prepared for what’s coming next.