Hope: the ultimate catalyst for success

Gail Muller (the brilliant author, life coach and public speaker), wrote the book ‘Do Hope: why you should never give up’. In it, she shares how, due to muscular-skeletal issues, she was a chronic pain sufferer and told to accept that she would be in a wheelchair by the time she was 40. In fact, chronic illness took 15 years of her life, and the mental and physical struggle she faced nearly destroyed her — yet she refused to give up.

What Gail Muller learned about hope

After searching the world for different medical approaches or solutions, Gail eventually found one, and was able to get back on with her life — even going on to walk the legendary Appalachian Trail (with broken bones in her foot, she still managed to complete it). She discovered that hope is far more than a platitude. It is a mindset that if you choose to adopt, can give you light in the darkness and actively help you reach your goals. Our founder Holly Tucker was so fascinated by Gail’s incredible story and the insight she shared off the back of it, that she invited her on to do a Business Pharmacy session with her on Instagram Live so we can apply her incredible thinking to our own lives too. Here’s what we learned…

What is hope and why is it important to have it?

Gail says, “Well first of all, let’s be clear what hope isn’t. It can sometimes be written off as something that is just wishful, whimsical or ‘too optimistic’. It isn’t. It’s active. Hope is a plan to reach a goal. It’s realistic, whether it takes you a month, a year or longer to get there. Hope allows you to believe it’s possible. You have to then take action towards it, even if they’re tiny steps to begin with, and be able to explain to yourself why you hope your hope will come true.”

Does it help to look at hope as a mindset?

In many ways, hope is also optimism. It’s a type of mindset. In life, skills can be taught. Yet ultimately, what really leads to success is how you tackle things. Our mindset is the individual lens through which we see and approach the world, and what we use to navigate life. It’s unique to everyone, shaped by our personality and circumstances, and we use it in all sorts of ways — how we plan our days, the course of action we choose to take, the way we approach tasks or situations, for example… Mindset matters. Choosing to be hopeful means you are adopting a positive one and this can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Gail says, “I help people understand that they have everything inside them that they need to sidestep obstacles that might lie ahead… I’ve worked in education for over 20 years all over the world and I've seen people of all ages and stages, overcome the most difficult situations and thrive. There are so many beautiful stories and they give me the power of hope because I’ve seen it happen.”

How hope can keep you going through challenging times

One key thing to remember, Gail says, is that you can rebuild and reset at any moment. Nothing is lost if you’re not feeling hopeful one day. That’s life. What’s important is that you don’t give up. You will have days when you’re not sure where the money will come from to keep your business open or you can’t see how it’s possible to go on for another day but that’s where hope comes in. You don’t need to know the answer, you just need to hope that you can reach your goals. That’s what then makes them possible.

“What did you originally start your business for? Go back to that.” Gail suggests. “What did you hope it would be? And what brings you true happiness? Like a little archaeologist of joy, you will be able to dig up nuggets of where you have achieved goals or where you have delighted somebody with something you’ve made. So when the big picture feels awful, dig deep. Look at what you have, and then take a little shuffle forward to consider what you might have tomorrow.” Gail reminds us that we can’t always solve problems with our minds either. Sometimes we have to try something physical, whether that’s breath work, mindfulness, watching the sun rise or simply reminding ourselves that every day, magical things can happen. Why shouldn’t today be the day that the magical thing happens to you? That’s a wonderful way to shift your outlook.

The benefits of having hope: the power of possibility

Having hope keeps us motivated. It makes us more resilient as it enables us to endure challenges and it encourages us to believe in possibilities — and when you believe in possibilities, you then stand a chance of achieving great things. It can also help us manage stress better and contribute to our wellbeing. Ultimately, it increases our quality of life. Harvard Health says, “Among young adults with chronic illnesses, greater degrees of hope are associated with improved coping, wellbeing and engagement in healthy behaviours. It also protects against depression and suicide.”¹ So just imagine what it could do for your business…

Why having hope is crucial to founders

Having resilience will help in any line of work but it is crucial for entrepreneurs. Whether you’re thinking about starting your own business or yearning to grow it, hope is what will get you there (we’ve also got lots of business advice to help). So break it down. Gail uses the analogy of building a bridge. Rather than thinking how to leap from one place to the other, believe that there is a path to get you there, you just need to find out where it is. Start by looking at the first step. What could get you one step closer to the other side? Not all the way, just closer, and keep working like that until you arrive. Another trick is to think back to your past and a time when you dearly wished you would be where you are now. It might have seemed impossible, yet you did it. Use this positive mindset to spur you on. Gail says, “Look what you’ve done already. If you’ve done this, why shouldn’t you do that?” This is the same. Start to note these down. Tracking your achievements is a great way to foster hope because it’s evidence that your hopes can become real.

How can you regain hope once it’s fading?

Gail recommends that we develop tools to keep us hopeful and resilient. We need to be mindful of self-sabotage and what she refers to as ‘The Shitty Committee’ — the panel in your head, who constantly just talk crap at you. They are the naysayer voices and the negative Nancies that you need to kill with kindness to overcome. Simply ask yourself, “Is this true?” It will force you to weigh up if there’s any evidence to support the event happening. This will most likely help you reason that actually, you’re a smart person, you've overcome challenges before, you can overcome this one too. You can then ask, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Just keep taking those small shuffles forward and you will hear less from them as they’re replaced with confidence by each tiny step. Also, when you feel hope fading, recognise it and ask yourself if you are willing to give that time and energy away worrying about it — or if you’d rather use it getting closer to achieving your goals. It’s your choice to make.

The power of hope: key takeaways…

Ultimately, remaining hopeful can have a hugely positive affect on your life and wellbeing, and actively help you reach your goals.

1. Remember, hope is active and it’s a mindset:

Use it to help you reach your goals. Don’t let self-sabotage take over. Write down your achievements and use these to spur you on.

2. Take one step at a time to hold onto hope:

Focus on the next challenge in front of you that you need to overcome to get closer to your aim. Remember why this is your goal to stay on track.

3. Embrace the benefits that hope brings:

From being more motivated and resilient, to a feeling of increased self-worth and better health even, embracing hope has many benefits. Use it to help achieve your dreams.