By Jen Johnston for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series

It’s easy to remain optimistic when prescription sales are up, customers are happy, and front-end products are flying off the shelves.

But what about when things aren’t going well? Maybe you are buried in paperwork. Maybe sales are down. Maybe you’re having a hard time with PBMs, government regulations, insurance claims, reimbursements, audits...the list goes on. It’s easy to get caught in the downward spiral of negative, pessimistic thinking.

Some pharmacists believe that pessimism is akin to realism, and that optimism is just self-deception and not good for conducting “real business.”

Realism schmealism.

Into-mind.com says, “…a true realist is someone who makes completely unbiased judgments and who doesn’t see things through any kind of filter, neither a positive nor a negative one.” So being pessimistic does not mean you are being realistic.

I say you create your own reality. Set realistic goals for your pharmacy and focus on the things you can control. When you are meeting your objectives, you will feel more positive and won’t have unfocused and negative thoughts buzzing around in your head. A clearer head and positive attitude means you are more likely to dream up an innovative new plan for marketing your pharmacy within your community or that winning idea to sell more front-end products with every Rx purchase.

Small setbacks and bad days happen. But when you focus on the positive, you will become more positive. Your customers will notice your optimism too, and people will want to spend time in your pharmacy because they too feel happy there. Yep, optimism can be contagious.

So remain optimistic. And if you ever need a pick-me-up – contact me on LinkedIn and I’ll tell you a funny story or share something positive to make you smile!