Hope is Not a Strategy, Sort Of

“Pessimism never won any battle.” –  Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Hope is not a strategy” is a complex phrase. We have all had moments where we wish upon a star in hopes of a particular outcome. While this might make you feel better, it will not move you closer to your goal.  That said, hope is necessary for any plan to succeed and is a critical motivator. Action, however, is more important than wishes and words, but action requires drive.

Hope is the feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen¹. Obviously, this is crucial for pursuing goals as any execution strategy requires people to do the work. Hope, not optimism, was shown to predict the academic performance of law students². No one wants to work towards something they find hopeless. During the day to day, hope accounts for 14% of the productivity in a workplace³. A greater sense of hope is also associated with better physical health, reduced risk of all-cause mortality, and fewer sleep problems⁴.

To have hope is a good thing and is critical for a meaningful life, but this is not a substitute for strategy. Simply wishing upon a star or asking a particular power in the universe for an outcome has no impact on life’s events. You must partner hope with plans of action. Use it as a driver to develop a plan, execute, and push through hard times to get things done.

Action: Reflect upon what you hope for. Use that hope as motivation to chase your goal(s).

Further Reading:

1. Oxford English Dictionary
2. Hope, but not optimism, predicts academic performance of law students beyond previous academic achievement
3. Having the will and finding the way: A review and meta-analysis of hope at work
4. Hope and Optimism as an Opportunity to Improve the “Positive Mental Health” Demand