Noticing the negatives is an unhelpful thinking style where:
Focusing on the positives does not mean being unrealistically optimistic, but broadening your attention to look at all aspects of an issue, including where you did well.
If Samantha achieves her goal of scoring 80% on an assignment, but brushes it off as “well it wasn’t that hard” this is an example of:
Thought diaries are a helpful tool for challenging unhelpful thinking patterns and developing more helpful thoughts.