Additional read - The Happiness Advantage

(Additional read)

Thanks to Rachel, from Res Life, I added an additional good read that I will suggest to you to think about. The Happiness Advantage is based on the latest research in neuroscience, which says it isn’t success that leads to happiness but the other way around!  Yes, this new thought is based on the research of Shawn Achor, a native Texan who uprooted his life (for twelve years) to study at Harvard University (and some of those years were in a “res life” position), overseeing one of the student houses as an advisor.  Achor shares his seven principles, and here they go: 

1.) Start believing - you can’t fool yourself into happiness by denying reality. However, study after study shows that positivity fuels success.  Positive employees outperform negative employees in terms of productivity, sales, energy levels, turnover rates and healthcare costs by as much as 30% (pretty compelling huh?). 

2.) Think again -“We think work is the opposite of happiness. Studies show that people who view work as less of a “job,” which is a chore and takes away from their free time, and more as a “career” or “calling” are exponentially more likely to feel fulfilled. 

3.) Practice positivity - practicing positivity, it becomes the default pattern. He advises jotting down three things you are grateful for each day or daily journaling about a positive experience. Soon, scanning for the positive rather than the negative will become second nature.

4.) Use failure to fuel success - if workers begin conceiving of failures, mistakes, setbacks and stress as an opportunity to learn and grow, they are in a much better position to pull themselves out of the conflict.

5.) Focus on small goals - begin with manageable goals that you are confident you can accomplish. Then keep pushing the bar further and further.  

6.) Use the 20 second rule - Eliminate as many barriers to your good habits as possible, make positive habits 20 seconds easier to start and bad habits more difficult.

7.) Seek social support - investing in the people around us and our own happiness is the best predictor of career success.  Begin by changing your own attitude. Brighten and say hello when you see people in the hallway and elevator. Make an effort to recognize the contributions of members of your team every single day. And when work is particularly stressful, spend more time with family and friends rather than less.  Better feedback is hard to find. 

How can we all embrace these seven tenets?  Watch the Tedx for more on how we move the average person to be above average – focusing on the positive and not the negative: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXy__kBVq1M

A great read perfect for a workplace book club read.  Thanks Rachel.