Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard, we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those ten pounds, or raise our test scores, then happiness will follow.
However, recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward. Rather, happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work and in our personal lives. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, organizational management and educational studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe.
In The Happiness Advantage, best-selling author and positive psychology expert Shawn Achor (who spent a decade researching and lecturing at Harvard University) draws on his own research in 50 countries — including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard — to fix this broken formula. We can reprogram our brains to become more positive, improve our performance, and maximize our potential edge at work, in the care we provide, at home, and in our communities.
Happiness is a choice. Our external world only predicts 10% of long-term happiness. The research and evidenced-based principles that help people achieve a happiness advantage include:
The research is conclusive. Positive brains consistently outperform negative or neutral brains. Positive emotions and a sense of urgency make people successful during transition periods. We can retrain our brains to capitalize on positivity and improve our productivity, adaptability, and performance.
Change presents stress, and the brain increases its production of cortisol. This increase can have short-term benefits, but over time, it degrades our ability to deal effectively with change. This principle teaches us the importance of infusing positive emotions into our daily lives and reminds us to adjust our mindset to reduce stress, thus improving our performance and success.
When our brains get stuck in a pattern that focuses on stress, negativity, and failure, we set ourselves up for failure. This principle teaches us how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility so we can see—and seize—opportunity wherever we look.
Change always presents more setbacks than business as usual because it is unfamiliar terrain. The principle of Falling Up teaches us to rewrite how we mentally address setbacks. Creating counterfactuals that leverage setbacks builds resilience and promotes positive change.
When challenges loom, and we feel overwhelmed, our rational brains can be hijacked by emotions. This principle teaches us how to regain control by focusing first on small, manageable goals and then gradually expanding our circle to achieve bigger and bigger ones.
Sustaining lasting change often feels impossible because our willpower is limited. And when willpower fails, we fall back on our old habits and succumb to the path of least resistance. This principle shows how, by making small energy adjustments, we can reroute the path of least resistance and replace bad habits with good ones.
Along with optimism and belief that our behavior matters, our social support network is the greatest predictor of our long-term health and happiness.
When you capitalize on the Happiness Advantage, you are doing far more than improving your own well-being and performance; the more you profit from the principles, the more everyone around you will profit.
