In our relentless pursuit of success, we often hold a deeply rooted belief: work hard, achieve your goals, and then happiness will follow. This formula, widely accepted and promoted, paints a picture where success is the gateway to happiness. But what if this approach is fundamentally flawed? What if, in reality, happiness isn’t the prize at the end of the success journey, but rather the fuel that propels us towards achieving our goals?
The traditional success-first model overlooks a crucial element – the role of happiness in shaping our path to success. Happiness is often viewed as a byproduct, a reward that comes after hard work and achievement. However, this mindset can lead us into a continuous loop of seeking the next big accomplishment, in the hope that it will finally bring the happiness we seek.
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Jim Carrey
Achor argues that happiness and optimism aren’t the result of success; they fuel performance and success. And, he has research on 1600 Harvard students and Fortune 500 companies to back him up.
Related: Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman
How to Cultivate a Positive Brain
Shawn Achor’s research brings to light a fascinating aspect of human psychology: the profound impact of a positive mindset on our brain’s biology. This concept goes beyond mere feel-good platitudes, delving into how our emotional state can fundamentally influence our cognitive functions and overall success. Here are some steps to improve brain positivity:
- Meditate: Increases calmness and happiness, grows the brain’s happy part.
- Anticipate Joy: Enjoy the anticipation of positive events.
- Acts of Kindness: Contribute to enhanced mental health.
- Infuse Positivity: Modify your surroundings to reduce negativity.
- Exercise: Boosts mood and work performance.
- Spend on Experiences: Creates lasting happiness compared to material things.
- Use Your Strengths: Regularly using your talents increases happiness.
Mindset Shifts for Success
The Fulcrum and the Lever Principle
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
Archimedes
Achor’s concepts revolve around two key elements in maximizing our potential: the length of our lever and the position of our fulcrum. The “lever” represents the amount of potential power and possibility we believe we have, while the “fulcrum” symbolizes the mindset with which we generate the power to change.
Achor emphasizes that our perception of the world isn’t just a passive observation but a mental construction influenced by our daily activities and mindset. This perspective significantly defines our reality.
The Tetris Effect
Achor highlights how repetitive activities can rewire our brains to perceive the world in a specific way. He uses the example of people who play Tetris extensively. They start seeing Tetris shapes everywhere in their daily life, indicating a significant change in their brain’s processing.
- Brain Rewiring: Just as excessive Tetris play alters how players view their surroundings, focusing intensely on stress and negativity reshapes our brain to predominantly notice negative aspects.
- The Power of Focus: However, the flip side of this phenomenon is that we can train our brains to spot patterns of possibility and opportunity. What we focus on expands in our perception.
Achor’s insights reveal that our mental focus is not just a passive state but an active choice that shapes our perception and experience of the world. By choosing to concentrate on positive aspects, we can rewire our brains to be more attuned to positivity, which in turn enhances our overall happiness and success.
Post-Traumatic Growth
Achor’s approach addresses the inevitability of encountering adverse situations in life and how our mindset determines our response and resilience. However, he introduces the concept of Post-Traumatic Growth, suggesting that adversity can lead to personal growth and development, depending on how we process these challenging experiences. To achieve this growth, we can follow the ABCD model:
- Adversity: The event or situation that occurs, which is beyond our control.
- Belief: Our personal interpretation or reaction to the adversity, which is within our control.
- Consequence: The result or outcome that follows from our belief.
- Disputation: The process of challenging and changing our beliefs if they lead to negative consequences.
The Zorro Circle
Achor emphasizes the significant role of believing in the impact of our actions and the control we have over our future in driving success. He offers guidance on how to regain control when overwhelmed by stress, particularly in the workplace.
Steps to Regain Control:
- Self-Awareness: Begin by recognizing and naming your emotions. Writing them down, talking to someone, or any method that helps articulate these feelings can significantly reduce their intensity. This step is backed by brain science, which shows that identifying emotions diminishes their power.
- Distinguish Controllable Aspects: Analyze the situation to separate what you can control from what you cannot. Focus on letting go of stresses beyond your control, shifting attention to areas where your actions can make a difference.
- One Step at a Time: Tackle controllable aspects methodically, starting with smaller, more manageable tasks. This approach creates a series of small victories, reinforcing the belief in your ability to influence outcomes. Continue this process, addressing each aspect in turn.
The 20-Second Rule
Achor’s perspective on achieving personal goals revolves around understanding our natural tendencies towards habitual behavior and the limitations of willpower. He suggests practical strategies to make desired changes more attainable.
- Reduce Activation Energy for Positive Habits: Make it easier to start new, beneficial habits. Lowering the ‘activation energy’ means reducing the effort required to begin a desired action.
- Increase Activation Energy for Negative Habits: Conversely, make it harder to engage in unwanted habits. This can be as simple as adding small inconveniences to discourage these actions.
- Practical Examples:
- Researchers demonstrated this principle by reducing ice cream consumption in a cafeteria simply by closing the lid of the ice cream cooler.
- Achor himself placed his running shoes next to his bed and slept in gym clothes to make it easier to start his morning exercise routine.
Social Investment
Achor’s final principle emphasizes the direct correlation between social support and happiness, as well as its significant influence on overall success. Whether through deep, long-term relationships or brief, high-quality interactions, social connections play a pivotal role in our overall well-being and achievement in life.
Conclusion: Reversing the Formula
When we embrace happiness as the starting point, we unlock a new perspective on how to achieve our goals. Happiness isn’t just a fleeting emotion; it’s a powerful state of mind that can dramatically impact our approach to work, relationships, and personal growth. By nurturing a positive mindset, we are better equipped to face challenges, seize opportunities, and build meaningful connections.
By choosing to focus on happiness now, we don’t just enhance our present state of mind; we also pave the way for a future where success is not just an aspiration, but a natural outcome of our positive approach to life. Let’s reverse the formula and see where a happiness-first approach can take us. Your journey towards a fulfilled and successful life begins with a simple yet profound choice – choose happiness.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Daily Practice: Incorporate meditation and acts of kindness into your routine.
- Mindset Change: Actively seek positive aspects in every situation.
- Small Steps: Tackle manageable tasks first to regain control during stress.
- Gratitude Journal: Keep a daily record of positive things in your life.
- Social Connections: Invest time in building and maintaining relationships.
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