More Happiness Tips For Tough Times

I recently posted six happiness tips from Tal Ben-Shahar which generated a lot of comments appreciating the value of the words from Tal Ben-Shahar. The response made me reflect on what actually makes me happy. It goes like this:

• Identify and nurture the 20% that brings true joy. Many people say that we should live in the now and get the best out of the situation we are in. I think this is a cliché. Why else do so many people continue to spend considerable time doing things they just need to get done or even dread?

I believe we can apply the 80/20 rule here as well by saying that 20% of our time brings us 80% of the true joy we have. It is my experience that it pays off to identify those 20% and to structure our daily lives towards this by giving these moments the attention and time needed. Over time, it might even be possible to change the 20% to 30 or perhaps even higher.

• Reduce the noise. We do too many things that do not matter. As Adrian Tache said in a comment, nothing is really urgent after all and deadlines are there for unimportant reasons. So why not simplify and reduce the noise? I gave some input on how I do this in this blog post: Work Approaches: Rude or Effective?

• Reach your goals through small steps. I believe in having long-term goals and a personal vision, but I also believe that we need to break this into smaller steps. The first step for me was to get into the “game” I wanted to be a part of and the next steps are about gradually reaching a level where I get enough influence to create a daily life that leads towards my personal vision.

To illustrate this, I have spent many years starting companies, facilitating networks and working as a consultant to build a better understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation. However, it has not been until the last few years that this strong and persistent focus have given me the options needed to live the work as well as personal life I had envisioned many years back. Things take time and it helped me to break this long road into smaller steps.

You should check out the concept of Outliers as defined by Malcolm Gladwell. He arugues that it takes 10 years to become really good at what you do.

• Increase the luck factor. Hard work, passion and relevant skills are factors that matters. However, I would argue that the luck factor is just as important as these other factors – combined. It helps if you believe you can create settings that bring luck : – )

• Work for the right reasons. Besides only doing things that I really believe in and have a passion for, I try to have at least one specific reason for the work I do. This goes for projects as well as for my overall career. You should definitely not just work for the reason that becomes the worst one if it stands alone; money.

What makes you happy? Let’s share and help each other out in the challenging times we endure right now.