Have you ever thought about how much happiness and optimism affects your work? I recently read an article on the Harvard Business Review, and two paragraphs of the article stuck out to me.
“In fact, happiness is the single greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy. Only 25% of your job successes are predicted based upon intelligence and technical skills, though we spend most of our education and most companies hire based upon this category. The “silent 75%” of long-term job success is based upon your ability to positively adapt to the world: optimism, social support creation, and viewing stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.”
“Researchers like Barbara Fredrickson [an award-winning psychology researcher] have found that when we are negative, our brains resort to “fight or flight” thinking about the world. But when we are positive, our brains “broaden and build” allowing us to create new patterns of success and widen the amount of possibilities our brains can process.”
What does this mean for you? Being optimistic and happy makes you more successful. It gives you the enthusiasm to face challenges, and when you are faced with challenges, you’re more likely to think positively than panic.
How can you become happier and more optimistic? The Happiness Advantage recommends: writing down 3 things you’re grateful for each day, maximizing your strengths, journaling about your experiences, and meditating every day. What other tips would you suggest?