The seven principles of Positive Psychology that fuel success and performance at work...
How to be happy (and what is happiness anyway) is the age old question, and this is another book jumping on this whole area. It draws on the 'newer' principles of positive psychology and expands on some of those ideas.
In the past, most of the psychology industry was based around the negative; mental illness and the like and bringing people up to some sort of 'normal'. Positive Psychology took it further and focused upon getting people from that base level and increasing their wellbeing so they weren't just coping, but thriving and pushing towards being the best they can be.
Martin Seligman, Tal Ben-Shahar and others are the modern pioneers, although it could be argued that Abraham Maslow started to bring this idea forth a few decades earlier.
I'd heard of this book a few times, and I was delighted to see it on offer on Kindle recently so I snapped it up. Based on 7 key principles on how happiness can be attained and used to our advantage in life and business.
Let's briefly touch on those principles, then go through some of my highlights...
The Magnificent Seven
As mentioned, there are 7 principles that have their own chapter in the book and what it's based around. Here they are:
The Happiness Advantage
The name of the book no less! How can we use 'happiness' to our advantage? And what would it take to be in such a state? And could it be that being happy brings success rather than the other way round?
The Fulcrum and the Lever
All about leverage and the amount of power required to get the best ouputs. You can increase the length of your lever (oh, behave) and adjust your mindset (the support or 'fulcrum') to make bigger moves.
"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world" - Archimedes
The Tetris Effect
Remember that game, putting the blocks in their rightful place? This is about conditioning the mind. If you play this game for long periods you can start to see the outside world as a giant Tetris game and be working out what can fit in where.
This is what was reported, and it's obviously not just Tetris that has this affect. This can of course be used positively or negatively, so it's about getting on the right side of it.
Falling Up
Not just facing adversity but actually using this to our advantage. Being 'antifragile' as it were. We talked a little about this in The Obstacle is the Way.
The Zorro Circle
Picking a small area of control and executing on that before moving onwards. Zorro's teacher apparently drew a circle for him in the movie telling him to keep within it until mastered. Reminds me a lot of Essentialism by Greg McKeown as that is the basis of that book.
The 20-Second Rule
Keeping a task short enough and easy enough to increase the likelihood of you doing it and decreasing the barrier to entry. 20 seconds was used as an example in the book, although that's a bit arbitrary... it's a case of stacking the odds in your favour and making it easy as possible to do, and very difficult not to.
Social Investment
We are who we spend time with, and we're nothing without others. So investing in social activity and interaction and cooperation of people will make us more successful and life more enjoyable.
Highlights from the book followed by my thoughts...
John Milton wrote in Paradise Lost, “The Mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
I don't know the book but the quote is sound. It's all in the mind and the concepts of 'heaven' and 'hell' are likely states right here on this plain rather than a place you may or may not go to in the hereafter.
Harvard professors Phil Stone, Ellen Langer, and Tal Ben-Shahar—who happened to be at the vanguard of a brand new field called positive psychology. Breaking with traditional psychology’s focus on what makes people unhappy and how they can return to “normal,” these three were applying the same scientific rigor to what makes people thrive and excel
Much like I said in the intro. For whatever reasons (time, inclination, society) it was always about treating the negative and 'levelling out'. As things have moved on, science has advanced and people have more of an interest (and opportunity) in maximising potential, then this new wave of study in boosting your pyshoclogy to greater heights has taken hold.
If we study merely what is average, we will remain merely average
You are what you eat. Or something. Why would you study the mediocre if you're looking for something more? Study greatness and achievement, if that is where you want to be heading.
The Happiness Advantage starts at a different place. It asks us to be realistic about the present while maximizing our potential for the future
Be honest with yourself, it's not a case of ignoring the negative or being dilusional. Acknowledge where you are, but then look towards where you want to be.
Happiness implies a positive mood in the present and a positive outlook for the future. Martin Seligman, the pioneer in positive psychology, has broken it down into three, measurable components: pleasure, engagement, and meaning
Yeah, feeling good right now and optimistic about how it'll go moving forward (along with acceptance of what's happened in the past, using it to our advantage where possibe and discarding what's not of use).
Perhaps the most accurate term for happiness, then, is the one Aristotle used: eudaimonia, which translates not directly to “happiness” but to “human flourishing.”
Semantics, but happiness is a little fruity and abstract. And why not throw in some Greek philosophy whilst we're about it.
For me, happiness is the joy we feel striving after our potential
Progress. I believe that is one of the ultimate feelings, as no matter where we are (good or bad), any form of progress feels good, and not making any feels terrible.
Famed CEO Richard Branson has said that, “more than any other element, fun is the secret of Virgin’s success.” This isn’t just because fun is, well, fun. It’s because fun also leads to bottom-line results.
Wacky ol' Branson with his antics. Think what you like about him, but we can't argue on having fun. Yes, there's a time and a place and should be appropriate but we should always be having a little fun as that will always help with morale and moving things forward, whilst enjoying yourself to the degree that it's possible. Win-win.
Even the smallest shots of positivity can give someone a serious competitive edge
Doesn't have to be huge, but little bits here and there can make the world of difference.
Meditate
Always a classic. Highlighted once again here as people need reminded ('people' being me... and probably you). It's one of the best things out there to do and so simple (although not necessarily easy). I won't launch into how or why here but leave this little nudge.
Find Something to Look Forward To
Having interesting things on the horizon and to look forward to is desirable, and perhaps essential. If you think 'this is it' then why would you be happy. Having that sense of anticipation for events and happenings coming up makes you a little more excited as you work towards them. Enjoy today for sure, but have a bright future to look forward to to.
Infuse Positivity Into Your Surroundings
The desk you work at, the home you live in, the music you listen to, the colour, sound, pictures, whatever... the more the merrier so at each turn you have those little bit of positivity which will at the very least be neutral but more likely have a pleasant effect whether consciously or subconsciously.
Exercise
Along the same lines as meditation. Just do some bloody exercise you lazy git. Amazingly, this can help make you feel good, get in shape and be healthy. Who knew!
Based on Losada’s extensive mathematical modeling, 2.9013 is the ratio of positive to negative interactions necessary to make a corporate team successful
Not much to say on this, and always be wary of these kinds of models but it does make a good point. Being more positive 3x the time of any negativity is a sweet spot that will tip things in the right direction. Less than that you're bound to have issues, and perhaps strive for far more so you're flying.
Tal Ben-Shahar has pointed out that the term “deadline” is about as negative as you can get. How true! He likes to use the term “lifeline” instead
Whatever works for you ;). Anything that gets you to actually do something I guess. 'Deadline' does sound a bit daunting and lifeline adds some, well, life but having a clear date that something needs to be done by will help fuel that urgency to actually complete it either way. Otherwise it may just get pushed back for forever.
Dweck found that people can be split into two categories: Those with a “fixed mindset” believe that their capabilities are already set, while those with a “growth mindset” believe that they can enhance their basic qualities through effort.
This is a reference to the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. I've not read it myself but the principles of fixed and growth mindset are well worn. They're self-explanatory to a degree but having a growth mindset and believing we can expand what we have is the basis for actual improvement.
We view our work as a Job, a Career, or a Calling
A job just pays the bills, a career is a bit more involved and pursuing something with a bit more meaning and purpose, and a calling is what you were here to do.
This phenomenon is called the Pygmalion Effect: when our belief in another person’s potential brings that potential to life
An example of a self-fulfilling prophecy - people act as we expect them to act, which means that a leader’s expectations about what he thinks will motivate his employees often end up coming true (and outside the workplace too).
completely missed the gorilla
Inattentional blindness. Our frequent inability to see what is often right in front of us if we’re not focusing directly on it.
The gorilla? That was an experiment done when people were asked to count the number of passes by a basketball team... many completely missed the person dressed as a gorilla that ran on half way through, and refused to believe that happened until seeing the replay!
Just shows when you're so focused on one thing, your brain (consciously anyway) can completely miss something that should be blindingly obvious.
This selective perception is also why when we are looking for something, we see it everywhere
Focus and the Reticular Activating System (RAS). Once you start focusing on something, then now you're on the lookout for that thing, and you'll likely start to see a lot more of it/them.
Repeated studies have shown that two people can view the same situation and actually see different things, depending on what they are expecting to see.
Confirmation bias. When you have certain expectations and views you'll be actvely seeking them to be validated, so even the same event or information can have different meanings for different people on that basis. Not to mention different personalities, experiences and mental makeup observing the 'same' thing in a different light.
When our brains constantly scan for and focus on the positive, we profit from three of the most important tools available to us: happiness, gratitude, and optimism.
3 happy little fellows right there. Not just happiness, but genuinely being grateful and having an overiding optimism. Scanning the horizon for the positive will help with that. Conversely, scanning for negative will bring unhappiness, ungratefullness and pessimism.
“positive illusions” conclude that optimism becomes maladaptive when it causes us to grossly overestimate our current abilities).
I think we can liken positive illusions to delusion. Being a little overly 'positive' and not matching with the reality of the situation and actually exceeding what's possible. This is a tricky one as you want to push yourself but going too far might just push you over the edge.
Post-Traumatic Growth
So instead of the more common sympton of stress, this is where you use it to your advantage rather than it bringing you down. A classic example of PTSD would be a soldier coming back from war.
PTG would be the positive psychological changes that some people experience after a traumatic event. So that could apply to the soldier but a good example would be a cancer victim who has a new found respect and zest for life following a diagnosis and (hopefully) subsequent recovery.
Of course they would never have actually wanted that series of events, but they'd also likely say that it's the 'best thing that could have happened'.
learned helplessness
Where people have essentially given up trying. If you've repeatedly experienced something then the tendency is to think that that isn't doable so you continue to believe that way even when the barriers are removed. Even though it is now technically possible, you either don't realise or don't even care as you believe it's out of your control, when in fact it isn't.
crises can be catalysts for creativity
A crisis can be an opportunity, or worst case it can help be the driver that gets you going again. It's when things get really bad that people become open and able (and perhaps forced) to do what needs to be done.
Rock bottom is a terrible place to be, but is it? Maybe hanging about in the middle is the worst as you don't really get anywhere and it's not that bad so no catalyst for change. Obviously you want to avoid the bottom but it is a pivotal moment where you either make a change or it could be the end.
This extends to crises of all sorts and we should use that energy positively where we can.
People with an optimistic explanatory style interpret adversity as being local and temporary (i.e., “It’s not that bad, and it will get better.”) while those with a pessimistic explanatory style see these events as more global and permanent (i.e., “It’s really bad, and it’s never going to change.”).
Quite a difference in approaches and it's obvious that cultivating a more optimistic mindset will help us feel better as well as expecting better and then acting accordingly to help bring it about.
decatastrophizing: taking time to show ourselves that while the adversity is real, it is perhaps not as catastrophic as we may have made it out to be.
People do like to catastrophise... mountains out of molehills and all that. It makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint as you have to be prepared for the worst, but it impedes us in the modern world. You have to take a realistic view of what's happening, and take any necessary actions to rectify a bad situation but toning it down to a manageable level and seeing it for what it is.
our fear of consequences is always worse than the consequences themselves
Our imaginations run wild and it's never as bad as we think.
We are mere bundles of habits
Indeed we are. Check out Atomic Habits by James Clear for more on that!
the students who had to use every ounce of their willpower to avoid eating the enticing chocolate chip cookies didn’t have the willpower or mental energy left to struggle with a complex puzzle
The point here was taking about willpower and how it's finite. If you use it up, then it's harder to draw on later. So automating decisions and having good habits that don't require thinking or energy to do/avoid will keep our reserves powered up!
Csikszentmihalyi calls this “activation energy.” In physics, activation energy is the initial spark needed to catalyze a reaction.
It's the initial spark and impetus that requires the most effort. Once everything's in motion it will be able to carry on with momentum. Newton had something to say about the law of inertia and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote a great book on Flow, which was covered in an earlier BookBabble.
Lower the activation energy for habits you want to adopt, and raise it for habits you want to avoid.
Make it easier to do the things you need/want to do and harder for those things you want to stop or reduce.
When caught in a fire, holding on to others is the best chance we have for successfully finding our way out of the maze.
This was a practical story from the author talking about a fire drill. The only way out was by hanging on to your mate, which is a metaphor for life and ties in with the social investment principle.
there are nearly 1,000 people within three degrees of most of us. This is a true ripple effect
Makes sense. There was that theory that there's only six degrees of separation between any 2 people in the world. Seems a small number but may well check out more or less. And three degrees mutiplies any first-hand relationship exponentially.
We all know a fair number of people and can have hundreds of interactions on a daily basis, so it would stand to reason that emanates out to the thousands and we have no idea where those ripples meet.
mirror neurons
Monkey see, monkey do. We tend to mirror and mimic what others do and we don't always realise it. Yawning when someone else does is a classic example. And you can always feel good and bad energy when it or you walk into a room.
Thanks Shawn! Anything Else?
Here is a quick video summary from the author:
Great stuff, and well worth a read. I've seen a few people out ther cite this as one of the best covering these ideas and can really help people along. I would say it's very good if you're fairly new to this subject, and you're also bound to glean a few nuggets if you're more of a seasoned campaigner.
Happiness and its pursuit are nothing new and psychology has always been an enigma being discussed and debated. With all the advances in the world and basic needs being met, it's right we've looked towards the more positive aspects of existence.
This can have its own pitfalls of course but anything that helps us feel a little better and fuel forward and lighter momentum has to be a good thing, for ourselves and all we come into contact with.
Check out this Thread with more video reviews and a TED Talk from the author:
@adambarratt/re-leothreads-mdxzwrnc
- First 50 BookBabbles
- Numbers 51-75 at the bottom of this post
- 76: THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE - Shawn Achor
- 77: WHY HAS NOBODY TOLD ME THIS BEFORE - Julie Smith
- 78: THE DUDE AND THE ZEN MASTER - Jeff Bridges & Bernie Glassman