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The Lesson:
Personal achievement and happiness are not significantly correlated; in fact, it frequently leads to new pressures and dissatisfaction because it produces new goals that must be met sequentially. However, Shawn Achor looks at how a flawed system—one that bases pleasure on achievement—can be reversed so that accomplishment comes easily when happiness, not accomplishment, is the main goal.
Notable Excerpt:
“The majority of individuals adhere to the formula, which states that success is certain if you put in more effort. Consider how often we say, “As soon as you achieve these goals, think how happy you’re going to be.” “I’ll be happier as soon as I finish this project… as soon as I get the right job…” yet we see that the calculation is flawed from a scientific standpoint.
What have you done each time your brain has performed well in the past? Almost instantly, you altered the goal post to reflect what success looked like.
The Speaker:
Shawn Achor is a Harvard-educated expert on the science of happiness and a New York Times bestselling author. Much of the American motivational speaker’s life has been devoted to studying the science of happiness and disseminating his discoveries to the general public. Additionally, Achor established GoodThink Inc., a group that offers lectures on scientifically supported strategies for achieving happiness.
The book “The Happiness Advantage” explores the relationship between happiness and our ability to perform well at work and in our personal lives. Achor investigates what is actually the motivating factor behind success using psychology and scientific studies.
