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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Eric Barker
a study of Swedish workers showed monotonous work was associated with a higher rate of myocardial infarction. Yes, a boring job can kill you.
Challenging, meaningful work makes us happy and fulfilled. But then again, when it’s meaningful, it’s not really work, is it?
social connection is the greatest predictor of happiness
Julia Boehm and Sonja Lyubomirsky published in the Journal of Career Assessment, success does not lead to happiness as often as happiness leads to success.
The study “How Do Objective and Subjective Career Success Interrelate over Time?” showed that pay doesn’t increase job satisfaction.
for a well-rounded life, we need both a career that suits us as well as supportive loved ones.
while obsessive work may be necessary for the heights of success, it doesn’t lead to a fulfilling, balanced life.
Scientists surveyed 254 adult students on playfulness and then looked at their transcripts. Guess what? A playful attitude was associated with better grades. It actually went further than that: playful students more often read class material that wasn’t even required. They were curious and motivated. Other research has found a connection between amount of recess time for kids and academic performance. More playing equals more learning.
Fun helps us bond with others not only in our personal lives but also at the office.
When William Hampes did a study of ninety-eight students, he found a significant relationship between humor and trust. We’re more likely to have ...
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A study from the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies found that “workplace fun was a stronger predictor of applicant attraction than compensation and opportunities for advancement.” Yeah, that means exactly what you think: money and promotions weren’t nearly as important to people as working somewhere fun.
Productivity declines so steeply after fifty-five hours that “someone who puts in seventy hours produces nothing more with those extra fifteen hours.”
To really be creative, you need to step out of that hyperfocused state of tension and let your mind wander. Researchers speculate that daydreaming is actually akin to problem solving. It uses the same areas of the brain engaged when you’re working on a puzzle. People whose minds wander more have been shown to be better problem solvers.
Research shows that not getting enough shut-eye makes you out-and-out dumber.
We need fun. We need rest. They increase our chances of success and they benefit your employer as well. Hard work doesn’t necessarily mean good work.
Tony Schwartz says, “Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.” It’s a qualitative lens instead of a quantitative one. All hours are not created equal. We’re not machines, and the time model is a machine model. Our job isn’t to be a machine—it’s to give the machines something brilliant to do.
Having fun, getting sleep, and taking vacations may take time away from work but can more than make up for it in terms of quality and engagement.
The study came up with four metrics that matter most: 1. HAPPINESS: having feelings of pleasure or contentment in and about your life 2. ACHIEVEMENT: achieving accomplishments that compare favorably against similar goals others have strived for 3. SIGNIFICANCE: having a positive impact on people you care about 4. LEGACY: establishing your values or accomplishments in ways that help others find future success They also came up with a simple way to interpret the feelings these four need to provide in your life: 1. HAPPINESS = ENJOYING
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Okay, so you need to think about the big four and reach “good enough” in each. You want to be a chooser, not a picker.
fMRI studies show, a feeling of control motivates us to act. When we think we can make a difference, we’re more likely to engage.
when you’re stressed out, you literally can’t think straight. Under stress, your center of rational thought—the prefrontal cortex—just throws up its arms and quits. Your limbic system, that ol’ lizard brain of emotions, takes the reins.
Even if we have the illusion that we are in control, our cognitive functions are preserved.”
When asked the reason they started their own business, the number-one answers were “To be my own boss,” “To make my own decisions,” “To do it my way.” They wanted control. And despite few changes in overall hours and stress, they were happier.
Self-management also achieves this!
emphasizing the negative can feel crummy, but it’s the path to improvement. That’s what the experts do.
You want the balance of the big four that works for you. Make a decision on how much time you want to allot to each per week.
What’s the most important thing to remember when it comes to success? One word: alignment. Success is not the result of any single quality; it’s about alignment between who you are and where you choose to be. The right skill in the right role. A good person surrounded by other good people. A story that connects you with the world in a way that keeps you going. A network that helps you, and a job that leverages your natural introversion or extroversion. A level of confidence that keeps you going while learning and forgiving yourself for the inevitable failures. A balance between the big four
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A story that connects you with the world in a way that keeps you going.
When you align your values with the employment of your signature skills in a context that reinforces these same strengths, you create a powerful and emotionally engaging force for achievement, significance, happiness, and legacy. When your internal choice of success goals aligns with the group in which you operate, the rewards are even higher.
When your internal choice of success goals aligns with the group in which you operate, the rewards are even higher.
Your relationships are what bring you happiness.
