The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less

by Richard Koch

Another key component of a happy day is mental stimulation. You may obtain this at work but, if not, ensure that there is some intellectual or mental exercise each day. There are a huge number of ways to obtain this, depending on your interests: crossword puzzles, certain newspapers and magazines, reading part of a book, talking for at least 20 minutes to an intelligent friend about an abstract topic, writing a short article or journal entry, in fact, doing anything that requires active thought on your part (watching television, even of the high-brow kind, does not qualify). A third essential daily regime is spiritual or artistic stimulation. This need not be as forbidding as it sounds: all that is required is at least half an hour’s food for the imagination or spirit. Going to a concert, art gallery, theater, or movie all qualify, as do reading a poem, watching the sun rise or set, looking at the stars, or attendance at any event where you are stimulated and excited (this can even include a ball game, race meeting, political rally, church, or park). Meditation also works well. Daily happiness habit number four is doing something for another person or people. This does not have to be a major work of benevolence; it can be a random act of kindness such as paying for someone else’s parking meter or going out of your way to direct someone. Even a brief altruistic act can have a great effect on your spirits.