Think of Happiness as a Crucial Part of Success, Not the Reward

Most of us tend to think about success in terms of working hard to accomplish something in order to find happiness. Neil Pasricha, author of The Happiness Equation, makes the case for the opposite: start with happiness, then use it to accomplish your goals.

In a talk with LinkedIn, Pasricha makes the argument that happiness should come first in order to support success, not the other way around. He points out that people who are happy tend to be more successful in certain areas of their career. For example, citing a study published by the American Psychological Association, he points out that people are 31% more productive when they’re happy. He continues:

You have thirty-seven percent higher sales. You are three times more creative than your peers. We like working with these happy people. Turns out, they do great work—they’re happier. And then you have the Big Success. The big success comes later. It’s the exact opposite of how we think about it.

This isn’t permission to give up on your goals and hard work in favor of indulgent laziness. The point is to use happiness a way to support those goals. Pasricha’s point goes hand in hand with the importance of self-care We tend to think of happiness and self-care as a reward when it should really be a part of the process. It actually helps you work better. Chances are, you know what makes you happy, but Pasricha recommends embracing gratitude, taking breaks, and meditating to start with. The video above is long, but it’s worth the watch, and you can check out LinkedIn’s accompanying post at the link below.

Start With Happiness to Find Success: LinkedIn Speaker Series with Neil Pasricha | LinkedIn

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