Happiness
Scott Adams, the Dilbert cartoonist, offers 3 key happiness factors in his book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big - Kind of the Story of My Life. #1 Schedule Flexibility - do what you want, when you want. This allows for naps, which leads to point # 2: Feeling Healthy (also, diet & exercise). Lastly, Expecting the Future to be Good. See Chapter 30 in his book for full explanations.
Recognizing a Future Star
Decades ago I ran a Management Development program within a mega insurance company. Individuals went through a rigorous selection process, and I researched common traits of highly successful people. More recently, I coordinated a similar program for a large nonprofit, using stimulus funds after the 2008 crash.
How to best predict success? That is always a key question, especially when an organization plans to invest heavily in the individual's growth. A current NYT article offers fresh research results, ending with the saying that "What is new is not correct, and what is correct is not new."
In the 'Gray Matter' article, "How Not to Explain Success", Union College professors Chabris and Hart tested ideas that Yale professors put forth in popular books. Chabris and Hart came up with 3 success traits: Smarts, educated parents, and impulse control. Emotional Stability was also related to greater success.
My takeaway is that while one cannot control the education level of his/her parents, and cognitive abilities are also largely inherited, striving to be conscientious and working towards long term goals can help us be our best selves. Good habits to look for when investing in talent!
Here is the link to the full article (4/10/16) http://nyti.ms/23iJka8
Tactical Tip #14: Habit Stacking
Make a new routine by piggybacking one small behavior onto an existing one. Dedicate five minutes to doing something that has eluded you on a daily basis - such as writing in a journal. For example, resolve to jot down your ideas, for five minutes, after brushing your teeth in the morning. You can choose to add another new habit to 'stack' on existing ones, or stack several at a time. If life intervenes -- start over, start small -- again. Trick is, not to abandon the effort.
Tactical Tip #13: Bright Brain!
Visit Health Perch for Facts & Tips!
/http://www.northwestpharmacy.com/healthperch/age-proof-your-brain