SHAWN ACHOR’S 7 PRINCIPLES OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY THAT FUEL SUCCESS & PERFORMANCE AT WORK

“Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around.” -Shawn Achor, CEO of GoodThinkInc.

THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE

Because positive brains have a biological advantage over brains that are neutral or negative, this principle teaches us how to retrain our brains to capitalize on positivity so we can improve our productivity and performance.

THE FULCRUM AND LEVER

How we experience the world, and our ability to succeed within it, constantly changes based on our mindset. This principle teaches us how we can adjust our mindset (our fulcrum) in a way that gives us the power ( the lever) to be more fulfilled and successful.

THE TETRIS EFFECT

When our brains get stuck in a pattern that focuses on stress and negativity, we set ourselves up to fail. This principle teaches us how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility, so we can see – and seize – opportunity wherever we look.

FAILING UP

In the midst of defeat, stress, and crisis, our brains map different paths to help us cope. This principle is about finding the mental path that not only leads us up out of failure or suffering, but allows us to be happier and more successful because of it.

THE ZORRO CIRCLE

When challenges loom and we get overwhelmed, our rational brains can get hijacked by emotions. This principle teaches us how to regain control by focusing first on small, manageable goals, and then gradually expanding our circle to achieve bigger and bigger ones.

THE 20-SECOND RULE

Sustaining lasting change often feels impossible because our willpower is limited. And when willpower fails, we fall back on our old habits and succumb to the path of least resistance. This principle shows how, by making small energy adjustments, we can reroute the path of least resistance and replace bad habits with good ones.

THE SOCIAL INVESTMENT SOLUTION

In the midst of challenges and stress, a strong social support network is the greatest predictor of both performance and happiness. Instead of hunkering down and retreating within themselves, the most successful people invest in their friends, peers, and family members to propel themselves forward.