Work | Live Happy

5 Ways to Survive a Micromanaging Boss

It can be exasperating to work for a micromanager. You know that manager—the one who expects you to perform your job “her way,” or who leaves zero room for creativity? What typically happens with this kind of boss is that employees stop taking the initiative because they are afraid of making a mistake. Is your manager sabotaging your career? What about you? Are you trying to move your career or business forward or are you hanging back and trying to avoid mistakes? E. Tory Higgins, a professor of psychology at Columbia University, and his colleagues have been studying the difference in life approaches: considering either the promotion focus (moving forward, growth) or the prevention focus (caution, security). Having a micromanaging boss can drive employees to be risk-averse, slower to respond and unlikely to visit the land of creativity, hope and opportunity. More than 30 years of research shows a strong correlation between how much control an employee feels at work and that employee’s degree of performance, effort, motivation and satisfaction. Researchers have also found that a greater sense of control serves as a buffer against other situations that stress people out at work. Read More: 3 Simple Questions That Could Change Your Life What can you do about it? If your micromanaging supervisor is interfering with your career goals and job satisfaction and you believe he or she is unlikely to change, you may want to consider changing departments at your company or looking for more rewarding work elsewhere. However, if you love most aspects of your job and want to try to make it work, try these five options, below, before you get so frustrated that you quit or say something you regret. 1. Be your own control freak Focus on what’s within your sphere of control. Look hard. It’s there. It may be in how you organize your day or in how you answer the phone. 2. Focus on outcome When taking on new assignments, ask, “What will success look like?” If you are clear on the outcome, then how you accomplish it can be up to you. 3. Be proactive Micromanagers don’t like surprises. Check in periodically to share progress and provide drafts. 4. Goals and roles Have a conversation with your manager as part of a regular one-on-one meeting. What are the goals of a particular project and what role would the manager most like you to take on? 5. Get specific Micromanagers rarely recognize that they are micromanaging. Bring up one specific concern and one specific action you’re requesting. Try: “On this new project, I’ll be able to do my best work if we agree on the parameters, and then I work to meet them. I’d like to give this my best shot, and I will ask for help if I need it.” Read More: 1 Minute to Begin It Margaret H. Greenberg and Senia Maymin are organizational consultants, executive coaches and authors ofProfit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business. For more information about Senia and Margaret, go toProfitFromThePositive.comor find them on Facebook.

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1 Minute to Begin It

If we told you there is an action you can take in one minute that improves your ability to focus, lowers your stress, has no negative side effects and doesn’t cost a dime, would you be intrigued? If you’re like most people we work with, you’re thinking, “What is it and where can I get it?!” The answer may surprise you. It’s meditation. The missing piece One of our coaching clients, Monica, was moving forward in her career, doing well on the family front, and in strong shape physically. But she felt like she was rushing from one responsibility to the next. She wanted a clear path to find her next level as a manager and leader. “I want to not be rattled by small work stressors, like I am now,” she said. “I’ve thought about meditating, but I don’t know how to get started.” We suggested Monica start by doing something incredibly small, just one minute a day, but she was skeptical. “Just try it and notice what happens,” Senia encouraged her. Just one minute? Two weeks later, Monica reported that she had meditated for exactly one minute nearly every day. The results surprised her. “I feel like I’m making better decisions on the days that I meditate,” she said. “That’s great,” Senia replied. “How can you continue to build this practice? After some experimentation, she moved her meditation to right before bedtime, accompanied by soothing music. She eventually extended it to five minutes every evening. After about two months of consistent practice, she reported that she was able to weather work storms much more serenely. What was going on? Researchers now say that Monica was methodically changing the circuitry in her brain by developing improved stress-response habits, greater resilience and greater mental clarity. Our colleague Jackie Johnson, a leadership coach and meditation teacher, says, “Recent research by Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert of Harvard shows that most of us spend up to 50 percent of our time caught up in thoughts, usually replaying events of the past or worrying about an imagined future, both contributing to unhappiness. Mindful practice allows us to engage with the present with greater clarity and ease.” Given the benefits, why not try it? How about just one minute, right now? Read More: 6 Steps to Mindful Meditation Margaret H. Greenberg and Senia Maymin, are organizational consultants and executive coaches, and authors of Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business. For more information about Senia and Margaret, go to ProfitFromThePositive.com.

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How to Be Happily Self-Employed

There are countless reasons people decide to go into business. for themselves. They do it because they have ideas they think will make the world a better place. Maybe they want to escape the constraints of 9 to 5, or create legacies that will outlive them.But no one becomes his or her own own boss to work 24/7, ruin their relationships and make their families miserable. Yet that often happens. Want to avoid it? Here, happy entrepreneurs share their tactics for being your own boss and loving it.I have a one-minute rant timer, and whenever I want to complain or vent to my husband, I flip the timer and go for it for a full minute! Then we can discuss solutions, if needed. But most times, once I’ve gotten things off my chest, I can move on and enjoy family time. Without the timer, the rant sessions used to go on for hours."—Jamie Novak, organizing specialist and author of Keep This, Toss ThatI plan fun activities the same way I plan business meetings. I will even put things on my calendar like 'Lie in bed and read.' It sounds goofy, I know, but it works. I’ve also returned to hobbies like knitting and baking, which give me creative satisfaction but are not my day job."—Nancy Shenker, CEO, theONswitch marketing companyWhenever I feel my life getting out of balance, I sit down and make a list of all the ways I spend my time during my waking hours, everything over and above a standard eight-hour work day. I rank the list in order of the amount of time I spend on each. Next to that list, I write down the five things I consider the most important in my life, in order of their importance. For me, just seeing the discrepancy between those lists is an incredibly powerful motivator for putting things back into perspective."—Barry Maher, of Barry Maher and Assoc. (BarryMaher.com), author of Filling the Glass: The Skeptic's Guide to Positive Thinking in BusinessAs a company, we dedicate some of our time and energy to helping homeless children. Through an ongoing initiative, we fill up tote bags with blankets, stuffed animals and books and deliver them to a network of local family shelters. Making this a part of my company feeds my spirit and reminds me of what is important, even when something petty is going on with work.—Allison Kugel, co-owner, creative director, Full Scale Media public relations firmBeing in the 24/7 travel business, it’s nearly impossible to keep work from running my life. But I’ve found a way to disconnect and get on with being a husband and dad. My wife takes my phone on Friday evenings and returns it to me on Saturday morning. No calls, no e-mails and no texts. It’s difficult for me to separate myself, but my wife’s a psychiatrist, so I figure she knows best on these matters."—GregGeronemus, co-CEO, smarToursIt's easy to fall into a rut when you work for yourself. There are many days when I’ve found myself attached to my laptop, in my PJs and on the couch at 8 p.m., having barely budged except to open the door for the Chinese food delivery guy.You have to force yourself to get up, get dressed and go out. Even if it’s just taking the dog for a walk, changing up your routine and getting some fresh air is healthy and necessary. Every now and then devote a full day to a field trip; visit a museum or go on a long hike.Inspiration comes from all places, and you’ll find that taking a day off to recuperate and recharge, even in the middle of the week, will do wonders for your productivity and drive.—Sasha Moyer, co-founder and creative director of adelamei.com online clothing boutique

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6 Quick Tips for a Job Happiness Makeover

With approximately one-third of our waking hours spent at work—and another third presumably spent thinking about it—there’s no question that where, how and with whom we work plays a significant role in our overall well-being. “Being happy at work is key to being happy in life,” notes Shane Lopez, Ph.D., Gallup senior scientist and research director at Clifton Strengths Institute. “Lots of different domains in our life hinge on it. If that work domino doesn’t fall into place, it’s hard to make the most of your relationships or be your best self. So you have to make sure you’re as happy as possible at work.” Gallup’s numbers show that only 30 percent of U.S. workers are truly engaged and like their jobs. Of those, a mere 1 percent claim to love their jobs. Of the other 70 percent, about 40 percent say they are not engaged at work, and 30 percent are actively disengaged. Maybe you used to love your job, but the thrill is gone. Or maybe you never felt much love for it to begin with. Regardless, there are many ways to improve things. Kerry Hannon, author of the new book, Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness, columnist for The New York Times and AARP’s Job Expert, offers the following tips: Take a moment; take a breath Mindfulness and other forms of meditation have been found to be extremely effective in helping relieve stress and can change the way you feel about your situation. Read about the new movement in workplace wellness. Remove the toxins Avoid engaging in negative conversations, gossip and backbiting. Volunteer Doing something for someone else will make you more grateful for your own situation. Many companies offer volunteer opportunities, or you can look for a cause you feel particularly passionate about. Learn Keeping your brain stimulated can help improve your feelings about your job. Don’t have time for a class after work? Set Google alerts for your area of work so you can keep up with industry trends. It may give you new ideas for innovating on the job. Focus on the positive Keep a work journal, and each day write down one thing you did well or that went right. It will make for great reading on days when you’re feeling down. Laugh Gallup polls show that people who laugh and smile are more engaged at work. Read about how coworkers at Hallmark let loose and have fun together.

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Get Optimism to Go Viral in 3 Easy Steps

Even for the most positive among us, contact with an infectiously negative person can change our mood and outlook on life. At work, toxicity has the potential to dramatically alter the culture. With mountains of data connecting negativity and stress at work to poor health, lower engagement and dwindling profits, negative people have become some of the biggest liabilities in today’s modern economy. Engaging bright side But our research in positive psychology shows an energizing picture: In fact, we have identified the key to influencing an organization’s culture and pushing it into positive territory. By activating what we call the Hidden 31, you have the power—no matter your role at an organization—to rescript the culture at work to enhance talent and achievement. In a cross-industry study with Training magazine, we found that a whopping 31 percent of respondents say that they are “positive but not expressive of it at work.” These people are one step short of being champions of positivity. These optimists are just waiting to be activated, and they are your key to success.https://livehappy.com/blogs/happiness-motion/be-happy-work Read more about what makes for a happier workplace. Air your positivity We are all broadcasters, constantly sharing information with others. What we choose to broadcast predicts happiness and success for all. It’s the focus of Michelle’s upcoming book, Broadcasting Happiness. To overcome the debilitating signals of negative people, it is important to be highly expressive of our own positive mindsets and can-do attitudes and to activate others to do the same. We are often asked whether positive people or negative people have a more powerful influence on a group. The answer from the research is neither. The people who have the most power to influence are the ones who are most verbally or nonverbally expressive of their mindset. Too often, the very vocal negative person writes the social script at work. By broadcasting our optimism, we can tip our companies, families and friendships to positive. Get others to do it, and great transformation can occur. Read our expert tips about avoiding burnout at work. The key is to get the Hidden 31 to speak up. We’ve identified three steps to do this: identify, acknowledge and activate. Identify The most important step is finding out who is in the 31 percent. This can be done through formal surveys or informal conversations. Ask where they stand on a topic and note how expressive they are of their approval or disapproval. Too often managers we have worked with focus on converting the most pessimistic person in the room to be positive. Instead, focus energy on those already primed to be positive broadcasters. Acknowledge The best way to get someone to be more expressive of positive positions is to let them know that they are not alone. If you are a positive person but feel like the people around you are not, you might not act. The research shows that plenty of others around you at work actually are positive, even if they are not expressing it. Once you acknowledge that a third of the people around you are also optimists, it can engender positive change. Activate Activating even a few optimists can tip the culture in your favor. You can activate them in two main ways. First, boost your own signal. As you demonstrate positivity verbally and nonverbally, you change the conversation and show others how to do the same in a rational way. Second, after identifying the Hidden 31, give them easy ways to express their positive mindsets. Suggest sending a positive email praising a colleague or sharing goals with their team that they are excited about. Starting with small steps gives even the introverts safe ways to express their positivity. While this strategy works well for companies and business teams, it works at the family dinner table, too. Customers can also become “enthusiasts,” spreading the word about the product or service they appreciate. And sports teams can recruit and develop the Hidden 31, thereby tipping balances to winning mindsets. If you identify, acknowledge and activate the Hidden 31 by giving people clear ways to express their positive mindsets, you can inspire optimism and happiness to go viral. And that makes it much easier for us all to live happy. What motivates you at work? Let us know in the comments section, below. SHAWN ACHOR is the New York Times best-selling author of The Happiness Advantageand Before Happiness. After he spent 12 years at Harvard University, Shawn traveled to more than 50 countries,bringing positive psychology to schools and companies. He is co-founder of the happiness research and consulting groupGoodthink Inc. MICHELLE GIELAN is an expert on the science of positive communication and how to use it to fuel success. She holds a master’s degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and is co-founder of the happiness research and consulting groupGoodthink Inc.Her first book is called Broadcasting Happiness.

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Know Your Pace

What makes people happy at work? Many things: a friend down the hall, a good boss, meaningful tasks, snazzy office supplies.We’re also affected by whether we feel in harmony with the speed and timing of work. People generally fall into two very different categories when it comes to thriving at work. I call these two categories “Marathoners” and “Sprinters.”Slow and steady workersMarathoners like to work steadily and slowly, over a longer period of time, and they dislike working against a deadline. I know this category well, because I’m a Marathoner myself. We Marathoners feel that working on projects at a steady pace ignites our creativity and keeps our productivity high. We get frustrated and uneasy without plenty of lead time.Find out about 8 Ways to Be Happier at Work.A rush of energyBy contrast, Sprinters prefer to work in bursts of intense effort, and they deliberately wait for the pressure of a deadline to sharpen their thinking. They love the adrenaline rush. A Sprinter told me, “I never prepare a speech until the people are in their seats, and I’m heading to the podium. It drives my staff crazy, but that’s when I get my ideas.”There’s no right way—each approach works well for that type of person. It’s a question of what works for you. Problems arise, however, when Marathoners and Sprinters must work together. Marathoners are driven nuts by the Sprinters’ reluctance to start working on a project. Sprinters are irritated when Marathoners want to tackle tasks before the hour is ripe.Read more about the new science of workplace well-being.Procrastinator—that's a different storyWhen we understand that people have different work styles, we can show more patience toward each other. Here’s something important to remember, however: A Sprinter is different from a Procrastinator. True, Procrastinators resemble Sprinters—like Sprinters, they finish in a rush, at the last possible minute. But they’re actually quite different.Procrastinators wish they could force themselves to start earlier. Also, unlike Sprinters, Procrastinators often agonize about work they’re not yet doing. Before they start, they’re not working, but they’re not having fun, either. Sprinters and Marathoners usually like their work style, but Procrastinators don’t. They’re happier when they change their work habits so they can work more steadily.Learn how to increase your productivity by tricking yourself into getting started.Find the pace that works for youFor all of us, we’re happier at work—and we’re more productive and creative—when we’re comfortable with the environment and pace. It can be surprisingly hard to put your finger on what feels right or wrong about a situation. So, if you find yourself clashing with other people about when and how a task should be completed, or you feel that the work pace is uncomfortable, consider the Marathoner and Sprinter distinction. That difference in work style might be at the heart of the conflict.What's your work pace? Let us know in the Comments section, below.Gretchen Rubin is the bestselling author ofThe Happiness Project,Happier at Home,andBetter than Before.She is considered one of the most influential writers on happiness today, and has become an in-demand speaker and keynoter.You can read about Gretchen's adventures atGretchenRubin.com.

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6 Secrets to Creating Your Dream Job

I remember sitting at my desk a few years back in a dead-end job that didn’t challenge or fulfill me in the least. I spent those days dreaming about doing work that I loved and that would make a difference. I also wanted to be able to ditch my long commute, calmly see my kids off to school in the morning and have flexibility to work on projects that excited me. Dream on, I thought for a long time.But then I began learning everything I could about starting my own business. Because of new technologies in communications and marketing, there has never been a better time to start your own business on your terms. However, there are still many possible pitfalls to look out for. Here are a few suggestions for how to avoid them.1. Start smallIf you need income to survive, you can’t give up your day job without knowing your business is viable. One way to test the waters is to start dabbling in your dream job on the side.For instance, if your goal is to open a bakery, don’t quit your marketing position and go all-in on a storefront. Maybe start by letting coworkers know that you’re available to create confections for birthdays and weddings or talk to a local caterer that may want to outsource baked goods.2. Be flexibleYou may make the best cupcakes ever, but if everyone is clamoring for cake pops, you’ve got to give the people what they in order to stay in business. In my case, I am enthusiastic about educating people about how to make the best food choices for optimal mind and body wellness, and I had tested the market and found there was interest.However, the number of people willing to spend time and money on a guided cleanse were far outnumbered by the ones who were interested in simply buying healthy treats. I made the decision to focus on building my business and revenue through selling healthy desserts first, to allow me to then work on writing and speaking to reach more people.3. Surround yourself with the right peopleYou are giving your all, day in and day out, because this business is your passion. But not everyone is going to be as excited about what you’re doing.When choosing whom to work with, it is incredibly important to seek out people that are going to help drive your goals forward, and not drag you and everyone else on your team down. You must find people who share your vision.4. Continue learningNo matter how knowledgeable you are about your niche, there is always something new to learn. You might be the best graphic designer ever, but the nuts and bolts of getting the word out on new social media platforms or figuring out the logistics of getting your product to market might surprise you.To stay on top of your game, you have to be open to constantly learning new things. Whether that means a weekly mastermind group, finding a mentor in your field or online education, increasing your knowledge base is important to growing your business from passion to profit.5. Find balanceOne pitfall many eager entrepreneurs don’t anticipate is the loss of the passion that made them want to start their business in the first place! No matter how much you love what you do, if you want to keep loving it, you can’t work 24 hours a day. Make sure to take breaks to enjoy other activities, spend time with family and friends and take the time to take care of yourself through regular healthy meals and getting enough rest and exercise. Because if you’re not operating at your peak, neither will your business.Read more about work-life balance.6. Don’t give up You will find some daunting hurdles on your road to success—some so big that you may be tempted to quit. But if you love what you’re doing, it will always pay off. Remember, Colonel Sanders got turned down 1009 times before he found someone interested in his chicken recipe; Walt Disney had to hear “no” 302 times before getting the funds to create Disneyland, and Gone With the Wind was rejected by 38 publishers.So follow your dream, and bring along patience, persistence and perseverance for the ride to success!Read more about following your passion.

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The New Science of Workplace Well-Being

As you have probably noticed, time is a nonrenewable resource; there are only so many hours we can work in each day. Energy, however, is renewable. Thankfully, more and more employers are becoming wise to the fact that by replenishing our energy stores regularly we can operate at peak performance. Running on empty When we are running on fumes, exhausted, stressed out, we all know we aren’t very productive. “The way we’re working isn’t working,” says Tony Schwartz, founder of The Energy Project,citing the title of his latest book. The Energy Project has identified four core needsthat even small workplace changes can support: physical health, emotional happiness, mental focus and spiritual purpose. “What we are beginning to see enacted in corporations across the country is nothing short of a paradigm shift,” Tony says. One shift we can make, suggests Tony, is to work according to our natural ultradian rhythms: Doing high-demand, focused work in blocks of no more than 90 minutes, then taking a break. The end of face time? Many corporations have traditionally promoted a culture of face time and endless work hours to the detriment of employee work-life balance—and even to the detriment of a company’s own balance sheet. Researchers are finding that those who work constantly, check their phones at all hours and never take vacation days are on their way to burnout, which results in lost income and time for both employer and worker. A changing workplace On the other hand, things that may seem counterintuitive, like taking a short afternoon nap, meditating and engaging in enjoyable non-work activities during work hours, in some studies seem to increase productivity. Dr. Colleen Georges, a positive psychologist and coach, often sees the negative toll that an organizational culture of ceaseless working can have on employee satisfaction and performance through her clients. She will often suggest they try “booster breaks,” such asphysical activityand meditation during the workday. The power of the nap This concept was pioneered by Wendell Taylor, Ph.D., of the University of Texas, among others, who found that these activities can increase employee job satisfaction, energy and productivity, reduce stress, and potentially decrease healthcare costs and improve organizational image. Furthermore, studies consistently show that employees who take breaks at work to relax and reenergize are happier and more productive at work than their counterparts who use breaks to catch up on emails or run errands. What does this look like in action? In their own firm, The Energy Project employees start with four weeks per year of vacation time. They can work from wherever they want, and are encouraged to leave the office for daytime breaks. Their open, modern office—punctuated by colorful graphics and the words “passion” and “focus” on the glass walls of the conference room—includes “renewal rooms” for naps or meditation. They hold community meetings to check in with how people are feeling and check in with the mission. Seeing the results Ron Zumstein is vice president of manufacturing and a 27-year veteran of Ablemarle Corp. [[link]], a Louisiana chemical company, a client of The Energy Project. Ron says what they learned through working with The Energy Project has empowered their employees, which helps them drive the company forward and creates leaders. But even if we don’t work for one of these forward-thinking companies, we all have the ability to more effectively manage our energy. Creating rituals to ensure we get enough sleep, exercise and downtime supports our core needs.

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The Happiest Job in the World

If you had to guess what’s the happiest job in the world, what would your answer be? Movie star? Wealthy NFL player? Footloose and fancy-free travel writer? We have the science-based answer.Most of us spend more than a third of our waking lives at work, so figuring out how to make that time happy and productive is important. Given that we are in the midst of some of the highest levels of work dissatisfaction and lowest levels of engagement in recorded history, it’s a question we must look at now.While researching this topic, we asked people what they consider the “least happy jobs.” The responses ranged from janitor in a retirement home to tollbooth operator, trash man and doctor for kids with terminal cancer.Which job is right for you?If you’ve seen Mike Rowe’s TV show, Somebody’s Gotta Do It, you know there are a lot of dirty or difficult jobs out there. But the problem with this list of “worst jobs” is that it’s often made by people who do not actually work in those fields; rather, they only envision how miserable they would be if they did.Just like with the research about which country is the happiest, when we attempt to determine the happiest job, we fall into a trap. The research might tell you what would make the average person happy, but not whether you would be happy living there. Most people might be happy in Denmark, but if you hate the cold with a vengeance, then you might be miserable in scientifically one of the happiest countries in the world.A job or a calling?So in our quest to find the happiest job in the world, the question becomes: What job would make you happy? Being a travel writer sounds great, unless your spouse and kids can’t travel with you and you’re away from your loved ones all the time. Playing football for the NFL sounds like a blast, unless you need job security, because the average career lasts three years. And not all movie stars are happy, as we’ve witnessed through the daily dramas unfolding in entertainment news.Therefore, it is all in how you view your job. According to the brilliant researcher Amy Wrzesniewski, Ph.D., associate professor of organizational behavior at Yale University’s School of Management, people view their occupations one of three ways: as a job, career or calling. A job is merely something we endure in order to get a paycheck. A career is work that also gives us prestige or position within society. A calling is work that you view as integral to your identity and meaning in life, an expression of who you are and a feeling of fulfillment in the present.You can be very happy in any of these categories. In fact, Amy’s research shows nearly every profession has a nearly equal number of people who view it as a job, career or calling Therefore, it is not the occupation that determines the meaning or the happiness you feel at work—it’s how you view it. Our research in positive psychology shows that, scientifically,happiness is a choice. At an unconscious or conscious level you can choose how you view your work and the satisfaction you draw from it.If you’re feeling like you don’t have the happiest job in the world, here are three proven ways to turn it into one:1. Ask yourself, "What's the point?"To be motivated at work, consciously identify ways in which your work has meaning. Are you able to connect with people at a deeper level because of what you do? Do you have an opportunity to brighten someone’s day occupation. Many of us romanticize our future desired employment to the detriment of our current happiness. For those of us who are career-oriented, the key to being happy now is investing in the present while continuing to strive for advancement. Instead of dreaming about future successes, be fully present to maximize your experience today.Plan small, actionable steps to work toward your goals. Our research shows the happiest among us are 40 percent more likely to receive a promotion in the next year. Finding ways to make the most of your job, career or calling will not only help you find greater happiness, but investing in your happiness today is worth big dividends in the future.Whether you’re a CEO or a janitor, doing so will help transform your job into the happiest one in the world. through your work interactions? Are you helping improve the world in even a small way? Journaling each day for two minutes about a meaningful experience at work helps your brain not only identify these moments, but also to see a trajectory of meaning at work.2. Remember, you're there for the paycheckMany people work to fund their life, and that brings them happiness. Yet, ultimately, we all work to pay our bills and to have some extra spending money. (Unless we are independently wealthy!) Reconnect with all you can do with your income outside the office. Invest in painting lessons or plane tickets for a vacation or to visit your grandkids. Don’t forget your job transforms your personal life, too.3. Stop dreaming, start doingDon’t get stuck waiting for future happiness. We’ve found this to be the greatest barrier to finding happiness in your current occupation. Many of us romanticize our future desired employment to the detriment of our current happiness. For those of us who are career-oriented, the key to being happy now is investing in the present while continuing to strive for advancement.Instead of dreaming about future successes, be fully present to maximize your experience today. Plan small, actionable steps to work toward your goals. Our research shows the happiest among us are 40 percent more likely to receive a promotion in the next year.Finding ways to make the most of your job, career or calling will not only help you find greater happiness, but investing in your happiness today is worth big dividends in the future. Whether you’re a CEO or a janitor, doing so will help transform your job into the happiest one in the world.

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Succeed by Failing

Amazon.com’s founder, JeffBezos, says a desire to invent and explore—what we call alearner mindset—is the key to thecompany’s customer-centric success. “You have to have a willingness to fail,to be misunderstood for long periodsof time,” he says. Jeff’s right. When we quit trying tobe a perfectionist (or an expert) andinstead become a learner, we grow, aremore equipped to face challengingsituations, see the world through a lensof constant improvement—and thinkmore creatively. But how can we leave ourperfectionist ways behind and take ona learner mindset? Here’s how: Solve a new problem Think of your brain as a muscle: Themore effort you put into it, the more itcan grow and learn to do new things. Do a crossword puzzle (without lookingat the answers). Play a challenging board game with the family, like“Scrabble,” “Monopoly” or“Balderdash.” Make a soufflé.Theidea is to do things that are out of the ordinary for you, and to begin thinking in new ways. Give yourself permission to fail NBA legend Michael Jordansaid, “I’ve missed more than 9,000shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve beentrusted to take the game-winning shotand missed. I’ve failed over and overand over again in my life. And that iswhy I succeed.” Failuredoesn’t define you as a person—it givesyou an opportunity to learn from yourmistakes, grow and move forward. Giveyourself permission to make mistakes,and you’ll approach life with moreenthusiasm and resiliency. Stop procrastinating Perfectionism is the enemy of learning(and creativity), and if you have a habit of putting off tasks, it’s probablybecause you expect perfect results fromyourself, expect perfect results fromothers or think others expect perfectresults from you. In reality, though, when you work before the deadline, yougive yourself time to experiment withnew ideas and concepts. When you’re a perfectionist, you seethe world based on how much you cando and how well you can do it. But as a learner, you have possibilities, and everymisstep is one step toward success. Becoming a learner Failures become insights when youadopt a learner versus a perfectionist mindset. To become a learner, ask yourself these three questions the next time you tackle a new project: 1. How can my past experiences help me with this project? 2. What can I learn from doing this project? 3. What are some mistakes I might make? (And what can I tell myself to assuremyself that it’s okay to make these mistakes once in a while?) MARGARET H. GREENBERG andSENIAMAYMINare organizational consultants and executive coaches. Their book, Profit from the Positive, was recently Amazon.com’s No. 1 seller in Leadership and Self-Help and offers readers more than 30 positive tools that can be applied to business, as well as everyday life. Follow Margaret andSeniaat Facebook.com/ProfitFromThePositive.

5 Ways to Survive a Micromanaging Boss

1 Minute to Begin It

How to Be Happily Self-Employed

6 Quick Tips for a Job Happiness Makeover

Get Optimism to Go Viral in 3 Easy Steps

Know Your Pace

6 Secrets to Creating Your Dream Job

The New Science of Workplace Well-Being

The Happiest Job in the World

Succeed by Failing

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