Forbes has an interesting piece written by Emma Seppälä, the science director at Stanford, who posits that many of us are wearing ourselves out in the name of pursuing happiness. Our health and well-being suffers, but we feel like there’s no alternative if we want to be successful, so we keep on going. She gives six myths of success that we tend to fall for, and offers six alternative ways of thinking. While we can’t take all her opinions as fact, they’re definitely food for thought. Here’s a rundown of her list:
RELATED: The surprising science of happiness
- MYTH: Never stop accomplishing
To achieve more and stay competitive, you’ve got to move quickly from one to-do to another, always keeping an eye on what’s next.
INSTEAD: Stay present
Research shows that when our mind is constantly in the future, not only are we less happy, but we’re also far less productive and focused. Moreover, we fail to connect with others. Whether colleagues, employees, or clients, those human connections are essential to success.
RELATED: How Silicon Valley does self-help
- MYTH: You can’t have success without stress
Stress is inevitable if you want success. Living in overdrive is the inescapable byproduct of a fast-paced life. Adrenaline (and caffeine) are necessary to get the job done.
INSTEAD: Build your resilience
While we can’t change the work and life demands that come our way, what we can do is train our nervous system to become more resilient without burnout and to thrive in the face of difficulties and challenges. Breathing exercises and other ways to calm your nervous system help make you more resilient to stress, leading you toward recovering and restoring yourself.
- MYTH: Persevere at all costs
You have to spend every drop of mental energy you have staying on task, despite distractions and temptations—even if it means exhausting yourself.
INSTEAD: Manage your energy
Research shows that Western societies value high-intensity emotions like excitement. That may be why we value always being go-go-go and high-adrenaline. The problem is that both excitement and stress exhaust our physiology. They burn our energy fast. Instead of engaging in states of mind that exhaust you, learn to manage your stamina by remaining calm and centered. You’ll be able to save precious mental energy for the tasks that need it most.
- MYTH: Focus on your niche
Immerse yourself exclusively in one area of knowledge. By focusing narrowly on your field and becoming an expert in it, you’ll know how to best solve its problems.
INSTEAD: Make time to be idle
That may not sound like a route to productivity, but research shows that taking time off from work to unfocus promotes creativity and insight. Instead of spending all your time focused intently on your job, make time for idleness, fun, and irrelevant interests. You will become more creative and innovative and more likely to come up with breakthrough ideas.
- MYTH: Play to your strengths
Align your work with your talents. Do what you do best, and stay away from your weaknesses. To discover your talents and weaknesses, be your own toughest critic. Self-criticism is key to self-improvement.
INSTEAD: Step outside your niche
Many people believe they should work only at things they are good at, but our brain is wired to learn new things. Instead of playing only to your strengths and being self-critical, be compassionate with yourself and understand that your brain is built to learn new things. That will improve your ability to excel in the face of challenges, to develop new skills, and to learn from mistakes.
RELATED: How to be happy regardless of your genes and upbringing
- Look out for No. 1
Look out first and foremost for yourself and your interests, so you can successfully outperform the competition. It’s a dog-eat-dog, sink-or-swim world out there. If you don’t focus on you, no one else will either.
INSTEAD: Show compassion for others
Instead of remaining focused on yourself, express compassion for those around you, and create supportive relationships with your coworkers, boss, and employees. That will dramatically increase their loyalty and commitment to you, thereby improving everyone’s productivity, performance, and influence.
Curated article from:
Forbes
