Resources online may be more effective to make 2016 a happier, more productive year.
Pursuing happiness
Happiness is “a feeling or state of well-being and contentment,” according to Merriam-Webster Thesaurus that lists more than 40 words or phrases related to “happiness.”
Ellen Charry, a theology professor at Princeton, wrote
“Happiness … is enjoying a well-ordered life.”
The pursuit of happiness, along with life and liberty, is an inalienable right set out in America’s Declaration of Independence. But how should it be pursued?
A happy person is satisfied and content even when life is unsettled. Yet, many people exercise their “right” to pursue happiness through power, sex and money although they end up unsatisfied and discontent.
A few options and alternatives…
Being, or getting, happy
The conservative and non-partisan American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC oversees a project website. ThePursuitofHappiness.com lists three goals:
- Convene a new conversation;
- Explore what the moral promise of pursuing happiness means in America today; and
- Start a social movement to fulfill that promise.
Anyone who seeks personal happiness and ways to share it may find opportunities on the website.
Happify.com
Happiness from a scientific perspective based on studies and experts, some of whom are psychologists, neuroscientists, family therapists and medical doctors.
Asserting that humans are naturally negative-minded, these experts claim our brains change with new thought patterns and simple exercises to overcome life stresses.
The exercises are part of several “tracks,” many of which can be accessed with the Free membership, and others, for willing participants, are available through paid subscriptions.
Happier.com
Founder and CEO, Nataly Kogan, presents five principles for happiness:
- gratitude;
- happy friends and acquaintances;
- doing nice things for others;
- spending time with family and friends, and
- spending money on experiences, not material things.
Kogan offers a mobile app for a variety of mostly-free courses that can also be accessed on a personal computer.
Fans of Deepak Chopra can access courses taught by him, including one titled “Super Brain.”
Toward a well-ordered life…
Mark Joyner created Simpleology and wrote a book with the title. The website offers a “Start My Day” management tool as well as several legacy courses and a blog.
An introductory course titled, Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want is one of six core courses teaching on the mind and on money.
The screen shot below shows the pop-up for signing up for the free “Simpleology LITE” program. Simply click on it!
GTD
Another website with a different approach to increasing personal and/or corporate productivity is gettingsthingsdone.com, by author and consultant David Allen.
Based on the premise that “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them,” Allen offers insights, courses, coaching and a 14-day free trial for access to everything.
A systematic approach
Forbes reports that only 8 percent of people fulfill their resolutions. One common reason why is the lack of a systematic approach.
One or more of the online programs above that actually do provide a systematic approach may be worth looking into.
Sincere but vague new year resolutions are ineffective for people who are serious about doing what it takes to increase their levels of happiness and productivity in 2016.
Enterprise Extra 