To be happy
Like many people in search of happiness and well-being you have already read dozens of articles on happiness, buy books on the subject and yet you are struggling to get close to your goal. Reading articles on the different ways and tips to feel better is a first step. But there is one thing you may not have read or heard:
You can improve your happiness by turning your "weaknesses of happiness" into "strengths of happiness".
But how to do it? To turn your weaknesses into strengths, you need an action plan. Think about it: Would you bake a cake without a recipe? Would you go trekking in the mountains without a GPS or map? It's not Mike Horn who wants to! We all know that a map, a guide or a map - a kind of tool - makes it much easier to explore new territories or learn new skills.
If long-term happiness is a new "territory" that you want to conquer (let's keep the metaphor of the adventurer), then you need some kind of plan that defines a strategy and guides you to increase your happiness and well-being.
How to develop an effective action plan to be happy?
It turns out that happiness is not something we find, achieve or become. We need to learn the techniques of happiness just as we would learn any other technique.
Chances are you are already very good at some "happiness skills" and not so good at others. For example, you may already be very good at resiliency, but less good at empathy. By practicing resilience, you are unlikely to become more empathetic. Thus, your overall "happiness skills" will improve more if you spend your time practicing empathy, one of your weaknesses.
So, how can you determine your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to happiness? Think about how you demonstrate or do not demonstrate the following skills in your daily life :
Thinking positively about yourself
Acceptance: The ability to accept oneself and one's emotions without judgment.
Positive self-perception: The ability to see oneself as a good and worthy human being.
Clarity: The ability to understand what you like, how you feel and who you are.
Positive Reassessment: The ability to change your thoughts in a way that helps you experience more lasting, intense or frequent positive emotions.
Positive thinking about others
Tolerance of rejection: The ability to perceive the actions of others as benevolent rather than rejecting them.
Empathy: The ability to put oneself in another person's shoes and see the world from one's point of view.
Gratitude: The ability to be grateful for the experiences and people you have in your life.
Letting go: The ability to stop worrying and brooding about negative situations.
Positive behaviors for oneself
Planning: The ability to develop effective strategies and make decisions that will allow you to achieve your goals.
Personal Development Mindset: The belief that your strengths can be developed through hard work and commitment.
Self-care: The ability to resist unhealthy behaviors (drugs, alcohol, shopping or overeating) as the only way to increase your happiness.
Self-Priority: The ability to take time for the activities you enjoy and plan them on a regular basis.
Positive behaviors for others
Kindness: The ability to be friendly, generous and caring to others.
Independence: The ability to resist the influence of others, to make your own decisions independently and to act according to your values.
Expressiveness: The ability to communicate and share intimate elements of yourself easily with others.
Assertiveness: The ability to stand up for yourself, express yourself and communicate your needs.
Conclusion
Once you know your strengths and weaknesses, just choose a skill that you feel is one of your weaknesses. It is important not to try to develop too many skills at once. If you focus on too many things, it will be difficult to progress.
Once you have decided which skills to work on, think about how and when you will spend time on them.
Think about developing these new skills at least a little bit every week for a few months and you should see a marked improvement in your happiness.
