I'm incredibly joyful and it's all due to my stroke.
My story: I would still be leading a life of quiet desperation if still married.
Well, at age 50 I had my stroke and the result of that is making me happy for the rest of my life. Got divorced at age 58, fired at age 56. All leading to moving to Michigan and finding lots of new friendships.
(Life is
definitely better as I age, I got divorced enhancing my happiness
immeasurably. I'm retired and comfortably well off. And healthy as I can
be post stroke. I'm going to live a long time yet.)
Harvard Research Says Living a Satisfying Life Full of Joy Boils Down to These Strategies
Joy is the secret ingredient to a fulfilling life—and it’s what most busy professionals overlook.
Do you make time for joy in your personal or professional life? Many of us, executives and founders included, often believe that time spent on joy is wasted time. But the research says the opposite: How you use your limited free hours directly affects your performance and well-being.
A new study of 1,500 Harvard Business School alumni found most professionals get only about three hours of discretionary time per day. What stood out, however, was that how people used those hours mattered more than how many they had. In other words, some participants were simply better at finding joy in their limited leisure time than others.
What we do with our limited hours matters. Here are three strategies to use them well, according to the study. (Note: For all five strategies, refer to the HBR report here.)
1. Choose people over isolation
According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development, strong relationships are the biggest predictor of long-term life satisfaction. Naturally, shared activities with others consistently bring more joy than doing them alone, even for introverts. If you’re looking for the payoffs, you can find them in increased connection, energy, and belonging. And, of course, leaders in the workplace who invest in quality time with others also model balance for their teams. Here’s a tip: Block one evening a week for a shared activity—family dinner, a walk with a friend, or a team event.or a Productive and Balanced Lifestyle!
2. Stop defaulting to ‘passive leisure’
Scrolling social media, binge-watching, or gaming may be the default mode as we decompress from a chaotic day, but they’re linked to lower satisfaction. The Harvard research found that “the more time individuals allocated to active pursuits, the more satisfied they were with their lives, while the more time they spent on passive ones, the less satisfied they were.” The study authors do note that it’s OK to mindlessly scroll your Facebook feed once in a while—we all do it. But here’s the warning: “When passive leisure becomes the default, edging out the opportunity to engage in more-joyful pursuits, you need to consider a change.” Quick tip: Replace one night of passive downtime with something active, like a hobby.
3. Do what you actually enjoy
Don’t force yourself into activities others call good for you. Joy comes from having autonomy and pursuing your own interests. Whether it’s scrapbooking, cooking, or soccer—whatever gives you energy—the key is to choose what you love. As the research states, “Autonomy—the capacity to make choices aligned with your personal values—is crucial for well-being.” Quick tip: Audit your current hobbies. Which ones energize you, and which ones feel like obligations? Drop the latter.
If you’re anything like me, having free time is scarce. But those of us who build more joy into those sacred hours we have left end up making better choices: We slow down, choose things that matter, connect with others (and ourselves), and become more energized in the process. When we protect and invest in joyful time, it becomes an everyday strategy for personal effectiveness. That’s a winning formula.
This post originally appeared at inc.com.
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This post originally appeared at inc.com.
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