We are stuck in a loop with no (apparent) way out.
The loop is created by a “formula” that we’ve been brought up to believe is true, and which we’ve been taught all our lives by our parents, schools, employers, and society.
Even if we question its veracity, it is so prevalent across the world that it still deeply influences and limits us. It is the subject of countless conversations between friends, colleagues and acquaintances; in newspapers, books and magazines; TV programmes and films.
And it lies at the heart of virtually all marketing and advertising.
The formula is this: If you work hard, then you will become successful, and once you become successful, then you’ll be happy.
The resulting belief system is what most often motivates us in life. How many times have you had thoughts like: “If I can just get that new job, or promotion, or contract, then I’ll be happy.” Or perhaps, “If I can just lose a stone, then I’ll be happy” Or maybe, “Once I’ve got that new house / relationship / car, then I’ll be happy.” Only to find that any resulting happiness is short lived.
According to the accepted formula, success comes first, and happiness second.
However, the problem is that it doesn’t actually work. It is built on a fallacy and creates a fundamental error in our beliefs.
If success causes happiness, then everybody who has ever accomplished anything should be happy. But unfortunately, every time we succeed, another goal appears and happiness is pushed further away again.
But here’s the good news – if you change the elements in the formula around, then it works!
Thousands of psychological and neuroscientific studies over the past 10 years or so have proven that the relationship between success and happiness actually works the other way around. Rather than being the result of success, happiness is the foundation for it. In fact, happiness and optimism actually fuel performance and achievement.
As Harvard psychologist Shawn Achor says in his excellent book, The Happiness Advantage: “Waiting to be happy limits our brain’s potential for success, whereas cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which drives performance upward.”
I’ve been doing a lot of work in this area myself, and the outcome is a new programme that I call Power, Success and the Happiness Error. In it you can learn exactly how to reset your belief systems and capitalise on the corrected formula. Please click this link to read more now