The Optimistic Business Owner: 5 Tips for Creating Happiness & Success
A lot of us get it backwards. We think: “when I have more clients I’ll be happy” or “when I launch my product I’ll be happy” or “when I make my projected income, I’ll be happy.” We think we have to wait to be successful to be happy.
According to Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, the opposite is the case. Be happy first and the success will follow.
Focusing on creating pleasure, happiness, and gratitude in our lives is not a magic trick that will instantly result in grand success. There’s still the old “goal setting, planning, working your ass off, falling on your face, and getting up thing” to do. But you’re much more likely to follow through on those steps if you make happiness a priority.
These 5 tips on how to bring more happiness into your daily life will help you to welcome in the success you’re looking for with open arms.
Choose a mantra
(Or in my case, many mantras)
You may prefer to call it a slogan or a power statement or a call to action. Whatever you call it, having a statement we repeat in our minds (or in a frame on our desks, or even a sticky note) conjures up positive feelings that spur on action.
Some of my favourite ones right now are:
I’m creating a beautiful and useful business
I love my powerful female communities
I’m rich in time, peace, creativity, love, autonomy and energy
I trust my ideas are useful and interesting
If it’s useful to me, I trust it will be useful to someone else.
Feel free to borrow one of mine or come up with one of your own.
Seeing these words in print or repeating them in our minds can give us the extra boost of energy we need in our business today.
2. Fuck the past
(I don’t know about you, but sometimes dropping the “f” bomb makes me happy.)
There’s something empowering and liberating about truly letting go of the past and the hold it has over us. Leaving behind old resentments makes room for more joy in our lives.
Forgive someone. Remember: you aren’t doing it for them. You’re doing it for you. You will feel so much lighter and freer if you find it in your heart to forgive someone. It’s time for you to let go of the hurt from the past, and move forward into the future. If you’ve experienced trauma, you may need extra support of a counsellor or therapist.
Similar to forgiving someone, letting go of grudges will also set you on the path to happiness and success. Holding on to the story of how someone did you wrong, keeps you in that spin cycle in your brain where you’re the victim. Let go. When you find your brain entertaining the old story, gently acknowledge you’re back in the pattern, and actively choose to shift your focus toward telling a new story.
3. Smile and laugh
(A lot)
Science is on our side on this one.
The simple act of smiling can provoke feelings of happiness and contentment.
So does laughing. That’s why people go to laughing yoga - just so they can experience the pleasure they feel after spending an hour laughing. Or go see a comedian. Or watch a few ridiculous Tik Toks. Or just call up that really funny friend of yours. Make laughing a priority and your whole day will feel lighter, and the business you’re creating a more fun and delightful venture.
4. Keep a gratitude diary
(I’m sure you’ve read this before, but it really does work)
This is guaranteed to change your mood. You may feel moody, cranky, and just fed up, but when you challenge your brain to come up with three things you’re grateful for, your brain has to scour the past day for positive moments. By actively looking for these moments, you’re providing yourself with evidence that your life really is on track, and you’re doing just fine. You find yourself crossing over toward the sunny side of the street.
You can also try keeping an accomplishment journal if you’re feeling unproductive or stuck.
At the end of the day, write out three things you’ve accomplished - big or small. “I got new licence plates for my car. I weeded the garden. I published a blog post.” And you’ll immediately feel a boost of pride and achievement. The more detail you include, the more pride you’ll feel. “I drove over to get my licence renewed, and was stuck in traffic. When I got there, I had to change the plates and the screw broke off. It took a long time to pry it off, but when it was done, I felt competent and strong.”
5. Read books by inspiring people
(Bonus points if they also make you laugh)
I love reading memoirs. I read Michelle Obama, Elton John, and Glennon Doyle’s memoirs all in the past three months. Reading these incredible stories right before bed helps me to daydream about all the wonderful things that can possibly happen in my business in the future.
It’s a delicious way of planning that’s all about dreaming big, having goals that are wildly impossible, and imagining a future where my dream is a reality.
Prioritizing happiness, making joy a goal, and optimistically planning for the future will create a successful life and business fueled by positive possibilities. C’mon, get happy.
