Start afresh in 2017 - how to be happy and successful in your career

With so much unpredictability in our lives, many individuals are seeing 2017 as the perfect opportunity to take back control. And what better place to start than the workplace?

A prevalent belief in our modern world is that happiness comes as a result of being successful. Consequently, people often focus all of their energy on finding prestigious jobs, working long hours, and chasing qualifications, in order to make them appear successful in the eyes of the world, with the idea that this will later bring them satisfaction and happiness. However, a growing body of positive psychology research puts this whole 'happiness follows success' notion to bed, revealing that it is in fact happiness that fuels greater success and achievement - not the other way around.

In most Western countries and in a growing number of developed nations in the East, we are far richer today than we were in previous generations. Real income has risen over the last half century and we have far more material comforts than ever before - bigger homes, more clothes, better cars, longer holidays - and we live in relative peace and security. But we are no happier for it. Indeed, while levels of material prosperity are on the rise, so are levels of anxiety and depression. On the whole, trends from around the world show that happiness and satisfaction do not improve with greater wealth once countries reach 'middle-income' levels.

A large-scale study in 2015, involving 12,000 participants, was conducted by scholars from Michigan State University and the University of British Colombia regarding correlations between wealth and happiness. The researchers found 'no trace of a relationship between income and happiness'. That's to say people who had higher incomes were not necessarily happier, but they were less sad than those in the poorest levels of society. This is in part because a certain level of wealth can make people feel more in control of unexpected or negative events.

The human brain is hardwired to function better when a person is happy, and so a positive outlook provides a chemical edge that helps individuals come out ahead. Positive emotions (such as inspiration, awe, and gratitude) invigorate the human brain by flooding them with dopamine and serotonin. As well as making people feel good, these neurotransmitters help organise new information, retain it for longer, and retrieve it faster afterwards. As a result, people are geared up for better learning, creativity, analysis and problem solving. Greater flexibility and ingenuity in mental processing means individuals can think out-of-the-box and perceive more possibilities, make more accurate judgement calls, and find the best solutions to the trickiest problems.

Additionally, when people are happy they exude positive energy and others are more likely to want to be around them, and even help them. Just look to the best business leaders - they do not put happiness second. They understand that if they are happier, the people around them will be happier, they will be better communicators and will have a bigger impact. This is just as true for housekeepers as it is for engineers - it is not 'what' one does, it is 'how' they do it and the attitude they bring.

In a meta-analysis of 225 academic studies, researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky, Laura King, and Ed Diener found that people who were successful were happy before their successes, and that life satisfaction leads to successful business outcomes. A positive mindset results in:

? 23% greater energy when under stress
? 31% higher productivity
? 37% higher levels of sales
? 40% higher likelihood to be promoted
? Three times higher creativity

A better understanding of how happiness works and, more importantly, applying positive psychology principles can help the majority of people in the majority of situations become happier. I developed the 4Ps of Positive Leadership model to provide a complete workable system for positive leadership, one that is easily adaptable to any kind of leader or organisation. Based on the key principles of strengths, purpose, energy management and happiness, this model aims to help leaders and teams unlock their full potential and find greater meaning and happiness in what they do. Each dimension of the 4Ps model targets the Who, Why, How and Where of Positive Leadership.

To learn more about positive leadership, pick up a copy of The Positive Leader: How Energy and Happiness Fuel Top-Performing Teams by Jan Mühlfeit and Melina Costi (published by Pearson). For more information, visit http://positiveleaderbook.com/

This title is available at all good bookshops and via www.Amazon.co.uk and www.Amazon.com

For more information: Email: robertplatt19.rp@googlemail.com