Why Happier People Often Achieve More
The goal of life is not merely to work well, but to live well. There is a belief, deeply embedded in many cultures, that success comes primarily from working harder. Work longer hours. Take fewer breaks. Push through the exhaustion. Sleep less. Do more. Yet a growing body of research suggests that the relationship between work and achievement is not nearly as simple as that. In fact, happier people often achieve more. That may sound like wishful thinking. Surely success makes people happy, not the other way around? The reality appears to be more complicated. Human Beings Are Not Machines One of the great mistakes of modern life is to treat people as if they were machines. Machines can often produce more simply by running for longer. Human beings do not work that way. We need rest, purpose, relationships, recognition and a sense of control over our lives. Without these things, performance often declines long before effort does. Many people know this from personal experience. Have you e...