Why You Ain't Happy

Posted September 24, 2007 in Leadership, Life, Starting It, 14 Comments »

Photocase2zt97n464quu

For all you entrepreneurial business peeps, your goals might resemble something similar:

  1. "By next month, I'll sell 20% more. Then, I'll be happy."
  2. "By Month 3, I'll sell 35% more. Then, I'll be happier."
  3. "By Month 4, I'll sell 50% more. Then, I'll be even happier."
  4. "Yay! High-fives all-around! Booyah!"

Two scenarios could happen:

  1. "I didn't reach my goals. I'm not happy."
  2. "I reached my goals. But, I'm not happy as I expected."

Boo.

Why Johnny Ain't Happy

Johnny's mindset:

  1. "I expect Situation X will happen in the future."
  2. "I conclude Situation X will make me happy."

But uh-oh:

According to Harvard's researcher Daniel Gilbert, conventional "happiness" is fleeting -- and we trick our minds into believing something that really won't happen.

If you've ever:

  1. bought a new car
  2. got a that coveted birthday gift
  3. dated your dream boy/girl
  4. got a big raise
  5. had your wedding
  6. yadda!

You'd realize something after receiving something you just oh-so-totally thought would change your world:

  1. "Yo! I'm not as happy as I thought I would be."
  2. "My level of happiness just returned to normal."
  3. "But wait! Maybe chasing a different goal will make me really happy..."

(That vicious cycle of chasing happiness won't stop.)

So, we all wonder:

  • "Where's happiness?"
Do this:

Say NO! to Chasing Happiness

If Johnny-boy ain't happy now, he won't get that happiness he desires even if he gets what covets. Falling into the anticipated-happiness-trap will disappoint him and you every-effin-time.

How to Be Happy

If you want to sense supreme happiness, try this:
  1. Choose a customer.
  2. Help that customer using your world-class gifts, as much as your freakishly can.
  3. Experience ridiculous happiness.
(Or if your butt has no customers, try helping somebody -- anybody.)
  • Help two more peeps? Experience more happiness.
  • Help three more? See even more happiness!
  • Four more? Caution: You're entering sexy happiness time.

According to research on happiness from the London School of Economics:

The more impact you feel you have on the world, the happier you'll be.

So:

  1. Switch your mindset from "What can I get?" to "How can I mutha-!@#$% give?"
  2. Experience sweet happiness.

Affect the world. Be happy.

If you enjoyed Why You Ain't Happy, get Trizle's popular new articles freshly sent to your inbox.

More Business Tips You Might Enjoy

  1. Why We Suck As Managers
  2. Why You Shouldn't Hire Superstars
  3. What Separates Google From Other Companies?
  4. How To Make People Like You
  5. Why Motivational Posters Suck

14 Comments on Why You Ain't Happy

The Closet Entrepreneur

Posted @ 11:42 AM on September 26, 2007

Sexy happiness time? Yes please!

:)

Great post Trizle Team, this is one of my all time faves!

The Wannabe

Posted @ 04:37 PM on September 26, 2007

So that's my problem......It all makes sense now. Actually, this simple post really got me thinking. I've been chasing that elusive 'happiness' thing...go giving....

david

Posted @ 08:06 AM on October 02, 2007

Short and to the point. I like it.

Howie

Posted @ 07:47 PM on October 02, 2007

Wonderful post.
Too much expectation often leads to disappointment. Most of us are driven by excitement and think of the outcome without considering what will happen if we don't get what we want.

TQB

Posted @ 08:57 AM on October 03, 2007

You can't even imagine how much you've made my day! Great post!

Charlie

Posted @ 06:12 PM on October 03, 2007

Very nice post. I'm sure many will realize the mistakes brought by too much expectation and learn from this post.

Chad

Posted @ 01:50 PM on October 04, 2007

It's like the frustrated guy that hiked to the wise man on the mountain and told him about how much he hated all the places he had lived. He wanted to ask the old man if he would be happy in the next place he moved to (...gotta be happy there!), and, in summary, the old man pretty much tells him that he's a grumpy negative chump and will be miserable everywhere he lives.

The y-o-u problem. ...or, if you're looking in the mirror, I guess you could call it the m-e problem. It's painful, but it's always nice to fix that one ;)
-Chad.

Peanut Butter Media | Affect The World. Be Happy.

Posted @ 07:21 PM on October 14, 2007

[...] Those Clever Folks at Trizoko have done it again. So Go On - Be Happy. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fpeanutbuttermedia.com%2F2007%2F10%2F14%2Faffect-the-world-be-happy%2F'; addthis_title = 'Affect+The+World.+Be+Happy.'; addthis_pub = ''; [...]

Rich9 » Blog Archive » make meaning

Posted @ 06:09 AM on October 19, 2007

[...] Another inspirational post from the good peeps at Trizle about happiness… Basically, the more you think you’re changing the world, the more real happiness you’ll have, and apparently thats been proven by the London School of Economics!? [...]

Why Aren’t You Happy? • A Barley Hut Joint

Posted @ 02:34 PM on October 25, 2007

[...] If you read only one sentence today it should be this one which, if you click it, will lead you to a great article about why you might not be happy. Because I am incapable of sharing a link without editorializing, let me offer you this; Your happiness is not the result of certain conditions. Certain conditions are the result of your happiness. If you want more happiness in your life stop thinking there’s anything you need to do, or need to acquire, and start focusing all your energy on being happy in the absence of what you think you need or require. How to engage the magic? Two ways that I’m aware of. One, act as if. This is not lying. It is creation, and two, give it away. [...]

Hendy Irawan

Posted @ 09:47 PM on November 02, 2007

An excellent remake of the classic How Giving Rocks, but still excellent...

Usual Trizoko quality stuff :-)

Ya know, Mr. Purdi E. Chandra, owner of PRIMAGAMA group in Indonesia (de facto-iy the largest supplemental education company in our country), said that getting a loan from banks is very good and will make us happy...

..because we're GIVING interest to the banks, which in turn pays the bank employees and shareholders and of course the millions of bank account holders scattered around Indonesia.

We don't "loan". We're being SOCIAL. We do GOOD. HUMANLY good.

"Four more? Caution: You’re entering sexy happiness time."

Giving is good. Even if simply giving loan interest. You'll help and give to LOTS, I mean LOTS of peeps. (Even USD 10 interest, divided by 10 million savings holders that will receive part of it, is still something GIVEN no matter how small... :-)

Hendy Irawan

Posted @ 09:50 PM on November 02, 2007

Ya know what Andrew, reading comments on many of your recent articles doesn't feel like reading comments.

It feels like reading customer testimonials (and many, if not too many, of them are positive). Frankly speaking you didn't have to bribe them.

Frankly speaking you DID bribe them by writing quality posts.

Mutha-rockstar blogger indeed :)

Janice

Posted @ 05:56 AM on November 18, 2007

We ask and long too much of worldly materials that can only give us a moment of happiness. Happiness is not derived nor gained in an instant, it grows and it stays.

Partners-InC » Blog Archive » Entering sexy happiness time!

Posted @ 04:38 AM on December 10, 2007

[...] The folks over at Trizle write ‘cut the crap’ personal- and business management articles, and today they wrote a nifty little piece: “Why you ain’t happy“. You’d realize something after receiving something you just oh-so-totally thought would change your world: [...]

Comment on Why You Ain't Happy





Submit comment
Return to Learn Business Home

About Trizle

Trizle helps your business rock the world.

Subscribe to Trizle


Subscribe

Get Trizle's Lil' Guide

Get Trizle's little guide to build your business. We filled the lil' guide with our best tips to build your thriving business. The lil' guide comes with a 100% satisfaction-guarantee.

Read Some Favorites

Some favorites from Trizle:

  1. Why "Better" Products Don't Sell
  2. Why a Billion Dollars Won't Excite You
  3. How to Not Suck as a Boss
  4. Why Doing Philanthropy Rocks
  5. How to completely fail at your business (Tip #1)
  6. Who must be your biggest competitor?
  7. Why 90% of Entrepreneurs Fail -- & Why You Won't
View Trizle Archives
 

Copyright © 2003-2008 Trizle. Contact us. Photos provided by Photocase

back  |  next