Folks get pretty excited here at StrengthsLauncher when Tom Rath writes a new book.

If you haven’t yet picked up his latest (“Are You Fully Charged?”), here are a few jewels from WellBeing, another one of our favorites from Rath.

Wellbeing: The Big Picture
• While only 66% of people surveyed are doing well in at least one of the five areas of wellbeing (Career, Social, Financial, Physical, Community), just 7% are thriving in all five. Ouch!

You may have just broken your company’s sales record for a fifth straight quarter, but if your family barely recognizes you or your BMI’s 35, sorry, but you need some rebalancing ASAP.

Or, maybe you just won Abs-0f-the-Month at your gym, but you haven’t seen your best friend in a month. Yeah, let someone else win the gym award next month and go grab Tex Mex with your friends.

As our old friend Thoreau once said, “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”

Start embracing each of the five areas of Wellbeing for a happier, healthier life today. It’s easy. Just start…

A Good Boss is as Important as a Good Doctor
• Spending time with one’s boss is rated as less appealing than time spent doing chores and cleaning the house.
• A study of over 3,000 workers in Sweden found those who assessed their managers as the least competent had a 24% higher risk of a serious heart problem.

The Good News: People who use their strengths at work are six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life.

Takeaway: If you’ve got a bad boss, realize this has serious implications for your health. Identify someone who encourages your growth or find a new role where you use your natural talents on a daily basis. Maybe both. Finding ways to use your natural talents at work every day will change your life.

Without a Friend, Work is a Lonely Place
• Just 30% of employees have a best friend at work.
• Those without a best friend in the workplace have only a 1-in-12 chance of being engaged in their work.

The Good News: Workers who do have a best friend at work are seven times as likely to be engaged in their jobs, are better at engaging customers, produce higher quality work, have a higher wellbeing, and are less likely to get injured on the job.

Takeaway: People with thriving Social Wellbeing have several close relationships who encourage their development and growth. Don’t allow yourself to be “too busy” for friends. Nurturing close relationships helps you achieve more and keeps you healthier–much more important than turning in those TPS reports a day early.

Spend on Experiences and Memories
• Spending money on yourself doesn’t boost your wellbeing–spending money on others does.
• Retail therapy doesn’t work. Moreover, study subjects spent four times as much for a product after watching a video designed to induce sadness. Whoa…

The Good News: Spending on experiences increases your wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. Material goods lose their novelty, but we can relive memories indefinitely.

Takeaway: Your kids don’t want a better bike, they want more of you. Forget the Apple Watch. Take your family to dinner, go visit a museum, throw the frisbee at a park.

Just 20 Minutes of Exercise Boosts Our Mood for an Entire Day
• 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. had a medical cause.
• Only 27% of Americans get the recommended 30 minutes or more of exercise five days per week.
• Roughly 1/4 of the world’s population has enough physical pain that they are prevented from doing things other people their age normally do.

The Good News: Those who exercised for just 20 minutes had a notable improvement in their mood after 2, 4, 8 and 12 hours compared with those who didn’t exercise.

Takeaway: Investing in your personal health has benefits that far exceed looking good in a swim suit. Your creativity, cognitive skills and happiness depend on it.

Increase Your Community Involvement, Increase Your Wellbeing
• Neuroscientists have shown that regions of the brain that are activated when we receive money glow even brighter when we give money.
• In a survey of over 23,000 people, 9 in 10 reported “getting an emotional boost” from doing kind things for others.

The Good News: Making a sustainable change in your life is shown to be two to three times as likely to happen in the context of a group, company or community organization.

Takeaway: Get involved! Align your natural strengths with a cause you’re passionate about, roll up your sleeves and start contributing.

 

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If you read something here that changes your perspective or kick starts you to better using your own natural talents, please give us a shout at hello@strengthslauncher.com!

We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers,

DW