David Squires

Try This Exercise … and You’ll Be Happier in a Week

Pay attention to why good things happen to you.

Published

11 years ago

September 26, 2012

David Squires

HERE’S A HAPPINESS-BOOSTING EXERCISE to try this week:

In the hour before you go to bed each night, take 10 minutes to note three things that went well for you during the day.

Do it in this format:

What went well today and why?

1. _______________________________________________________

This is why: ___________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________
This is why: ___________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________
This is why: ___________________________________________

The three things don’t necessarily have to be big things. (In fact, they usually won’t be.) But write about them anyway. And next to every one of the things you list, answer the question “Why did this happen?”

Here are a few sample events and reasons:

Customer thanked me for helping her pick the perfect wedding ring. (Because I really cared about making sure she picked the right ring for her.)
Had a positive discussion with an employee with whom I was having trouble communicating with. (Because I was able to launch the conversation on a positive note, showed empathy, and was able to avoid a defensive reaction.)
Had absolutely amazing seafood lunch with my husband. (Because we always love to explore new restaurants together, but are sometimes too lazy to do it. This time, we pushed each other to go.)

Martin Seligman, author of Flourish, swears by this habit and claims you will be “less depressed, happier and addicted to this exercise six months from now”.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”