Welcome to the “Happy Habits” of the Life In Focus Experiment

We’re inviting you, along with members of our campus, professional and local communities, to be part of the Happy L.I.F.E.  We begin with many thanks to Shawn Achor for the bridge he builds (or, as some might say, in the leaps he takes) in his TEDx talk between some of the existing research in positive psychology and simple, practical applications that may help us increase the positivity in our lives.

We hope that you’ll find all the activities of the Happy L.I.F.E. meaningful and continue to build on each one as you add the next habit to your daily positivity practices.  By the end, you may just have five new habits that create greater satisfaction, success and, yes, maybe even a greater sense of happiness in your life.  And, don’t worry if you miss a start date – just jump right in with a positive intention get started from right where you are.

Or, if you’re already practicing one of the habits, we encourage you to combine your positive intentions with ours and we challenge you to go to the next level in the practice of your habit.  For instance, if you’re already meditating, add compassion or self-discovery to your intentions.  If you’re already exercising, add intention to your workout by turning off the noise – or the iPod – and truly focus inward on the mind-body connection…you get the idea.  Whatever you’re already doing, take it up a notch.

Our phases will follow our academic calendar (we’re on the quarter system) so that our students, staff and faculty have a chance to begin each phase at less hectic times of each quarter.  And, we’ve built in some “breathers” between each 21-day phase so that you can experience the satisfaction of continuing each habit, on your own, into the next phase.