Why?

In a nutshell, momentum. When you are lying in bed, it is often hard to convince yourself to throw off the covers and plant your feet on the ground. You worry about the cold. You feel tired and sluggish. You lie in bed, thinking but not getting anywhere. But when you are running, you don’t question anything. You’re flying through space, putting one foot in front of the other again and again because you must. You are absorbed entirely in the present moment.

Not everyone enjoys running, but perhaps you feel this way when you are playing music, painting, dancing, or cooking. If you have a job you love, you probably feel this way at work. We are most likely to fulfill our own unique potential when we are engaged in activities that absorb and inspire us.

How?

Much of the work of Positive Psychology involves identifying and cultivating personal strengths, virtues, and talents. When we identify our own greatest strengths, we can consciously engage in work and activities that make us feel most confident, productive, and valuable. We can also learn skills for cultivating joy and focusing on the present. Mindfulness is a valuable skill taught by many coaches. Using mindfulness, you can learn to develop a full and clear awareness of the present, both physically and mentally.

Questions to consider. What are my strengths? What are my spheres of talent? What strengths and/or talents could I use to vastly improve my life with a little bit of attention?

Relationships – Authentic Connection

The relationship domain may be the most important domain for our personal well-being. Humans are social animals. We have a need for connection, love, and physical and emotional contact with others. We enhance our own well-being by building strong networks of relationships around us, with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and all the other people in our lives.

Why?

You know the saying, “A problem shared is a problem halved”? Well, it gets even better. “Happiness shared is happiness squared.” When we share our joy with those we love, we feel even more joy. And when we love, we become more lovable.

We depend on the people around us to help us maintain balance in our lives. When we are alone, we lose perspective on the world, and we forget that others may be bearing greater burdens than our own. But when we let other people into our lives, we remember to give as well as take. When you belong to a community, you have a network of support around you, and you are part of that network.

How?

It is important to build and maintain relationships with the people in your life, but it is equally important to recognize the difference between a healthy relationship and a damaging one. Some relationships are dangerous because they are one-sided or codependent. Other relationships struggle because people take each other for granted, don’t make time for each other, or can’t seem to communicate.

The key to all relationships is balance. It is not enough to surround ourselves with ‘friends’ – we must also listen and share, make an effort to maintain our connections, and work to make those connections strong.

Questions to Ponder:

What are the most important elements of a relationship for me? What have been or are the most important relationships in my life? Why? How can I use that knowledge to improve all of my relationships?

Meaning in Life – Purposeful Existence

We are at our best when we dedicate our time to something greater than ourselves. It could be a religious belief, community service, family, a political cause, a charity, or a professional or creative goal.

Why?

Studies have shown that people who belong to a community and pursue shared goals are happier than those who don’t. It is also very important to feel that the work we do is consistent with our personal values and beliefs. From day to day, if we believe our work is worthwhile, we feel a general sense of well-being and confidence that we are using our time and our abilities for good.

How?

What do you value most in this world? It might be family, or learning, or your faith. Perhaps you feel strongly about helping disadvantaged children or protecting the environment. Once you have identified what matters most to you, find some like-minded people and begin working together for the things you care about. You can find meaning in your professional life as well as your personal one. If you see a deeper mission in the work you do, you are better placed to apply your talents and strengths in the service of this mission.

Questions to ask yourself:

What do you do in your life that is for the greater good? What do you do for yourself that may not be for the greater good but does no harm to yourself or others? What do you knowingly do that you like but may cause harm to others?

Achievement – A Sense of Accomplishment

We have all been taught that “winning isn’t everything.” Yes, we should strive for success, but it’s more important to enjoy the game. However, people need to win sometimes. What use are goals and ambitions if we never reach them? To achieve well-being and happiness, we must look back on our lives with a sense of accomplishment: “I did it, and I did it well.”

Why?

Creating and working toward goals helps us anticipate and build hope for the future. Past successes make us feel more confident and optimistic about future attempts. There is nothing bad or selfish about being proud of your accomplishments. When you feel good about yourself, you are more likely to share your skills and secrets with others. You will be motivated to work harder and achieve more next time. You may even inspire the people around you to achieve their own goals.

How?

It is important to set yourself tangible goals and keep them in sight. In Positive Psychology coaching, we encourage you to identify your ambitions and cultivate the strengths you need in order to reach them. Regular coaching is a great way to stay focused on your long-term goals and acknowledge the little successes along with the big ones. It is vital to cultivate resilience against failure and setbacks. Success doesn’t always come easy, but if we stay positive and focused, we don’t give up when adversity strikes.

Questions to consider:

What are my most important accomplishments in life? Why are they so important? What did I learn from those achievements that I use or can use moving forward in life?

Taken from: https://relate.melbourne/well-being-theory/ (Please note that the University of Melbourne has since updated its website and the original page is no longer available.)