Want to Be More Successful? Start by Being Happier
The first time I read The Happiness Advantage, I was a new teacher, newly married, and diving deep into positive psychology (which was exploding in popularity at the time). I was reading blogs, listening to podcasts, and really enjoying this new perspective on life. I had just started my blog and was working on my first book, Happy Professor, and realizing that everything in life- stress, excitement, work- were all a matter of perspective. It felt revolutionary.
Now more than a decade later, The Happiness Advantage sits faded on the bookshelf in my office. The only reason I opened it up recently was to skim through it one last time before I donated it. But as I started flipping through its pages, I felt transported and I remembered that this was where it all began. This is probably the very book that started me on my life’s quest to be a happy person, as unconditionally as possible. How funny, all these years later, now as a mom of 3, life looks different- there are bigger responsibilities, things aren’t always perfect, but I’m still determined to go about each day as if it’s a great one. As I’ve been re-reading through the chapters of this book, I’ve decided it won’t be donated; it’s the book that started it all. Instead, I think I’ll put it with my work files, alongside The Miracle Morning, as a reminder that these are the books that can change everything, and they deserve to be re-read (at least the highlighted parts) once a year. In fact, I’m trying to pass down this way of living to my kids, that life circumstance are only what you make of them, so maybe it will be required reading as they enter their angsty teen years!
Having said all that, I think I’m going to break my rule for reading a new book each month in 2026 and spend both August and September focusing on The Happiness Advantage.
As students, I don’t necessarily expect you to read the book (although it might just change your life if you do), but revisit this blog post if you find it helpful.
So here we go:
Shawn Achor’s The Happiness Advantage challenges the idea that we must become successful before we can be happy. Instead, Achor argues that happiness can actually help create success. For students, the book offers three important lessons.
1. You have more control over your mindset than you may think.
Students cannot control every grade, professor, or stressful situation, but they can influence how they interpret and respond to those experiences. Training your brain to notice possibilities, gratitude, and progress can make challenges feel more manageable and help you approach problems with greater optimism.
2. Small habits can create big changes.
Rather than trying to completely transform your life overnight, focus on small, manageable actions. Achor’s “20-Second Rule” suggests making good habits easier to begin and bad habits harder to access. Students can put their phone across the room while studying, keep workout clothes ready, or begin an assignment with just five minutes of focused work. The Happiness Advantage was another Atomic Habits– type book back when it came out in 2010 (I can’t believe it’s been so long!), and I’ll never forget Achor’s idea to go to bed in your workout clothes to make working out easier in the morning. In fact, for years I’ve worn athletic clothes to school drop off in the morning so I don’t skip out on my morning walk afterward. This small step helped me develop a daily walking habit over the last 10 years, and I’m sure if I thought more deeply about it, this book is initially responsible for many other changes in my life over the years.
3. Happiness and productivity can reinforce each other.
Positive habits such as practicing gratitude, exercising, meditating, and investing in supportive relationships can improve well-being while also helping students become more focused, motivated, and resilient. Happiness is not simply a reward for succeeding—it can be part of the process that helps you succeed. So don’t feel like you need to wait to succeed to enjoy happiness, enjoy it right now- find a way, any way to get yourself there. It might be the turning point to have better relationships, get better grades, and even to start seeing the bright spot in life’s challenges.
I hope you find the above tips helpful!
If you do have the time, I strongly recommend picking up The Happiness Advantage. To start, get a used copy, and just read the introduction. If you like the introduction, consider reading a bit more. Maybe those first few pages won’t immediately thrill you like they did for me (both 10 years ago, and this past week). But who knows, maybe it will be the start of your own journey of discovery and determining the type of person you choose to be.
Happy living, learning, and reading!