Looking for more ways to enjoy life and find greater happiness? Who isn’t! We’ve got a simple solution to improve at least five parts of your life.
That solution is email. Keep reading if you’re curious about how why emails can change everything.
Are you happy enough?
Researchers say that almost no one claims to be sufficiently happy. According to “The Oxford Handbook of Happiness,” most people struggle with self-image.
That’s why the authors of “Handbook of Social Indicators and Quality of Life Research” recommend telling someone how grateful you are – for something – every day.
You don’t need to call. This sort of email is one that everyone loves to read and that you will love to send. Importantly, the act of saying thank you improves your life. Because your relationships will improve!
Shawn Achor (The Happiness Advantage) recommends sending an email encouraging or praising another person before tackling the work day.
How’s your work life?
Be honest when answering this question. Then consider how your boss views what you do. Does he or she know you’re alive or do communications seem to center on what’s gone awry?
There’s a way to improve your boss’s opinion in a summary email, sent once per week. Write your boss about the myriad items you’ve managed and/or the solutions you’ve found. After a week or two, don’t be surprised if your boss uses this email summary as an example of office best practices.
Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of “Power,” puts this idea in perspective. Your boss probably isn’t thinking a lot about you, unless you’re a problem child. Make your performance transparent!
Who’s your mentor?
Mentorship isn’t just for students and interns. When someone’s work touches, motivates, or inspires you, reach out by email and develop a conversation with him or her. Author David Shenk (“The Genius In All Of Us”) says that mentors can and do influence personal and professional growth.
So don’t go it alone.
Do you have enough friends?
Great leaders know the power of friendship. A lot can happen when friends decide to make it so. But if you don’t have enough friends, every part of life suffers.
Let’s say you have an even dozen relatively close friends. Email one or more of them every day and never let a week or two pass without staying in touch. Because, when you’re a CEO of a major multinational one day, all of you will realize how important relationships really are.
But don’t use email as an end in itself. Make plans to see friends often. Don’t let anything stand in the way of keeping your friends close. Ever.
Job search
Looking for a job is an exhausting process without friends and acquaintances. Researchers say that one’s acquaintances can be more important to finding a new job than closest friends. That’s because close friends chat often and tend to exchange what they know in real time.
An acquaintance may want a closer connection. Or he or she may get satisfaction out of “giving.” According to Adam Grant, (“Give and Take”) “givers” tend to populate the bottom and top of the career spectrum. Giving too often can cause burnout or simply create new dynamic relationships that pay back.
So what are you waiting for? Collect friends and send emails!
