How to be Happier (there’s only one way!) Description: Notes from the Wowfactor Women Conference presented by Michele Connolly on May 23 2009.

1. How to Be Happier with
Life & Goal Organizer
Michele Connolly

2.  How Wowfactor Women can use the Life &
Goal Organizer program in your groups
 But first... A bit about happiness
 Why happiness is a great goal
 How to be happier (there’s only one way!)
 Happiness boosters
 Life & Goal Organizer & happiness
 Demo: How Life & Goal Organizer works
 Exercise: Setting Life & Goal Organizer
priorities for Wowfactor Women Groups

3.  Creator of Life & Goal Organizer
 System for organizing goals, plans & life.
 Focus
 Helping people get happier, more organized
 Training
 Life coaching, psychology, business, happiness
research, writing
 Background
 Corporate, small businesses
 Belief
 Easier to be happy with goal setting & personal
organisation

4.  Happiness is associated with:
 Physical & mental health
 Coping skills
 Resilience
 Work satisfaction
 Good relationships - colleagues, friends, loved ones
 Long life
 Immune system strength
 Self liking
 Altruism
 Liking others
 Effective conflict management

5.  Happiness
 Good for
you, family, workplace, economy, society, world!
 Youcan feel great about making happiness
your goal, so...
 Can you increase your happiness?
 Will you stay happier?

6.  Dominant theory of happiness in psych
literature - 3 factors:
 Circumstances & demographics
 Like health, finances and marital status
 Personality & genes
 ‘Innate’ aspects of a person
 Intentional factors
 Deliberate actions like pursuing a goal

7.  How much do conditions affect happiness?
 Size of contribution to happiness:
Small (about 10% total)
 Can we change conditions to lift happiness?
 Yes, but...
 Changing circumstances -> short-term change
 People quickly adjust to new conditions - the
‘hedonic treadmill’

8.  How much does personality affect happiness?
 Size of contribution to happiness:
Big (about 50%)
 Can we change personality to lift happiness?
 Sadly, no
 Personality has strong genetic component
 Not easily amenable to change

9.  Howmuch do intentional factors affect
happiness?
 Size of contribution to happiness:
Big (about 40%)
 Canwe change intentional factors to lift
happiness?
 Yes – we can control and change them, and...
 Changing intentional factors -> longer-term change

10.  Cognitive activities - eg
 Counting blessings
 Noticing good things
 Feeling gratitude
 Behavioural activities - eg
 Exercising regularly
 Engaging in a hobby
 Volitional activities - eg
 Striving for a goal
 Working on a skill.

11.  Life& Goal Organizer helps you organise and
action cognitive, behavioural and volitional
intentional factors across 12 life areas...
 Your thinking styles and attitudes
 Your personal habits, hobbies and activities
 Your goals and plans

12.  Life& Goal Organizer helps you organise and
action cognitive, behavioural and volitional
intentional factors across 12 life areas...
1. Personal 6. Personal
Development Presentation
2. Health & Fitness 7. Happiness
3. Career & Work 8. Money & Finance
4. Fun & Recreation 9. Relationships
5. Technology 10. Time Management
6. Home 11. Family

13.  Life& Goal Organizer helps you organise and
action cognitive, behavioural and volitional
intentional factors across 12 life areas...
 A systematic program of intentional factors so
Wowfactor groups can:
 Choose life areas and projects that appeal to the group
 Set their own pace
 Track progress with inventories and check-boxes
 Use interactive features for home assignments,
printouts for group meeting tasks

14.  HowLife & Goal
Organizer works
 Overview of
interactive features

15.  SettingLife & Goal
Organizer priorities
for Wowfactor Groups
 Handout:
 EasyStart Menu
(2 pages)
 Also:
 52 Missions Flyer
 SMART Goal Planner
 SMART Goal Planner –
Sample Guide

16.  Happiness is a great goal!
 Working on intentional factors is the key to
greater happiness long term
 Life & Goal Organizer offers a tool for
working on intentional factors
 Flexibility for Wowfactor Women Groups

17.  www.GetOrganizedWizard.com
 Facebook:
 www.profile.to/micheleconnolly
 Twitter
 www.twitter.com/MicheleConnolly
 LinkedIn
 www.linkedin.com/in/micheleconnolly

18. How to Be Happier with
Life & Goal Organizer
www.GetOrganizedWizard.com