When you’re happy, you can start a happiness virus through your social network, according to a Harvard and UC San Diego study.
So update your Twitter and Facebook status with good things and spread the love!
No conclusive info about when you’re down, although I know that’s as good a people repellant as B.O.
If you’re thinking about making changes in your life as “New Years Resolutions” I highly recommend starting by reading Dr. Phil’s 10 Life Laws.
Are you scoffing right now at the thought of Dr. Phil? Well if you really ARE thinking about what you need to change or achieve in 2008, then also take a look at these other articles (sorry they’re by Dr. Phil too!) I’m not leading you astray.
His approach is very direct, not spiritual, like: “Effective life management means you need to require more of yourself in your grooming, self-control, emotional management, interaction with others, work performance, dealing with fear, and in every other category you can think of. You must approach this task with the most intense commitment, direction and urgency you can muster.”
and
“Even the most destructive behaviors have a payoff. If you did not perceive the behavior in question to generate some value to you, you would not do it. If you want to stop behaving in a certain way, you’ve got to stop “paying yourself off” for doing it.”
That’s the kind of insight that will get me sticking to my “resolutions!”
Among many things, the most important goal on my list was to win a contest. I didn’t have a specific contest in mind, just something along the lines of fashion design (my dream career). I ended up putting this goal on my SuperViva LifeList….Never did I think this one goal would lead me to my very first real-life adventure!
This is a story told by a very impressive, inspiring 16 year old SuperViva member:
I wanted to share with you something I accomplished this year, something that was partly inspired by your site!
Last year on December 31, 2006, I decided to make a list for the year 2007. I told myself this wouldn’t be a “New Year’s resolutions list” because so many resolutions seem to go unfulfilled. Instead I named it my goal list, which to me sounded more achievable.
I believe, but I’m not completely sure, this was before I discovered SuperViva, so I just wrote it down on a pretty piece of stationary paper. Among many things, the most important goal on my list was to win a contest. I didn’t have a specific contest in mind, just something along the lines of fashion design (my dream career, I’m still a student :-). I ended up putting this goal on my SuperViva
LifeList.
A few months passed, and in late Febuary I was browsing through Teen Vogue’s website when I noticed an add for a Vera Wang contest on some new site named Flip.com. I immediately went to the site, and then registered once I found out the winner of this contest got a 2 day, 3 night stay in New York City along with a chance to work on a top secret project with Vera Wang and her team! The contest was for her perfume “Princess” aimed at people my age, and it asked you to tell the people at flip why you were “Born to Rule.”
The site is about flipbooks (basically online scrapbooks) so I went on and started working on my flipbook entry. I worked on it everyday, from uploading photos of things I’ve designed, to working on the effects on the pages. I got behind on a lot of my schoolwork though, so I stopped working on it for a few weeks to catch up, then I had a bunch of computer problems and wasn’t able to access the internet. When I finally got back to it, I only had about a week or two left in the contest, so I was working extra-fast to finish. As I went to submit it the last day, after I thought everything was perfect, my computer just froze and refused to function properly! I thought my entry had missed the deadline and I lost out, which really upset me because I wanted to win so bad!! I sent it manually to all the Editors on the website, just so they could see it.
About two weeks later I got a call from a girl named Nicole saying they had accepted my entry because their technicians had seen I had issues with using the website, and they saw how much work I put into it. They were equally impressed that I had sent it to all the Editors anyways just asking them to view my flipbook for the fun of it. As you may have guessed, she went on to tell me I had won the contest and I was going to New York City!!!! I flipped out! (no pun intended, haha)
My mom got to go too, so she was equally as excited (she starting screaming outside, where she was doing yardwork, and I’m sure all the neighbors thought we were crazy!) So, I went in July from the 18-20. It turns out I got to go on my 16th birthday! It doesn’t get much sweeter than that!
I went to the Givadaun Fragrance House that day (where Vera Wang’s perfumes are produced) and they had a room set up for the other winner and I (forgot to tell you there was one other winner, my new friend Ruth) and it was all “Princess” themed, cupcakes, tiaras, flowers, everything! They weren’t even aware it was my birthday! We got to help them in the creation process of their future Vera Wang Princess perfumes! I also visited Times Square, Teen Vogue’s offices (and fashion closet!) and finally Vera Wang’s own showroom! Unfortunately, due to
multiple schedule changes, I ended up arrving the day she was leaving for a family vacation in Italy, which at first was disappointing, but considering everything else I did, I didn’t mind too much!!! She had gift bags ready for us instead with a special bottle of her perfume, some of her brand’s stationary, and a signed, rare photoshoot book of the Princess ad campaign. I also presented her top assistant’s with a purse I sewed for her.
I think that sums up my trip mostly, and I can’t tell you how gratifying and exciting it was to check off “win a contest!” as done on my SuperViva list!!! Never did I think this one goal would lead me to my very first real-life adventure!
A few other “firsts” for me that were accomplished through this trip were:
…those are what I can think of right now 
I have found that by making a list of all my life goals, be them small or seemingly next to impossible, I take one step towards making them real. In a way, my dreams start to come alive through my list, because they are no longer random thoughts or daydreams, they’re suddenly achievable.
Note from Susie: Wow, if only I’d been as mature and insightful as she is at 16! Next step: Project Runway!?
Innovator’s Digest focuses on innovation within business; but their Technique-of-the-Week tips easily apply to improving your own life. Here are 3 fun and useful exercises that will help you prep for 2008:
These ideas come to you from SolutionPeople, a company which over 20 years has helped innovators generate over 2 million ideas valued at over $2 billion U.S. dollars.
