Keep Learning: About Ways to Make the Most of Your Life

12 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT PURPOSEFUL LIVING

1. Qualities and habits that indicate purposeful living include: mutually supportive relationships, proactive self-care, willingness to fail and learn from it, responsible decisiveness and an appreciation for the small moments of life.
2. People who live with a sense of purpose suffer fewer negative effects from stress than do people who take a reactive approach to life.
3. However much you want to please others, the only real motivation comes from personally wanting something and counting it worthy of you and yourself worthy of it.
4. For maximum effectiveness and productivity, the ideal schedule is 50–60-minute work periods alternating with 15–20-minute breaks (“break” defined as doing something clearly different from the work, without using the same equipment or staying in the same spot).
5. The traits that determine individual personalities are divided into “broad traits” and “in-between qualities.” Broad traits, such as extraversion, conscientiousness, moodiness and creativity, are inborn and determine what general paths a person will be drawn to throughout life. In-between qualities, which can be changed, are the habits and beliefs that evolve from experiences, decisions and goals.
6. Environment affects attitude in surprising ways. People sitting in hard chairs are more likely to perceive situations as inflexible, and people who have recently handled rough surfaces notice more difficulties in other situations.
7. Dopamine, the pleasure-generating neurotransmitter, increases as you move toward your goals. However, when “gotta have it” thinking borders on desperation, dopamine may reach “overdose” levels, impairing focus and decreasing chances of success.
8. Goal setting has a dark side. Unless prepared to revise and evaluate as they go, and to celebrate progress whether or not things turn out exactly as planned, people can focus on specific goals to the point of becoming narrow-minded, overly competitive and easily frustrated.
9. Choosing and aiming for an attitude, rather than an achievement, is called “intention setting.”
10. Many people prefer to call their vision boards “action boards,” because “action” is more conducive to accepting personal responsibility and setting effective goals.
11. Most people famous for their achievements fail more times than they succeed—but they understand that big successes come by learning through a series of small failures.
12. The phrase “self-help” comes from a 19^th-century work by that title, first published by Samuel Smiles in 1859. Smiles’s book was a bestseller in the Victorian era.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Becoming Minimalist
A popular resource and online community for people who need practical ideas for minimizing overload.

Brené Brown
A research professor at the University of Houston, Dr. Brown is an expert on emotional health and the author of New York Times bestsellers The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, and Rising Strong.

Dale Carnegie Training
Dale Carnegie, who began lecturing on public speaking and human relations in the early 20^th century, was among the first of the great self-help authors. His legacy continues through institutes located in over 90 countries, teaching in over two dozen languages.

Dr. Travis Bradberry
Author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and of numerous articles for Forbes and LinkedIn, Dr. Bradberry is an expert on soft skills and professionalism.

Job Hunter’s Bible
Created as a companion resource to the popular annual publication What Color Is Your Parachute? Great source of advice on finding the right job for you.

Joel Osteen Ministries
Osteen is a favorite among Christian positive thinkers.

Joyce Meyer Ministries
Faith-based organization with a focus on overcoming unhealthy thinking habits to build better lives.

Marc and Angel Hack Life
Created by two life coaches, this website is a highly useful source of personal-development lifehacks, plus links to purchase books and additional training.

Myers & Briggs Foundation
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is probably the best-known tool for categorizing your personality and developing a picture of what jobs and other activities are good fits for you.

PsychCentral
An enormous database of practical ideas for living your best despite mental- and behavioral-health struggles.

Psycho-Cybernetics
The term “psycho-cybernetics” was coined by a plastic surgeon who became interested in psychology while observing how his patients adapted to changes in their physical appearance. The focus is on conquering low self-esteem and correcting faulty self-perceptions.

Purpose Driven
Since Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life was first published in 2002, the idea of a life guided by “purposeful” focus has become everyday terminology. Even people who disagree with Warren’s faith-based viewpoint have found useful ideas for making the most of their own personalities and interests.

Stephen R Covey
Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a classic. The website provides additional resources on personal effectiveness, plus an on