Think Small

To achieve big, you will need to think small

• Create an actionable plan

One of the most surprising pieces of advice to come out of the wellbeing literature perhaps is the importance of developing your curiosity. At the simplest level, this is about actively seeking to ‘take notice’ of the sights, sounds and sensations around you and to savour these moments.

We usually assume that when we set ourselves a goal we will probably pursue it with focus and attention, drawing heavily on our slower, reflective system.

It’s a curious and wonderful thing about the human condition that we are often a mystery to ourselves

Think Small is not a checklist.

trengthening your social relationships;

getting healthy and active;

learning something new;

being more curious; and

giving to others.

A similar logic can be applied to your personal life – both of us increasingly prioritize spending time and money on unique experiences with our friends and families. So when it comes to setting your own goal, you might consider exploring something that will help you to develop your own curiosity, including organizing experiences for yourself along the way.

Active participation in the life of your local community has also been shown to be strongly associated with happiness.18 Offering support to others has even been shown to be associated with reduced mortality rates.19 These factors have led Harvard Professor of Psychology Dan Gilbert to suggest that helping other people is one of the most selfish things you can decide to do.

similar logic can be applied to your personal life – both of us increasingly prioritize spending time and money on unique experiences with our friends and families. So when it comes to setting your own goal, you might consider exploring something that will help you to develop your own curiosity, including organizing experiences for yourself along the way