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.

tween income and wellbeing (rich people are generally happier than poorer people), as we saw with the giving experiments, it’s not money per se that brings improvements in your wellbeing.4 It’s what your income enables you to do.5 For many living in poverty, increasing their income (and particularly their savings) is likely to be a common and important goal. But for those of us who are fortunate enough not to live in poverty, we are likely to benefit more by focusing on how to spend our time and money, rather than primarily striving to increase our income. I

if money doesn’t make you happy, you probably aren’t spending it right’.

‘if money doesn’t make you happy, you probably aren’t spending it right’.