Life can't be stress free--but that's not exactly such a bad thing.

In her article "Can Stress Actually Be Good for You?," MSNBC health editor Jane Weaver writes: "When the brain perceives physical or psychological stress, it starts pumping the chemicals cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine into the body. Instantly, the heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, senses sharpen, a rise in blood glucose invigorates us and we're ready to rock."

As such, here are five instances when you should welcome being stressed:

1. When you face something with enough excitement to override any fears. Instead of being petrified with fear, you should feel challenged to tackle the tasks at hand. This is exactly how I felt when, a few years ago, I had to teach my son Danny to walk. Sure, I was afraid that he'd fall and get hurt but I was more excited about seeing him take his first steps.

2. When you have a full schedule that still allows you to enjoy enough leisure time. Though you work hard, you should still have time to kick back and enjoy a long lunch with a friend or do some gardening.

3. When you have commitments that you truly care about. You value being a parent, spouse, friend, employee, and member of the community. It's a constant challenge to try to be good at playing all the roles that you've taken on. For me, juggling my deadlines with caring for my six-year-old and running the household is nothing short of a logistics nightmare. But I wouldn't want it any other way. (Besides, my husband takes on his share of the chores.) Yes, we all do our best to deliver because these are things that matter to us.

4. When you have long-term goals. Having a list of, say, ten things that you want to do in your lifetime keeps you motivated to get up everyday and work towards achieving them. In my case, I'm slowly working to convert our house's cluttered basement into a cozy workspace. It may not happen for years, but it's a project that proven therapeutic for me.

5. When you're tired enough to get a restful, undisturbed sleep. We all get "tired in a good way" after we've worked on tedious tasks like clearing out the garage or doing some volunteer work at the local animal shelter. Your muscles may ache, but the sense of achievement that you feel will make up for it. Either way, you'll snooze soundly.

So, I guess we should all aim to be stressed so good. From hereon, it won't be too far fetched to hear somebody say, "I love being stressed."

Credits: Photo by Peter Griffin, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Suggested Resource: Sign up for Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What Your Want and use the Daily Time Praxis to make sure that most of the stress you get is the good kind.

Hoping to shake off my holiday hangover fast, I picked up a copy of Welcome to Your Brain: The Science of Jet Lag, Love, and Other Curiosities of Life by Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang.

The book is a fun and enlightening read. I found out many new things about the human brain that are sure to help me wise up. Here are three of those "brainy" facts:

1. You use more than 10 percent of your brain. Many people believe that we "only use 10 percent of our brains." However, scientists who study the brain dispel this myth. Aamodt and Wang clarify: "In reality, you use your whole brain everyday. If big chunks of the brain were never used, damaging them would not cause noticeable problems. This is emphatically not the case!" So, quit making excuses about not being able to learn how to work with the your office computer's newly installed software just because you've used up your brain's 10 percent. Your brain is 100 percent capable of learning new things--as long as you put your mind to it.

2. Happiness is better when it comes in small doses. "Frequent small positive events have a greater cumulative impact than occasional large positive events," reveal Aamodt and Wang. "It's hard to believe that it would make you happier to spend fifteen minutes every evening for the rest of your life having a relaxed drink with a sympathetic friend than it would to win the lottery--but it's almost certainly true." Thus, take time to touch base with a friend or a loved one even during a busy day at work. This way you won't end up snapping at your co-workers.

3. You shouldn't cram if you want to get smart. "Psychologists have known for more than a century that your brain retains many kinds of information longer if it has an opportunity to process what you've learned," write Aamodt and Wang. They add: "Two study sessions with time between them can result in twice as much learning as a single study session of the same length." As such, if you're due to make a big presentation, don't make the whole thing in one sitting. To make sure that your data stays coherent, take periodic breaks so you can look at what you've written so far with "fresh eyes.

No doubt this is definitely one book that will fire up your gray matter and gear you up for the mental challenges that lie ahead.

Suggested Resource: Care to find out what other great stuff the human mind is capable of? Sign up for Simpleology's Catalog of Esoteric Psychological Lore (The Most Comprehensve Collection of Forbidden Psychological Tricks, Tactics, and Techniques Ever Assembled).

As 2008 ended and 2009 came around, I realized that there are people who subscribe to superstitious beliefs about ensuring good luck for the coming year. My best friend Janet, for example, is applying feng shui to her whole house so that it's suited for the Year of the Ox. (I guess there's no harm in rearranging the furniture and doing home improvements to bring in good fortune.)

If you ask me, though, I think we all make our own luck. This is what Richard Wiseman, author of The Luck Factor, emphasizes. He offers three easy-to-follow tips on how you can ensure your good fortune:

1. Embrace new things. It pays to check out things that you wouldn't normally check out. You never know. You just may come across something that will make your life better. As Wiseman observes: "Unlucky people are often in a rut." So, to raise the chances of good luck coming your way, resolve to make a quick exit each time you encounter situations that aren't doing you any good.

2. Keep a sunny disposition. According to Wiseman, lucky people "tend to look on the bright side." It may be quite a challenge to pull this off, but once you have it down pat then nothing can bring you down. This attitude will help you bounce back from the most trying situations. Picture this: If you're running late for work and your car won't start, just thank your lucky stars that your engine trouble manifested itself in your garage and not when you're in the middle of a freeway.

3. Paint a pretty picture. "Lucky people assume positive things will happen to them," states Wiseman. When you're starting a new project or, perhaps, setting up a new business, visualize your success. As long as you've covered all the necessary bases, then luck is on your side.

There you have it, folks. You don't have to wait around for Lady Luck to pay you a visit. You can be proactive about it. Yes, we can all go through our good luck rituals. But, we have to remember that the luckiest charm we could ever hope to have is our ability to make things happen ourselves.

Credits: Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Suggested Resource: Be the master of your own luck by signing up for the Kaizen Club. You're sure to learn no-nonsense tips on how to get lucky in life practically all the time.

With the holidays over, we're back in full swing at my house these days. There's job pressure, school, soccer practice, tennis lessons, plumbing problems, and appointments with the dentist. You get the picture.

I figured it was time to regroup and remind myself of all the stress management techniques that help us get it all done and keep us from going nuts.

Here are my top 10 "sanity tips:"

1. Identify and stick to your priorities. Make a list of tasks you must accomplish. Include a deadline or a clear time commitment for each item on your list.

2. Be organized. Use the list you made to organize your life and calendar. Treat tasks as appointments with yourself just as you'd make appointments with others. Respect your own time.

3. Keep communication lines open. You have to communicate well with the people around you such as your your family, your friends, and your workmates. The motto that you should keep in mind is this: "Communicate early and communicate often." Remember also that communication is a learned skill. Practice it until it becomes second nature.

4. Expect the unexpected. One morning, when you have a really important meeting at work or a deadline looming over your head, you'll wake up to a flooded basement or maybe your child is down with the flu. These are the kind of days when you have to take one for the team, so to speak. When these unforeseen setbacks happen, do your best to keep your cool and cope. It happens to all of us.

5. Save time by spending a little more money. In the long run, you have only two things to spend: time and money. If you want to save on one, you'll have to spend the other. For instance, if you want to get your spring cleaning done without having to miss your child's soccer match, then it may be a good idea to spend money for a cleaning crew to come to your house.

6. Pick your battles. Decide what things are non-negotiable for you and which ones really are not that big a deal at home and at work. For example, there are so many things I used to get worked up about that I just don't sweat anymore. It's really not wise to waste energy complaining about people who, say, don't believe in saying "Please" or "Excuse me."

7. Make the most of your time. Help your son with his homework while you're waiting for the wash to finish. Plan your errands so that everything in one neighborhood is done in the same trip. Catch up on your email while waiting for your kid off school.

8. Learn to say, "No!" Clearly, there are some things you can't say no to, such as when your boss asks you to do an important task or your baby needs to go to the doctor. But there are plenty of things you can say no to--like when a lazy co-worker tries to make you do his or her work.

9. Ask for help. When there's too much to do at home or at work, ask for help. This totally goes against the "Superparent" self-concept many of us have of ourselves, but, let's face it, we all know that we cannot do it everything well by ourselves all the time.

10. Be kind to yourself and others. Be sure to take care of yourself and your family by spending time together. You and your spouse should also have time together without the kids. And, of course, you need to take time out for yourself as well. A little "me" time can do a lot to recharge body and mind.

Bottom line? To take care of others and to take care of business, you have to take care of yourself. Be as thoughtful of yourself as you are of others, and respect your own time and energy. That respect and balance will translate into the work you do with and for others.

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The author is a professor of Psychology and Health and Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado Denver. She is the founder of Powerful Mind Consulting and Coaching, LLC. Mary is a seasoned speaker, facilitator, and higher education and coaching professional who has been "living the dream" as a working mom, professor, scientist, university administrator, and executive and life coach for over 15 years. Her professional background is concentrated in human behavior, stress management, and mind-body relationships.

Suggested Resource: Want to be be free from needless stress? Sign up for the Kaizen Club and learn how you can be the best version of yourself--be it at home or at work.

What is the magic of goal setting?

Is it simply writing down what you want and waiting for your goal to somehow magically come into being? Some self-proclaimed gurus would have you believe that's all there is to it. But there are countless examples of people who write down New Year's resolutions to lose weight or quit drinking who are back to their bad habits by January 15th.

So how about writing down your goal, and then breaking it into "mini goals"? Is that where the magic happens?

While breaking down big tasks into manageable ones certainly helps, it's probably not the only answer. There are many people who plan, plan, and plan but don't accomplish anything.

Or is goal setting magic not having a goal at all, but simply working hard your whole life? Well, there are those who work hard and put in long hours to build a fortune. Yet, there are others who work just as hard but still end up broke. Hmmm...

So if there is indeed a "magic" to setting and achieving our goals, what is it exactly?

Actually, it takes a combination of all the moves I just mentioned to make things happen.

Look at it this way...

Without the main goal, we have no direction. If we don't write down a main goal, efforts become scattered. It's like looking at a map to decide where you want to go and choosing all of the locations at the same time. It's simply easier to stay home.

Without breaking it down into mini-goals (I call these steps), we have no strategy. If we don't set mini goals we never learn how to achieve the main goal. Suppose your goal was to build a storage shed, but you don't plan your steps. Instead, you go to the store and buy all the wood for the shed--no tools, no nails, no foundation materials and no blueprints. What kind of storage shed can you expect from this? I wouldn't store my lawnmower in your shed if this was your plan.

Without work, we have no momentum. If we don't work we become like a Corvette without an engine. We have all the potential speed in the world. But without an engine or work, we go nowhere.

We need all three to get what we want.

Now, I have an exercise for you:

1. Write down your main goal or what you want in life.

2. Then, write down 10 steps that if you took them starting today would eventually lead to the achievement of your goals.

3. Start one of the steps today.

Don't be like the Corvette with the souped up GPS maps but no engine. Unleash all cylinders and race smart through each of the necessary steps.

Brad Isaac is a CIO and writes about goal setting at Persistence Unlimited.

Suggested Resource: Start the year right by signing up for Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want. The Daily Time Praxis, which is one of the life-changing tools of the course, will help you pace yourself as you work to achieve your goals for 2009.

Just today, two of my friends called me up to ask if I could be their New Resolution buddy. One wanted to quit smoking and the other wanted to lose weight. Before I could agree to or reject their request, I had to ask, "What does that mean?"

Operation Resolution
As a New Year Resolution buddy, I would be the guy they could call whenever they feel like they're about to fall off the wagon. You see, both my friends had tried making their respective resolutions for 2008. For one reason or another, they had both failed to make them stick.

"Look," I told them, "I can't commit to being your on-call New Year Resolution buddy. I support your efforts but I can't be your babysitter. One of my resolutions this year is to quit spreading myself too thin and I will break it if I sign up to help you keep your resolution. Besides, you would feel better if you manage to pull it off all by yourself."

Thankfully, my friends happily respected my decision. "Anyway," as one of them put it, "I bet there are many people with the same resolution who are also giving it another crack."

Timeless List
As it turns out, my friend knew the New Year Resolution crowd quite well.

A comparison of two New Year Resolutions surveys done by FranklinCovey Products shows that people are likely to make the same sort of resolutions. Could it be because they don't follow through on their good intentions?

Unfortunately, that, indeed, seems to be the case.

According to the survey's findings, forty-three percent of the 527 respondents say "they are not committed to the New Year's resolutions they set." The most popular reason for not being keen on making good on New Year resolutions was given by 25 percent of the respondents, who state "they have too many other things to do."

The survey further revealed that that more than 75 percent of respondents will break their New Year's resolutions within three months and almost one-third will break them by the end of January.

Good Intentions
Despite the daunting stats, people continue to make New Year resolutions year after year. (The practice is so popular that there's a site devoted to it.)

My theory is that people continue to see the start of the New Year as their chance to turn over a new leaf and start living a new and improved life. This aspect of the whole New Year resolution ritual is cool. I'm all for resolutions that aim for self-empowerment and self-improvement.

Then again, as the saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Bottom line: Making New Year resolutions is great, but you have to commit to them. Otherwise, you'll just be going through the motions of making a resolution you have no intention of keeping every year. That certainly doesn't call for any New Year fireworks.

So, if you're making resolutions this year, make them stick. Though it may be hard to quit smoking (or any other vice) or start a fitness routine, keep in mind that you're doing it for your own good.

Want to know how you can make your resolution stick? For starters, you could sign up for Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want and learn how you can use the Daily Time Praxis to live the life you want.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Did you know that the average American gains one pound to 1.5 pounds per year after age 25? Do the weight-gain math. That adds up to 10 to 15 pounds per decade--numbers which likewise signal the rising risk to your health. For instance, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are directly linked to obesity. Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight is essential.

To help you get fit and stay healthy, scope out the top five weight-gain culprits and find out how you can beat them:

1. Sedentary Style
Modern life keeps us from moving our bodies. Cars, long hours at the office, TV watching, as well as all other components of our lifestyle, make us fat.

The Antidote: Make a commitment to exercise 30 minutes everyday. Do something that you like (such as walking around the neighborhood) and make a routine out of it. If you're planning to start a more demanding fitness routine, make sure that you check with your doctor first.

2. Sleeplessness
Chronic sleep deprivation is bad for your health. It causes fatigue and throws off your internal body clock. This, in turn, causes you to overeat and inevitably gain weight.

The Antidote: Make sleep a top priority in your life. Shoot for seven to nine hours of sleep each night.

3. Calorie Overload
Let's say that each day you take in 100 calories more than what your body burns. If you do this for 35 days straight, you will gain one pound. This happens easily, as most of us don't realize that constant calorie overload (no matter how "small") adds up to significant weight gain.

The Antidote: Don't fret! You won't be doomed to count calories. Instead, fill up on fruits, vegetables, and water prior to eating higher calorie foods. Don't let yourself get too hungry as this causes overeating. Remember to eat slowly and you'll eat less.

4. Chronic Stress
Stress is unavoidable. Poor reactions to excessive stress--such as overeating and resorting to fastfood fixes--cause you to gain weight.

The Antidote: Modify your automatic reaction to stress by meditating each day, taking periodic breaks, listening to music, and surrounding yourself with positive people and thoughts. Gorging on grease food won't do you any good.

5. Muscle Mass Loss
As we age, we slowly lose muscle mass. This gives way to weight gain because when you lose muscle mass, your metabolism also declines. This means your body's calorie needs will lessen. As such, if you don't modify your eating habits, you're sure to pack on the pounds.

The Antidote: To fight off the weight gain brought on by the loss of muscle mass, you have to build up your muscles. This doesn't mean you have to become a bodybuilder. But, in order to fight the effects of aging, you should do muscle bearing workouts at least two times per week. Try weightlifting or even yoga.

Follow these steps to maintain a healthy weight. No need to turn into a fiend whose life revolves around the weighing scale. Just go slow. Work on one step each week. Keep adding more and more healthy habits as you progress in your get-fit plan. Most of all, always be kind to yourself and enjoy the journey to total fitness!

Credits: Photo by Petr Kratochvil, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The author writes about self-improvement topics such as health, personal-finance, goal-setting, and writing at Life Learning Today.

Suggested Resource: Want to find out what kind of food you need to eat so stay fit? Check out Simpleology 103: The Simple Science of Personal Energy to find out how you can eat your fill and still stay fit and energetic.

The holidays can get surreal.

Parents like me who are, of course, getting presents for their kids get pretty stressed out. This is when we lose our good sense and transform into fearsome creatures who make overworked shopping attendants weep.

In fact, I witnessed such an incident a couple of days before The Big Day. A frazzled mother of two (children in tow) gave a toy store cashier a piece of her mind. The woman yelled, "I just want my kids to be happy this Christmas!" (Thankfully, the pixie-faced lady who was the recipient of the tirade remained calm.)

I won't presume to know what Meltdown Woman was going through that day. But the fact that she seemed convinced her kids' happiness depended on her shopping trip bothered me.

Happiness should not be equated with shopping--at least not according to Dr. Christophe Andre, author of The Art of Happiness. His definition of happiness does not factor in material things. So, all those people (be it moms and dads or singles) who are in danger of losing sight of what the season is all about should try Andre's get-happy moves:

1. Accept all the whammies that life throws at you. You'll encounter setbacks: You'll be too late or make a mistake or say something stupid. As Andre says, "It's the rent you pay to live in the house of life." There's no point in being disappointed when things don't go your way. So, when you get irked at shopping attendants or cashiers, simply walk out of the shop to cool off. And, really, is it worth going berserk over stuff that's no longer available? Don't take it out on the shopping attendant when she tells you, "I'm sorry we've run out of Wolverine action figures."

2. Get your happiness fix and spread it any which way you can. There are more opportunities for happiness than you think. Embrace the moments. Pay attention to the people around you. Social ties are important for happiness. Shopping attendants and cashiers are people, too. Be polite to them. Be patient when they make mistakes. Also, don't forget to say, "Thank you." (This gesture is so powerful--so much so that it is one of the lessons learned at the Kaizen Club."

3. Don't ever pressure yourself to be perfect. "The ability to pause, mentally as well as in your actions, is important. Taking breaks is a prerequisite for experiencing happiness," says Andre. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to find that perfect gift ASAP. Gifts are great--but they're not the end-all and be-all of the season.

As you do these three moves, it's important that you make an effort to be inject optimism into your mindset. (For one, it'll come in handy when you have to outrun all the other parents and fight over the last action figure at the toy store.) "Optimism is an ingredient for happiness," explains Andre. "It gives you the power to try for happiness, and then when you get a little, you understand that trying to be optimistic was worth the trouble."

That sure would have been timely advice to Meltdown Woman.

Yes, presents will make kids happy. But I bet they'll have a grand Christmas with a mom or dad who's not in danger of having a meltdown for all the wrong reasons. Moreover, it may be a good idea to leave your kids at home when you're shopping during the peak of the mad holiday dash. Trust me, your kid will thank you for it. My six-year-old did. (I was crazy enough to take him with me when I did some last-minute shopping last year.)

I'd like to share two quotes that I believe are important to keeping someone productive.

Ready? Good, here goes...

"Out of sight, out of mind is a productivity killer!"

and ...

Writer G. K. Chesterton said, "More often than not people need to be reminded, more than they need to be instructed."

With these quotes in mind, let me then share a few things that can keep you productive:

1. Keep your priorities straight. Write down the most important things and do them first! Remember that not every task that comes our way is created equal. While everything in its own way may be important--some tasks when completed give you a greater sense of accomplishment or reward.

Tip: Develop the habit of identifying tasks that if completed so that they're the first to get your attention each day.

2. Use lists. I'm a big proponent of keeping lists because they help remind you about what needs to be done. Keep these things in mind when you come up with your to-do list: include your most important items first, leave room for unexpected things, add time frames for when you will do something, and don't schedule things back to back with little or no time between them. Then, when you finish a task, mark it complete so that you'll get a sense of accomplishment to give you the boost you need to go through the other items on your list.

Tip: Don't panic if you don't accomplish every item on your list. Instead, at the end of the day, just place the items left behind on your to-do list for the next day.

3. Get a calendar. A calendar offers an easy "at a glance" view of upcoming events, whether they are today or in the near future. You can use a traditional paper calendar--such as a day planner that's small enough to carry with you. Or, if you prefer, you can opt for a desk calendar. I personally use a desk calendar as a "real world" backup, because my primary calendar solution is the Web-based Google Calendar. There is no shortage of software programs or other web based solutions to choose from.

Tip: With the Google Calendar, you will be able to create unique calendars within a larger calendar. You can have specialized "sub-calendars." For example, you can create one for personal use and one for work purposes. As you add new tasks you assign the particular "sub-calendar" to the task. One advantage to this is that while everything can be grouped on your calendar view, you can also easily view tasks by each calendar group. With a Web-based calendar, you could also have alerts sent to either your cell phone as a text message, or sent as an email to remind you of the events on your calendar.

4. Adopt a "Do it now!" attitude. Even the most well-laid plans get derailed when we don't get moving. It's not always because we don't want to do the tasks. At times, they just don't get done because other things come up and overwhelm us. The funny thing is when we simply do the thing we're neglecting, we find that it rarely takes anywhere near the time to do it that we may have originally thought it would. In any instances, we waste more time when we put off a task in order to wait for a more convenient time to do it. Isn't that ironic?

Tip: Keep in mind that becoming more productive is simply about doing what you know needs to be done as soon as possible, as well as using a few handy solutions and tools which will help you in your efforts.

For starters, these moves should help you get things done right through a more streamlined process that will give you more time to develop groundbreaking ideas. When that happens, then there's no doubt that you're on your way to the peak of your productivity.

Credits: Photo by Anna Cercova, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The blogger is a speaker, author, and entrepreneur. He focuses on topics related to motivation and human potential. You can visit him at Motivation Point.

Suggested Resource: You may also keep track of your tasks via the Daily Time Praxis, a productivity tool that's the core of Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want.

I've always gotten a kick out of popular science books--so I couldn't resist picking up London-based psychologist Dr. Claudia Hammond's Emotional Rollercoaster: A Journey Through the Science of Feelings.

Pure Emotions
In the book, Hammond examines nine powerful human emotions: joy, sadness, disgust, anger, fear, jealousy, love, hope, and guilt.

I must confess that I immediately turned to the chapter about guilt because I had read reviews highlighting Hammond's somewhat controversial stance on it.

And I wasn't disappointed. The segment was certainly thought-provoking.

Guilt So Good
Fortunately, controversy is not the only thing Hammond has to offer. She succeeds in making readers view guilt from a different perspective. Here are some of her assertions about guilt's benefits:

1. It keeps us from going over to the "dark side." "Guilt can push us to do the right thing," Hammond explains. As an example, she goes on to cite: "If you find a watch on the wash basin in a public loo, you'll probably wonder whether to take it or not. But then you may think about the feeling of guilt that will come to you each time you look at that watch." So, you either leave the watch in the hopes that the owner will come back for it or you take it and turn it over to the authorities.

2. It teaches us how to be truly sorry. "Guilt gives us information about ourselves and our behavior that we wouldn't have otherwise," explains Hammond. "If we've hurt the feelings of others, we would only know by feeling guilty about it, which causes us to say 'sorry.'"

3. It can help you come to terms with the past. "If you're always blaming yourself for things you did wrong, guilt won't bring you very far," says Hammond. "But in the right amount, at the right moment, guilt is not a wasted emotion at all. It is, in fact, very useful to bring people together and improve relationships." So, let's say you have a long-running feud with your brother. Your guilt over not giving him the benefit of the doubt could push you to reach out and try to see where he's coming from. If you're lucky, this move could pave the way for a stronger relationship--or, at the very least, a cordial one.

Trust Issue
Hammond further strengthens her argument by pointing out that we use guilt to identify the people we can trust. "We're more likely to trust a person if we know that [he or she] is capable of experiencing guilt. It shows that [he or she] has a conscience," she concludes.

Well, I don't know if everybody will agree with Hammond's insights. But I have to say that her argument has added to my knowledge about what makes people tick--be it when they're dealing with guilt or any other emotion.

The most important question that an employee must ask is not "Am I earning enough?" or "When will I get a raise?" It's not "What's my job title?" or "Will I get a bigger bonus than the guy in the next cubicle?"

The most important question on the job is this: "Am I happy at work?"

Working Wounded
You spend most of your waking hours at work. In fact, it's likely that you spend more time at work than the total number of hours you spend with your family and friends.

Thus, hating your job is not just an inconvenience--it's a serious problem. It can cause stress and depression. It can make you sick. Ultimately, it can kill you.

The death certificate may say "cancer" or "coronary," but the real killers are the years of frustration in a horrible workplace.

On-the-Job High
And yet, a job can be a tremendous source of happiness. It can give you success--as well as professional and personal growth. It can let you contribute to something important. It can be a source of positive, meaningful relationships with both managers and co-workers. It can, in fact, be a hell of a lot of fun! And while this is hardly the norm today, it could be. In fact, where I'm from, it is.

In Denmark, where I live, employees fully expect to like their jobs. Few Danes put up with bad management, stress, overwork, bullying, or anything else that makes them unhappy at work.

Besides, most Scandinavian companies have a genuine commitment to their employees' well-being. They've practiced this worker-friendly policy for years. Unfortunately, there are companies in some other parts of the world who don't practice this philosophy.

This is why Danes--and Scandinavians in general--have the world's highest job satisfaction ratings. It's also one of the reasons why Scandinavian nations regularly top the lists of the happiest countries on the planet, both in life and at work.

Top Goals
What is your ultimate goal at work? Is it to make a million bucks? To make it to upper management? To turn your humble startup into a behemoth that outshines even Google? Or do you just want to make it through another work week without losing your sanity and your will to live?

Those are all worthy and noble goals, but none of them should be your first priority. Your ultimate goal in your work life, the lodestar that helps you choose direction should be something else and much, much simpler. It should be happiness at work.

Not only will this make your work life better it will also improve your happiness in life in general. And ironically, this attitude will make you more successful at work.

Smile Factor
Studies show that when you're happy at work, you're more productive, creative, motivated, and energetic. You learn new skills faster. You relate better to managers, co-workers and customers. You're a way better leader. If your job involves selling, you sell much more.

All of these combine to make you more successful.

Finding Happiness
And the really good news is that anyone can be happy at work. However, you may not find that happiness in the job you have right now. If your boss is a micromanaging fiend, your co-workers are always whining, and you get bored by the tasks assigned to you then you will probably never find happiness there. If that's the case, it may be best for you to find another job where you can be happy.

Otherwise, it's about realizing a simple truth: You job is not something that happens to you--it's your choice--and your happiness at work is your responsibility.

So ask yourself the most important question today: "Am I happy at work?" If your answer answer is "Yes"...fantastic. If it's "Heck, no!" or even "Not really..." then it's time that you do something about it.

Simply Sincere
What can you do? The simple things work best. You can praise co-workers who do great work. You can say a loud and cheerful good morning when you come in. Make sure to remember the good things that happen to you at work - not just the bad.

But, whatever happens, The important things is that you do something!

Credits: Image from Wikimedia Commons.

The author makes people happy at work. (He really, he does!) He speaks and consults in businesses all over the world--showing companies how to transform the workplace into a happy and profitable place. He is the author of Happy Hour is 9 to 5: A Practical Guide to Making Yourself and Others Happy at Work. Because loving what you do is just that damn important! He blogs at www.positivesharing.com.

Suggested Resource: Want to know more ways to get happy at work? Sign up for the Kaizen Club to learn heartwarming and empowering life lessons that can help you spread happiness at work or everywhere you go.

With technology practically taking over the world, it's easy to get jaded about Christmas. But thank goodness for those who keep the Yuletide spirit alive--like the blogger named Santa Claus, who is the author of the Santa Claus Blog.

The year-round blog is definitely loaded with entries that are a joy to read. Written in the first person, it gives readers a glimpse of what kind of manager Santa Claus is and how he deals with the challenges of running North Pole, Inc. (NPI). There are even press releases about NPI. In fact, I got kick out of the one announcing the elves' return to work.

In addition to the authentic entries, the blog also features fun polls. The author's attention to detail is just awesome.

You have to read it to believe it.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

By the way, if you want your blog to be as fascinating as the Santa Claus Blog, check out the cool blogging tips in Simpleology's blogging course.

While presents may be the order of the day in the thick of the Yuletide festivities, I still believe that one can celebrate Christmas minus the frills. It can't hurt if we all make an extra effort to cheer up the people around us. And, yes, there are many "priceless" ways to put a smile on people's faces.

Here are three ways to do it:

1. Laugh out loud. Researchers at the University College London are all for a good laugh. According to their findings, merely having someone give a good guffaw activates the region of the brain that also controls vocalization. In short, if you hear people laugh, it should prompt you to chuckle yourself. I guess there's something to be said about a famous quote which goes like this: "Laugh, and world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone."

2. Ditch money discussions. A study published in Science--a weekly international journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science--reveals that people who constantly have money on their minds "tend to be less social," as well as "reluctant to accept or lend a hand." Having money is not a bad thing--but becoming obsessed with it is. So, if you encounter someone who starts talking about bills right off the bat, change the topic ASAP.

3. Say, "Thank you." For one reason or another, a lot of people have forgotten this simple courtesy. This is unfortunate because expressing thanks has the power to lift moods instantly. In fact, it's such a powerful emotional booster that even lawyer Carolyn Elefant (who is most likely thrust in stressful situations as part of her job) wrote an article about it: "Say 'Thank You' Because You Mean It." This is precisely why the art of gratitude is highlighted in the Kaizen Club.

Hopefully, doing these three things during the Christmas season will help us appreciate life more--so much so that we'll go out of our way to spread good cheer all year round.

To help erase these stereotypes, here are three books written by women for women who want to bring home the bacon (as opposed to just "cooking" or "eating" it):

Prince Charming Isn't Coming: How Women Get Smart About Money by Barbara Stanny
In her delightfully empowering book, Stanny asserts that women don't need to wait around for a man in order to have financial security. Instead, she's all for genuine financial freedom. She asserts: "'Mr. Right' or 'Prince Charming' need not be a man, or even a person. Our 'prince' could be an ideal job, an insurance settlement, the lottery jackpot, or just an amorphous 'something'--anything that we fantasize will save us financially. To become genuinely smart with money, we must get to the point where we can say with total conviction, 'I can do it myself!'"

Rich Woman: A Book on Investing for Women by Kim Kiyosaki
Kiyosaki hits a home run for women with this book, as she shares tips on how they can take the reins on their finances and take it further by launching their own businesses or by making smart investments. "The problem is so many of us have not been educated about money and investing. This book is not about how to buy car insurance or save pennies at the grocery store. I think we women are a little smarter than that," she states. Enough said.

Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny by Suze Orman
Bent on dispelling the preconceived notions about females and money, Orman encourages women to be proactive with their finances. "The shifting roles of women at home and at work have dramatically changed where and how money interacts with a woman's life," she writes. "Yet what I see is that while women have established or expanded their roles and relationships, when it comes to navigating the financial ramifications of this new world, they are using old maps that don't get them where they really want and need to go."

Aside from reading these books, women who want to manage their finances like pros should also check out Simpleology 102: The Simple Science of Money. The course applies to anyone who wants to feel empowered by bringing home the bacon--and then some.