How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life
Caroline Webb
Crown Business (2016)
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Annie Dillard
I selected the Dillard observation because it correctly suggests that each life, however many years it lasts, is lived one day at a time. Therefore, the challenge is to make each day as good a day as possible (however defined) and revelations from recent research in behavioral and neural sciences suggest how to do that. Caroline Webb focuses on three: the Two-System Brain, the Discover-Defend Axis, and the Mind-Body Loop. She discusses each in layman’s terms and each is best explained within her narrative, in context.
As she notes, “Over the years, I noticed some common answers to my ‘what is a good day’ question – answers that resonated with the small delights of my humble supermarket job. First, people often talked about getting a buzz from feeling productive, and from knowing that their efforts counted toward something worthwhile. The best days also tended to involve people feeling confident that they were doing a fine job, and that they had the support they needed from others. Finally, people talked about good days leaving them feeling more energized than depleted, overall. I don’t mean that the work wasn’t physically or mentally tiring — just that it gave back enough enjoyment and motivation to make up for whatever it was taking out of them.”
As I worked my way through this book, I was again reminded of what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “Mee-high CHEEK-sent-me-high-ee”) has to say about a state he characterizes as “flow”: a single-minded immersion and perhaps the ultimate experience in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning. In flow, the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand. The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task, although flow is also described as a deep focus on nothing but the activity – not even oneself or one’s emotions. Ellen Langer suggests that flow is a pure state of mindfulness and thus, when we interact with others, they have our full attention. We are totally “in the moment” with them.
These are among the several dozen passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope of Webb’s coverage:
o Choices (Pages 10-11 and 221-226)
o Discover-Defend Axis (12-13 and 20-27)
o Two-System Brain (13-20 and 23-26)
o Automatic system (16-21)
o Brain shortcuts (18-19, 176-183)
o Mind-Body Loop (27-32)
o Filters (35-46, 208-218, and 314-315)
o One More Thing: Check Your Assumptions (42-46)
o Goals (47-56)
o Distractions (76-77 and 91-92)
o Mindfulness (90-91 and 274-276)
o Relationships (113-163 and 170-171)
o Assumptions (131-133 and 262-264)
o Feedback (136-137 and 158-162)
o Listening (152-155)
o Thinking (165-205)
o Options (180-182, 185-186, and 221-233)
o Warren Buffett (183-184)
o Boosting Brainpower (192-206)
o Influence (207-245)
Webb would be the first to agree that it would be a fool’s errand to attempt apply everything she recommends. However, it does make abundant sense to experiment with those ideas that seem most appropriate to your needs, interests, concerns, and circumstances. Experimentation is the key to innovation. Try stuff. For example, “Identify your signature strengths. Set aside time to reflect on your signature strengths – the personal qualities, values, and skills that are characteristic of you when you’re at your best. Examine your peaks, ask others for input, and take [an informal] survey. Notice the themes that emerge.” Excellent advice.
Also, keep in mind what my maternal grandmother once advised, with a Swedish accent: “You got two eyes and two ears but only one mouth. So spend at least 80% of your time observing and listening; no more than 20% to talking.” I’m still working on that one but hope to get there soon.
However you define what a good day is for you, Webb is convinced that – with the power of behavioral science now available to you – you can have many more good days, in fact better days than what you now think is a good day
Obviously, no brief commentary such as mine can possibly do full justice to the wealth of information, insights, and counsel that Caroline Webb provides. However, I hope that I have at least indicated why I think so highly of her and of her work. I join with her in wishing you great success as you continue your journey of personal growth and professional development. Almost everything you need is between your ears…and in her book.