entrepreneurship | Kira M. Newman

This is a weekly series on the latest happiness research. Learn and be merry!

Chief happiness officer – According to the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor U.S. Report, owners of established businesses are significantly happier than owners of new businesses and non-business owners. Women owners of established businesses are even happier.

Dive in – Regular swimming can increase your positivity by about a third in just a month, reported British Gas SwimBritain. It can also improve sleep, energy, and fitness levels.

Go all the way – According to a study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, the psychological effects of casual sex may depend on your personality. People who are “sociosexually unrestricted,” or have a tendency for casual sex, may feel increased self-esteem and satisfaction and lower depression and anxiety after the experience. People who fit this description tend to be impulsive, extroverted, strong men.

Try, try again – Analysis of the famous Grant Study found that middle-aged people in unhappy marriages are unlikely to turn things around. In these cases, divorce is more likely to lead to happiness.

Photo by Flickr user Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games

If you’re not familiar, SXSW is possibly the biggest technology event of the year. I ran a panel this March on Asian entrepreneurship, and for 2014 I applied to lead a workshop called “Audit Your Soul: 10 Questions for Entrepreneurs.”

From the description:

Entrepreneurs try to get inside the minds of their customers and their competition. They try to understand their motivations, their hopes, their plans. But do they understand their own minds?

“Just do it” is the entrepreneur’s motto. It’s an injunction to start something, put it out there, and stop thinking so much. Yet many entrepreneurs miss the crucial first step of the process: knowing thyself.

Entrepreneurs who pinpointed their fear of failure would perform better than those plagued by unknown terror. Entrepreneurs who understood their personality quirks could build a more cohesive team. Entrepreneurs who consciously valued independence would make completely different decisions from those who valued money.

This two and a half hour long workshop will help you work through 10 questions that all entrepreneurs should ask themselves – questions affecting how you run your company and your life. You’ll be welcome to take time to reflect, then share and discuss your answers with the group.

If you’d like this to happen, go here and vote!

Many thanks,

Kira

Kira M. Newman

Tag Archives: entrepreneurship

Weekly research roundup: Swimming, owning a business, and getting divorced can make you happier

Vote for my SXSW workshop: “Audit Your Soul: 10 Questions for Entrepreneurs”