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Barker is the author of Barking Up The Wrong Tree

People whose jobs allowed them to use their signature strengths — those qualities they were uniquely best at, the talents that set them apart from others — were consistently happier:

This method has been verified multiple times. It also increases the amount of flow you experience at work. Leveraging signature strengths is also one of the secrets of the most creative people.

So how can you put this to use? Via UPenn happiness expert Martin Seligman’s book, Authentic Happiness:

  • Identify your signature strengths.
  • Choose work that lets you use them every day.
  • Recraft your present work to use your signature strengths more.
  • If you are the employer, choose employees whose signature strengths mesh with the work they will do. If you are a manager, make room to allow employees to recraft the work within the bounds of your goals.

You can also use it in your personal life. Doing this can increase happiness for months:

Via The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work:

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This piece originally appeared on Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

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