The 5 Key Skills for Happiness and Success

The vast majority of people, no matter how different we are, share the same life goal: to be happy. This question has intrigued human beings for centuries, and the good news is that science has more and more answers for it. In fact, according to a recent study, happiness is likely to depend on 5 key skills. Do you want to know what they are?

The key skills to be happier

According to a study recently conducted at University College London, these are the 5 key skills for happiness and success:

• Optimism. To measure this quality, respondents were asked how much they agreed with the statements “I feel like life is full of opportunity” and “I feel good about my future.” Unsurprisingly, more optimistic people are also usually happier.
• Emotional stability. Like conscientiousness, this ability was measured using a standard personality test. The result: As much as Hollywood romanticizes stormy lives, it seems that emotional stability is one of the five key ingredients of happiness.
• Determination. Here, the participants in the study were asked to what extent they had felt determined to do something in the last 30 days. Those with a higher level of motivation were also among the happiest.
• Control. This skill was measured by asking respondents how much they agreed with the phrase “at home, I have control over what happens in most situations.” The more power we think we have over our lives, the more satisfied we feel with them.
• Awareness (or care). People who are meticulous and have greater attention to detail also have more numbers in the happiness lottery.

According to the study, people who have at least 4 of these 5 happiness skills feel more financially secure, are healthier, are less prone to depression, have a slimmer waistline, have a good circle of friends, have lower cholesterol, and even walk faster (an important factor in determining overall health).

The study has been published in the prestigious journal PNAS. To do so, the scientists analyzed data from more than 8,000 people, all of whom were between 50 and 60 years old. This data was collected in a national registry called ELSA, which focuses on older people. With this, we can see which factors have the greatest influence on people’s happiness throughout their lives.

Another fact to keep in mind is that, in turn, these skills are influenced by other factors, such as educational level. But if there is one thing that is clear to the scientists who have carried out this study (and we with them!) is that all these skills can be developed throughout life and can be worked on to make them better. In other words, the path to happiness is in you.