Rethinking Achievement in a Burnout Culture
Redefining Success
Huffington argues that true success requires a third metric—well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving—beyond the traditional measures of money and power, as relying solely on the latter can lead to burnout and imbalance in life.
Well-being
Arianna Huffington emphasizes that well-being encompasses more than enjoyment, advocating for practices like getting 7-8 hours of sleep, walking during conversations, and incorporating mindfulness and meditation to enhance competence, mood, and overall life quality.
Wisdom
Arianna Huffington emphasizes the importance of auditing our lives for wisdom, promoting deep sleep for better decision-making, and communicating thoughtfully while letting go of energy-draining elements to connect with our inner intuition and creativity.
Wonder
Arianna Huffington emphasizes the importance of rediscovering wonder in our lives through Presence and Storytelling, encouraging us to be present in the moment and connect with others by sharing and learning from our narratives.
Giving
Arianna Huffington advocates for celebrating go-givers alongside go-getters, emphasizing that incorporating small acts of giving into our lives can enhance our health and well-being while fostering community support and mindful leadership.
Successful people are supposed to devote themselves to their professions. They pull all-nighters, they sacrifice their happiness, and in doing so, they are rewarded with wealth and power. But that’s the wrong way to view success, says Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post. She argues for adding four new metrics to our measure of achievement: well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving.
Learning Objectives
- Reassess your definition of success.
- Better prioritize well-being at work and home.
- Recognize the difference between wisdom and distraction.
- Reconnect with the present moment.
- Consider how to be more giving at work and home.