Change your story to change your life.

“All of us walk around with stories about our lives,” says Lori Gottlieb. “Why things went wrong, why we treated someone a certain way (because, obviously, they deserved it), why someone treated us a certain way (even though, obviously, we didn’t). Stories are the way we make sense of our lives.”

Lori is the instant New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (which has sold over 2 million copies). In her viral TED Talk, which has been watched over 7 million times, she argues that “we get to choose what goes on the page that lives in our minds and shapes our realities.”

So the next time you’re telling yourself a story that’s making you feel anxious or angry, take a step back and ask if there’s a way you can reframe it to add more nuance, more agency, and ultimately more possibilities for what it can become.

Play to your (scientific) strengths.

We’ve all been told to “play to your strengths.” But how many of us actually know, with scientific backing, what those strengths are?

Dan Lerner is the positive psychologist behind NYU’s most popular elective, “The Science of Happiness.” He says that when we identify and use our strengths at work or at school, we’re more likely to achieve our goals, work better in a team, and tap into greater wellbeing in the long-term.

Dan suggests looking into which of the 24 science-based character strengths you possess the most of: from gratitude and fairness to zest and humor. (You can use this free quiz.) Then think about how you can incorporate your top strengths into your day-to-day. If bravery is one of your top 5, try asking a tough question in a meeting. If you rank high for curiosity, talk to someone about finding more learning opportunities. And then identify people whose strengths complement yours so you can do more meaningful work together.

Use your time to get happier.

Feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day? You’re not alone. But Cassie Holmes says we actually do have enough time—and if we learn to use it well, we’ll find ourselves both more productive and happier overall.

This star UCLA professor’s bestselling book, Happier Hour, is packed full of strategies for using your 24 hours to craft a more fulfilling life. She suggests first taking an account of your time with a tracking sheet, recording what you’re doing and how you’re feeling. Then, look at what activities make you happiest, and figure out how to maximize them.

“Happiness isn’t about the quantity of time we have available,” she says. “It’s about the quality: how we invest the time that we have, and how invested we are while spending that time. With just a little intention and attention, we can find extraordinary happiness in ordinary moments.”

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