Which Zone of Happiness are YOU in?

Change is an ongoing process. It begins with first assessing the current state, envisioning the future state, and arriving at ways to bridge the gap between the current state and future desired state.

So is the case, on the happiness quest ! In order to change towards living more happy and mindful life, it is important to first know, how happy we currently are. This “Zones of Happiness” excerpt can help us assess our current state.

The 4 Zones of Happiness

The below quadrant plots “positive emotions on a day-to-day basis” on the X axis, and “future vision” on the Y axis, giving rise to 4 Zones of Happiness.

1.?? Survival Zone: No “positive emotions on day-to-day basis”, and no “future vision”

You are not happy in the present, nor hold positive belief or outcomes for the future.

Survival is any animal’s primal instinct. But the difference between animal and man is the power of “conscious choice and change”. While survival comes to us at the default mode to just “get by”, mere survival is not an actualized state, and hence not an “ideal state of being”.

Are you in this Zone? - Ask yourself these questions:

·????? Are you not open to change?

·????? Do you lack a “growth mindset”?

·????? Do you shy away from innovating?

·????? Are you defensive in attitude?

·????? Do you fear going beyond your comfort zone?

·????? Do you have many limiting beliefs, for example, that you cannot “do more”?

·????? Do you lack clarity for the future?

·????? Do you feel unmotivated?

·????? Do you believe “my basic needs are met, so why take the risk”?

·????? Have you gotten too comfortable, safe and secure in your life?

If your answers to most of these are “YES”, it means you are existing in the Survival Zone.

2.?? Avoidance Zone: You feel “positive emotions on day-to-day basis”, but no “future vision”?

You “seem to be happy” in the present, but there is no long term vision or goal.

Such people usually take decisions “in the now”, without thinking about the long term or larger impact on their lives. Such a Zone is difficult to identify, because on the face of it, they appear as very happy, positive people, but deep down, insecurities and avoidant tendencies run rampant.

Are you in this Zone? - Ask yourself these questions:

·????? Do you feel “happy emotions” on a day-to-day basis?

·????? Are you avoiding responsibilities?

·????? Do you shy away from growth opportunities?

·????? Are you deriving happiness from instant pleasures / instant gratification?

·????? Do you work as per your immediate “here-and-now” needs?

·????? Do you feel confident about achieving short-term goals, but lack long-term goals?

·????? Do you always think, “I am enjoying my life today, why worry about tomorrow”?

·????? Are you afraid of uncertainties?

If your answers to most of these are “YES”, it means you are existing in the Avoidance Zone.

3.?? Anxiety Zone: You do not feel “positive emotions on day-to-day basis”, but have a big “future vision”?

You are not happy in the present, but have big plans and belief in the future.

Such individuals are more future-oriented, and operate from a belief that “today is not great, so let me work hard today to ensure a bright future tomorrow”. High achievement orientation, and high aspirations levels may lead to such thinking. ?

Are you in this Zone? - Ask yourself these questions:

·????? Do you feel “unhappy emotions” like stress, anxiety, on a day-to-day basis?

·????? Do you live your today continuously thinking about the future?

·????? Do you feel you have not tapped into your full potential?

·????? Do you believe in sacrificing today’s happiness for tomorrow?

·????? Do you always “live in the future”, and not in the “present moment”?

·????? Do you feel you are not giving your best in the present?

·????? Are you always making plans / working towards “future happiness”?

·????? Do you work as per some future goal, without heeding your present needs?

·????? Do you constantly aim to achieve long-term goals, and lack or do not pay heed to long-term goals?

·????? Do you always think, “I have to constantly strive to build a better future”?

If your answers to most of these are “YES”, it means you are existing in the Anxiety Zone. In fact, It is not uncommon to see many people juggling between the Anxiety Zone and Avoidance Zone.

4.?? Growth Zone: You feel “positive emotions on day-to-day basis”, and have a “future vision” for sustained happiness?

You are happy in the present, have concrete plans to be happy in the future, plus a roadmap and strong belief for achieving those plans.

Such individuals come across as positive, high energy - high enthusiasm state where they are in an effortless “state of FLOW”*1. They appear hopeful and hold high self esteem and self belief for themselves, about both the current times and times to come. A distinct hallmark of Growth Zone is an open-minded approach to life i.e. openness to change, learning and self growth.

Are you in this Zone? - Ask yourself these questions:

·????? Do you feel “happy emotions” on a day-to-day basis?

·????? Do you believe that you can be happy in the long run?

·????? Are you enjoying your life in the present, and equally excited about the future?

·????? Do you seek new experiences, new learnings, for the “joy of it”?

·????? Are you open to challenging your limiting beliefs?

·????? Do you have both short-term and long-term goals for your happiness?

·????? Do you have a balanced focus on both your short-term and long-term goals?

·????? Do you feel a “state of flow” i.e. complete immersive involvement in all that you do?

·????? Do you believe in, and enjoy the process, rather than worrying about the results?

·????? Do you enjoy effortless joy in all that you do?

If your answers to most of these are “YES”, it means you are existing in the Growth Zone.

What Zone do you find YOURSELF In?

Sources

* Happiitude certification

*1 https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/

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