The two words that will lead you to success and happiness

The two words that will lead you to success and happinessThe two words that will lead you to success and happinessSeriously Just two words.Seems like this should be a very short post, right?Heres the quick and dirtyThe word yes leads to happiness.The word no leads to success.Heres why.For happiness say yesYes creates opportunity. Saying yes a lot makes more things happen.And research shows that lots oflittle good thingsare the path to happiness.Spending money on many little pleasures beats rare big positives.ViaThe Myths of Happiness What Should Make You Happy, but Doesnt, What Shouldnt Make You Happy, but DoesOne researcher, for example, interviewed people of all income levels in the United Kingdom and found thatthose who frequently treated themselves to low-cost indulgences- picnics, extravagant cups of coffee, and treasured DVDs- were more satisfied with their lives. Other scientists have found that no-cost or low-cost activities can yield small boosts to happiness in the short term that cumulate, one step at a time, to produce a large impact on happiness in the long term.Saying yes to activities and events keeps you busy - and studies show yourehappierwhen youre busy.The happiest people arethose that are very busy but dont feel rushedWho among us are the most happy?Newly published researchsuggests it is those fortunate folks who have little or no excess time, and yet seldom feel rushed.So say yes to things and stay active - especially socializing, which makes us happier than almost anything else.Havinga better social life can be worth as much as an additional $131,232 a yearin terms of life satisfaction.And research shows that making more opportunities - saying yes - actuallymakes you luckier.Hold on. I know what youre thinkingIf I say yes to everything that comes down the pike, wont morebadthings happen too?First off, Im not telling you to say yes to armed robbery or heroin.And studies show thatas we get olderwe remember the good and forget the bad. So more stuff makes for happier memories.What about regrets? Yes, we all occasionally say yes to dumb things and later regret them.But what do you learn when you look at the things most peopleregret before they die?For the most part the old saw is truewe regret the things we didnt do more than the things we did.Want to be happier? Make yes your default.For success say noNo creates focus.I talked about this in my post aboutwhat the most successful people have in common. Warren Buffett once saidThe difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.And thats what gives them the time to accomplish so much.The booksDaily Rituals,CreativityandManaging With Powerbreak down how great artists, scientists and businesspeople work.And all three say the same thingThose at the top of their field work obsessively and relentlessly.ViaDaily Rituals How Artists WorkSooner or later, Pritchett writes, the great men turn out to be all alike. They never stop working. They never lose a minute. It is very depressing.Trying to do too many things is the path to mediocrity.Want to be anexpertwho has put10,000 hoursinto perfecting their craft? First you need 10,000 hours.And that means saying no to a lot of other things.ViaTalent Is Overrated What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody ElseOne factor, and only one factor, predicted how musically accomplished the students were, and that was how much they practiced.Glenn Frey of the Eagleslearned exactly that about being a great musician. How did he learn it?By listening toJackson Brownes tea kettle- and with a lot of elbow greaseSuccess is about doing good work - and good work takes hours and hours.Want to be wildly successful? Make no your default.Great - but how do I become both?Saying yes to everything all the time will turn you into a very happy flake who never accomplishes much.Saying no to everything but your work will make youa miserable, lo nely expert.So how do you say yesandno?It all starts with protected time for your important work.Make a few of yourprime hoursinviolate. Anything threatening them gets a no. Period.Charlie Mungeralways kept one prime hour for his personal priorities.ViaThe Idea Hunter How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them HappenCharlie Munger hit upon one strategy when he was a young lawyer. He decided that whenever his legal work was not as intellectually stimulating as hed like,I would sell the best hour of the day to myself. He would take otherwise billable time at the peak of his day and dedicate it to his own thinking and learning. And only after improving my mind - only after Id used my best hour improving myself - would I sell my time to my professional clients.For the vast majority of people this meanswaking up long before your first outside commitments begin.My friendCal Newportplansevery minute of his day.Youre not that much of atime management ninja? No problem.Focus on protected day s instead of protected hours.Adam Granthas days where the door is closed, the answer is no, and important work gets done.Other days are designated for new initiatives, helping others, and the answer is yes, yes, yes.Theres a level of trial and error to landsee what works for you personally butthis type of deliberate split is the first step to work/life balance.Sum upIts pretty straightforwardFor happiness say yes more.For success say no more.And start experimenting with protected time to make sure both are getting their fair balance.Heres more onbecoming successfuland heres more onincreasing your happiness.Putting this post together required quite a few nos on my part - so for the rest of the day, Im a yes-man.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Thisarticleoriginally appeared atBarking Up the Wrong Tree.