Are you happy because you are successful, or are you successful because you are happy?
This age-old question is much like the one explored in our earlier article, A Lethal Combination: Culture and High Performance.
It’s a thought-provoking topic that goes to the heart of sports, leadership, and life.
Clear Goals and Adaptability
In sports, as in life, achieving success often depends on having:
The Happiness-Success Link
Research by Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener (2005) has shown that happy people are more likely to lead successful and thriving lives.
While success can indeed make people happier, happiness itself plays a significant role in driving success.
Happy individuals tend to:
In Western culture, happiness is often seen as central to a fulfilling life, with research showing that happy people enjoy better relationships, higher incomes, superior work performance, robust health, and longer lives.
Personal Insights: Happiness and Success in Coaching
In mid-2023, I wrote an article titled Leadership in High-Performance Environments, where I shared some of the lessons I’ve learned in my coaching career and the change in coaching environment I was facing.
The past 18 months have been incredibly rewarding for me personally and professionally as I was part of some special teams and managements during this period:
These achievements have reinforced the connection between happiness and success, both for the teams and myself.
Reflecting on these experiences during some much needed down time, the insights from Leadership in High-Performance Environments resonate strongly:
New Lessons on Happiness and Success in Sport
In addition to these foundational insights, my coaching experiences over the past 18 months have highlighted new dimensions of the happiness-success dynamic:
1. Happiness Fuels Performance
2. Success Reinforces Happiness
3. The Role of Balance
4. Cultivating Happiness in Sport
5. A Two-Way Relationship
Final Takeaway
Happiness isn’t just a result of success in sport; it’s a driving force behind it.
By fostering a positive, supportive, and enjoyable environment, we can help our players perform at their best while thriving in both sport and life.
While many believe success leads to happiness, research and experience suggest it’s often the other way around.
Focus on happiness, and success will follow.