News
09/24/2013: SSL Encryption implemented throughout the site:
Confidentiality of login information and of personal projects is critically important to us.
To ensure maximum protection of communications and data, we implemented enhanced security throughout the site. Not only login information, but all communication, submissions and personal projects are now encrypted with military-grade (AES-256) technology.
03/04/2013: The entire site went through a major overhaul, including:
- Applications
- Tests
- Templates
- Exercises
- New materials
- New design
- Fresh statistical data
10/29/2012: The new version of the Life Control Panel is released.
The Life Control Panel allows you to create specific numerical goals for all elements of your Balanced System, to track progress, and to make any necessary corrections to your actions for the most effective result. The structure of the Balanced System is accurately replicated, including the main sections (“Body,” “Mood” and “Goals”) and all of the modules. For your convenience, even the colors of all of the modules are the same as they are in the materials.
One of the main objectives of daily use of the Life Control Panel is the development of daily habits and routines, which we mention in the materials frequently. It also allows you to see how factors of the Balanced System influence each other in your life. In this case, cultivation of positive and cutting of negative interrelations (which are described in depth in the materials) becomes a very practical and numerical task for you.
It is necessary to make a certain amount of effort and spend time on beginning to use the Life Control Panel. It is necessary to count on spending 1-2 hours on working on updating your knowledge of this process. For some weeks, it will be necessary to plan the first 15-20 minutes daily for filling and adjustment. Then, when your routines have been created, this time will decrease to 5-8 minutes per day. As we discuss in the corresponding modules, these investments pay off not only with saved time, but also with the main return on these investments: the transformation of your entire life.
10/16/2012: The section Creative Breakthrough, including all modules, is updated.
The following new items have been added to the section:
- Exercises
- Examples
- Templates
9/30/2012: The new version of the Mini-Test: Your Personal Strategy Today is released.
This short test will let you evaluate the condition of your personal strategy today.
The test consists of 30 questions and usually takes 10-15 minutes. However, there are cases in which some of the questions spur serious thinking for a long time, but only because they open the person up to the important aspects of his or her life.
The test will give you the chance to look at your life broadly and to determine the most important areas for development.
8/3/2012: The section Balanced System, including all modules, is updated.
Each module for each factor contains the following elements:
- Influence of this factor on other factors and on all of the system
- Influence of other factors and all of the system on this factor
- Specific steps (including numerical recommendations) on the development of this factor
6/12/2012: The package of templates is released.
In the templates section you will find templates that allow you organize decision-making and reaching results, including developing appropriate habits and routines.
Templates include "Degrees of freedom and choices", "Decision-making criteria", Goals and probabilities of success", Daily dashboard" (control panel), "Expense analysis" (linking to the path to financial independence).
5/22/2012: The new version of Creative Breakthrough is released.
2/9/2012: The General Strategy is formulated.
The team came to the final shape of the general strategy as a combination of the Balanced System and the Creative Breakthrough.
Borrowing deeply developed tools of business strategy and using accumulated experience with people, the team developed the general methodology of the project on a level corresponding to the world practice of corporate strategy development.
11/14/2011:The team made the decision to suspend the infrastructure part of the project.
This decision was caused by the desire of the team to stand aside from political events. We think that this project puts before itself too noble and long-term tasks to be compatible with the short-term subject of a momentary political situation.
We still think that radical increase of the level of life satisfaction is necessary, and that it is possible with strong infrastructure support, in particular from governments. And we are sure that, over time, this question can be studied again quietly and effectively.
At the same time, the team will develop with redoubled zeal the methodology and tools of personal strategy for individuals to apply to their lives. After all, any infrastructure program is only needed to support the individual in his or her development and increase their level of life satisfaction.
8/24/2011: The team made the decision to use the site as the main tool of bringing methodology and tools of personal strategy to people.
The site is developed so as to give the maximum number of people the chance to understand and apply to themselves general methodology and specific tools.
6/7/2011: Answers to current questions about the project.
Goal formulation
The level of life satisfaction is a well-studied indicator, and a subject of numerous scientific and statistical studies and research. For example, the research has been done by Gallup (the most authoritative statistical research organization in the world). It is possible to look at one of the (limited) cuts of data of the Gallup World Poll here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/14/world-happiest-countries-lifestyle-realestate-gallup-table.html. In our project, we make a start from existing formulations and measurement methods. In medium-term prospect, we plan to create our own longitudinal sample across key parameters.
Measurement of results
Increase of these indicators in representative research is a measured result of improving life satisfaction in a country. Stimulation of people to action is a part of process. But it is not result in itself. The success of our project will be measured by an ultimate goal: how many people become happier and by how much happier they become.
A similar example is a program to increase birth rates. The decision to have a child is a deeply personal one for each family, and it also includes a large number of logical and emotional factors. And the programs of stimulation of the birth rate target only a small part of these factors. Nevertheless, the result that many governments in the world aspire to and which they measure directly is the actual birth rate.
The life satisfaction indicator is measured on a scale. It is impossible to reach 100% of level of happiness for 100% of the population. Nevertheless, our purpose is to increase this level within a scale for an essential percentage of the population. We cannot define the final numerical targets before formalized sample and research methods have been established, as well as the action program schedule (we are preparing all of this). However, for example, if the program provides a significant (above a statistical error) increase in an indicator of satisfaction for 5% of the population (millions of people), then we will have reached our goal of "making millions of people happier".
Actions
Such an increase is reached through actions, both by people and in the infrastructure (first of all, governments). The goals of our project of stimulation of actions at these two levels differ.
For specific people, we prepare a system of information support. This system will cover all factors influencing the end result. Our task, in this case, is to give people information and simple tools to use to make decisions, to operate independently and to track their results. Such comprehensive tools currently don't exit. These tools will include an interactive site, and probably books, too (we are discussing it). The program of offline education (including seminars) will require a regional network; we will also discuss this. Such a promotion program will use the tools of standard marketing process, with the difference that we do not "push" to people something unnecessary, and therefore enormous budgets are not required.
Actions at the infrastructure level can be planned and traced more directly. But they can touch only a part of factors. Examples: support of infrastructure of fitness, the legislation on nutrition, updating (and right application) the Labor Codes concerning sleep and rest. An ultimate goal is the deployment of such programs at country level; now we are studying the start of a pilot in one of the regions. Actions here are standard for government programs (work with officials and politicians, preparation of documents, compromises, etc.).
Many participants of our project have considerable experience of deployment of large programs, both in consumer marketing and with governments. So we will use the accumulated approaches.
Life satisfaction factors
Directly understanding factors of satisfaction and the methods of impact on them is the core of our project.
Our approach covers the system of factors (components) of life satisfaction, both physical and psychological. This system is built on feedback (as factors influence at each other) and includes specific actions to improve the indicators. Physical actions are a starting point. They influence the feeling of satisfaction directly (through hormones), and also give a basis for the organization of thoughts and impact on psychological factors.
Long-term result
The long-term nature of results is one of the parameters of the goals of the project. It's a disputable statement that new levels of factors will be necessary to people. It can be true about some material components (possessions, entertainment), but these factors are not overwhelming.
For example, somebody had no children before and then got two. It does not mean that in 10 years it will be necessary for this person to have four more children to remain happy.
In another example, the person did not exercise and ate badly, was in constant stress, and then began to exercise and eat correctly, thus sharply increasing their feeling of happiness. While this person continues this, hormones of happiness will be there; it is not needed to become an Olympic champion. Besides, the person’s development of their ability to clearly define and reach goals, and to improve life is the basis of the long-term positive impact on the majority of factors of happiness.
And at last, there will always be new people for whom their positive transformation will be the tremendous event, one of the most important in their lives.
6/1/2011: The first version of the Balanced System is released
The project gets the first thousands of followers.
2/7/2011: The project is started by a group of experts in the fields of business strategy, development, journalism, technologies, media and psychology.
The starting goal of the project is to increase the level of feeling of life satisfaction in the population.
For some, this the definition of "happiness" is more clear, and for others, it is just feeling good, or doing right things. For technocrats, the statistics in the representative sample of Gallup is more understandable. For physicians, it is represented by the level of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. In any case, our goal is that people, including all of us, feel better and be happier.
Important conditions: improvement should be long-term and stable (not a temporary splash), and not based on substances (alcohol, drugs, energizers, etc.).
This project is difficult and ambitious. The starting point is very low. The measured level of feeling of happiness is low, both in absolute terms, and relative to economic development (though the dependence of happiness on money is a disputable issue).
Many of you faced theories and recommendations about improvement of life and achievement of happiness. Many of them are based on psychological (sometimes religious) postulates. Our project cardinally differs in that we are guided by specific effective actions (not general reasonings) and an accurately measured result. We will achieve success only when people will really feel happier.
Besides, we do not impose a concrete formula or dogma. We understand that each of us has a different path in life. The comprehensive and flexible approach in this project means that we cover all possible factors influencing feeling of life satisfaction:
- Physical (food, fitness, sleep, sexuality, rest/relaxation, absence of pain and diseases, and physical comfort)
- Relationships and family (close person/spouse, children, parents, and love)
- Self-realization (career, achievements in hobbies, recognition, achievement of goals, and comparison with an environment)
- Spiritual life (religion, morals, and principles)
- Social life (circle of friends and communication)
- Attitude to life (ability to relax, to withstand difficulties, and having a positive outlook in life)
- Material (money, housing, and other material benefits)
- Use of substances (alcohol, drugs, anti-depressants, energizers etc.). Though the goals of the project exclude them, we understand that for many people, their use is an easy alternative.
Certainly, each of us would like to reach the best level on each of these factors. But, unfortunately, often it is necessary to make a choice: health or career, sports or sleep, children or hobby, happy relationships or material wealth, etc. Sometimes this choice includes many factors at once. Though such a choice often defines our life, we seldom make such choices by taking into account all of the factors and consequences.
Therefore, except for cataloging all factors influencing the feeling of happiness, we study their interrelations, points of choice and balance. To many of you, the concept multi-dimensional space of choice, by means of which we develop creative corporate strategy is familiar. Here, we use it as a tool. Our purpose is not to create a uniform formula applicable to all people and all situations. Rather, it is to create a general "operating system" that gives the basis for concrete and simple "applications" so each of us can easily and clearly see our own situation in a new way.
To reach results, it is necessary to operate on two levels: personal (thoughts and actions) and infrastructure (government and business). The shape of the project is defined by these two levels:
- A direct approach to people. It is possible to consider social networks as one of the early forms of such an approach. Some people will be helped by a better organization of thoughts and understanding of what is necessary to do, while others will be affected by "infrastructure" influences. But some people will still sit at home and forever complain about life without doing anything about it. To "make everyone happy" is not our goal; our goal is to improve life for some people and, as a result, to lift the overall statistics of life satisfaction.
- Work with "infrastructure" of the state and business. As many of you know from our work with government organizations, there's no explicit goal of life satisfaction targeted by almost any governments. It is necessary to change it. Fortunately, this goal corresponds to classical parameters - it's measurable and it is possible to influence it effectively.
In one way or another, this project will touch each of us, sometimes even at an implicit level. Imagine that you wake up in the morning and feel inexpressible pleasure from life. And this is most important.
With some of you, we have already began a dialogue. We are open to participation of the talented and interested people in various forms, so write to us and we will discuss.