Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements

Best-selling authors Tom Rath ("Strength Finders 2.0") and Jim Harter ("12:The Elements of Great Managing") have outlined where life's focus should be to achieve "Well Being." Wellbeing is not about being rich, successful, happy nor is it limited to health and wellness. "Wellbeing is about the combination of our love for what we do every day, the quality of our relationships, the security of our finances, the vibrancy of our physical health, and the pride we take in what we have contributed to our communities. Most importantly, it's about how these five elements interact." The book "Wellbeing" is the result of Gallup research covering 150 countries, representing 98% of the world's population. Five universal elements of wellbeing emerged from its research and were found to be universal across faiths, cultures, and nationalities. "These elements differentiate a thriving life from one spent suffering." 66% of the study participants were found to be doing well in at least one of the major areas, with just 7% thriving in all five. The single biggest threat to wellbeing is "me"; we tend to work against our best interests. Authors Rath and Harter lay out how we can work in our best interests and make a difference in managing our wellbeing with a thorough discussion on the role of each of the five elements (Career Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing, Financial Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Community Wellbeing); with an action plan (use your strengths each day, buy experiences with friends and family, etc) following each section; with a Wellbeing Finder to test the reader's wellbeing (much like the Strengths Finder test); and with plenty of other tools and references including data on wellbeing across the U.S. and the world. I was taught that life balance is achieved by growing intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually throughout life while a student at the University of Notre Dame. Those I would meet who were "out-of-balance" would have a deficit in one or more of these essentials. "Well Being," for me, is an extension of the Notre Dame philosophy and is well worth the time for all seeking a "life well lived."

Gallup does it again with a survey that helps you look at yourself in an empowering way. Thanks also for the repetitive scoring opportunities and the daily check, this gives the book use "Well Beyond" the shelf!

This book, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, is more than just an amazing read it's also an ongoing process. I'll explain. Tom Rath and Jim Harter, both associated with Gallup, were involved in the design of an assessment - the Wellbeing Finder - that tested hundreds of questions across 150 countries and multiple languages, with populations in vastly different life situations. What emerged from the research were five universal elements of well-being that differentiate individuals who are suffering or thriving in their lives. These elements include career wellbeing, social wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and community wellbeing. The book covers all of these areas, as well as much of the research, and provides a rather straightforward guide to help individuals get more out of life and boost their own wellbeing. More than that, within the book you will be able to find a key that allows you to do an online assessment of all these five areas and compare yourself to a large database of individuals demographically. In addition it is possible to record well-being on a daily basis, on all of these five factors, and get some sense of how sometimes subtle changes in your routine or experience can have a significant affect on your wellbeing. What I love about this book, and the online assessment tool, is that reading it and actively participating in the process really provides you with some concrete areas to improve. The authors make it clear that many of us are unwilling to make long-term changes in our habits even if we know that maintaining our presence lifestyles will lead to significant long-term consequences. Their understanding that regular evidenced-based feedback and concrete goals and action plans can make a huge difference in whether we just survive or thrive. This is going to be a very popular book!

Many people strive for a condition of "wellbeing" without understanding all of the elements that go into such a state. Some may become obsessed with the financial rewards, while others may dwell on the physical end of the spectrum; watching their diet and weight so religiously, they forget to enjoy anything they eat or do. In other words, their lives lack balance; an essential element that goes into that blissful state of wellbeing. Of course, in practically any endeavor, a lack of balance is usually the recipe for disaster; or at least, unfulfilled potential. The authors, Tom Rath & Jim Harter (co-author of 12: The Elements of Great Managing - one of my favorite books) have teamed up to produce this pragmatic and wonderfully simple guide to wellbeing. The research they compiled was anything but simple; in fact, it was exhaustive. The good news is they have successfully identified the five essential elements that go into any individual's state of wellbeing, no matter where they inhabit this planet. That may come as a surprise to some of us; wellbeing knows no geographical boundaries, political ideologies or religious beliefs. It applies to that guy in China or that lady in Germany; or to you and me. The five elements: Career, Social, Financial, Physical & Community Maintaing a balanced life; encompassing equal doses of these five elements, produces the best results for us. We have the authors' well-researched word on it.

This is Tom Rath's latest book, co-authored with Jim Harter whose previous book, 12: The Elements of Great Managing, Harter co-authored with Rodd Wagner. Rath explains that in addition to their own research for this book, he and Harter consulted an abundance of research conducted by the Gallup Organization with which they are associated. Moreover, "Gallup assembled an assessment composed of the best questions asked over the last 50 years. To create this assessment, the Well-Being Finder, we tested hundreds of questions across countries, languages, and vastly different life situations." For me, some of the most important revelations include those that help to explain how people (in a 150 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe) experience their days and evaluate their lives overall. More specifically, as Rath and Harter explain, five distinct statistical factors emerged. "These core dimensions are universal elements of well-being, or how we think about and experience our lives - the interconnected elements that differentiate a thriving life from one spent suffering." Although 66% of those surveyed are doing well in one of the five areas, only 7% are thriving in all five. "These five factors are the currency of a life that is worthwhile. They describe demands of life that we can all [begin italics] do something about [end italics] and that are important to people in every life situation we studied." Here they are, with my own take on each: Career Well-Being: To be eager to begin work each day, feel appreciated as a person as well as an employee, respect supervisor, enjoys associates, speak with pride and appreciation about company to others Social Well-Being: To have several strong relationships, be able toactivate a support system when encountering problems, feel loved Financial Well-Being: To manage finances prudently, be aware of costs and in control of expenditures, frugal but not cheap Physical Well-Being: To get sufficient rest as well as rigorous regular exercise, have plenty of energy in reserve, eat sensibly) Note: In Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John Ratey explains why there is a direct and decisive correlation between a healthy lively body and a healthy lively brain. Those who have a special interest in this important subject are strongly urged to check out Ratey's book. Community Well-Being: To be actively and productively engaged in the neighborhood and in the community as well as in various groups within the area such as a church, P.T.A., Crime Watch, Meals on Wheels, homeowners' association, etc. Rath and Harter have much of value to say about each of these five dimensions of human experience such as their core values, sources of nutrition, strategies for development, threats to well-being, and interdependence with each other. Of even greater value, in my opinion, they suggest what lessons can be learned from responses to Gallup's global surveys during the last 50 years and offer their ob