Why the 365give Challenge Works – Planning Your Gives
Planning your gives every day on the 365give giving calendar is the key to the 365give Challenge. This is what differentiates our giving strategy from others. But how did we know this? How did we know that planning your gives and making them simple would be an important key to creating happiness by giving?
A group of Harvard researchers published an important research paper in September 2014 that verifies planned simple and prosocial gives determined in advanced make you happier, hands down. Rudd, Melanie, Jennifer Aaker, and Michael I. Norton. “Getting
the Most Out of Giving: Concretely Framing a Prosocial Goal Maximizes Happiness.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology is a welcomed addition to the science and research that supports the benefits and happiness science behind The 365give Challenge.
Take Aways From The Harvard Research on Happiness and Planning Your Gives
I not sure if all of us enjoy reading research papers for our leisure reading, so here are the take aways from this paper.
This paper talks about two items, planning your giving to increase happiness and determining which gives are best to increase happiness. The examples used for best gives are gives that have a direct goal – smiling at someone – verses gives that are described as non-direct goals, more abstract goals – save the environment or make someone happy. The more direct gives that had people directly participating in the give in a prosocial manner increased happiness more than the abstract gives. This was challenged in 6 different experiments and the results were the same. The planned, direct and prosocial give made both the giver and receiver happier. So lets put that in to plain simple terms. Any give that you complete that is simple, requires your direct participation and is to benefit another person resulted in the greatest change of happiness.
Small Baby Steps Always Get You To Your Goal
This idea can be applied to many things you do in your life and work. Think about how you study for an exam. You want to get a B or B+ or even an A on your exam. Planning your studying will get you close to that goal than if you just randomly study for the exam, right? If you want to open a new business, you take small baby steps called strategies and tactics, to get you to your overall goal of owning a successful business. If you are working out at the gym with the goal to increase your mobility, flexibility or muscle mass, you need a daily work out plan that will get you there.
Giving is no different. Planning your gives for the week, checking our resources for easy, simple gives that will make a person, the planet or animals happier, is all about baby steps in your giving to ensure you are increasing happiness for the receiver and yourself. The added bonus with your gives is that anyone who witnesses your give will also feel happier! Being an active participant in your give also increases happiness.
We are all about changing the world but that goal needs a plan – and the plan is The 365give Challenge!
Key Elements In The 365give Challenge!
The 365give Challenge has three steps: Join – Give – Ripple
Step #1 – Join 365give with our free membership! This membership will give you all the resources you need to make the world and you happier! We have a blank giving calendar you can use to plan your gives, have a load of giving ideas that are prosocial, simple and free to do. You just pick the gives you want to do during the week or for the month and write them down on your calendar. Some people give three times a week, some 5 days a week and some love to give everyday! you choose what is best for you, our workplace or classroom. Just remember choose a give where everyone actively participates! Prosocial means a social give that you are actively participating in! these short, simple gives take little time to complete but reward on a grand scale with a big dose of happiness!
Step #2 – Give! take your ideas and now complete them! Uncommon and unexpected acts of kindness and giving reap far more rewards than anticipated or regular acts of kindness. What does that mean? Well if someone asks you to donate to a charity as part of their regular donation drive, your $5 donation would be expected and anticipated as you were asked. But if you raised money through your classroom or a garage sale and presented the charity with money, that would be unexpected and unsolicited and increase the happiness of the receiver. Our gives are not about donations, they are about doing something kind to another that is out of the blue. Think smiling at someone for no reason, opening the door for someone, dropping off cookies at a community service office or station. No one asked you to do this, so the happiness increases with the element of surprise!
Step #3 – Ripple – When others receive a small act of giving from you, and when someone witnesses the small act of giving, others feel inspired to do the same! The want to pass on the happiness they felt and start giving to others to increase their happiness and the happiness of others! Your simple gives inspire, encourage and positively affect others to the point that they too want to give!
Simple Gives That Increase Happiness!
Here are some simple gives that will increase happiness! Plan them, do them and see how you can directly increase the happiness of yourself and others.
- smile at someone
- send a text message of gratitude to a friend, a family member or a colleague
- give a compliment
- make a thank you card and send it off
- deliver a meal, a dessert, or treat to a neighbour, a family member, or a senior in your community, just because!
Ready to start creating happiness for yourself and others? Join the 365give community and get all the resources you need to start a daily giving practice that does change the world! plan it, do it and feel happier!