A reading challenge by my local library galvanised me to wholeheartedly read books during my leisure time. Case in point: I brought it along with me while chaperoning students on a Road Safety Park learning journey.

The Work Happiness Formula is divided into 8 easy chapters: Resilience, Clarity, Purpose, Boundaries, Play, Discovery, Approach, and Refocus. Together, they offer a comprehensive guide on how one can stay centered and grounded amid a world of chaotic pressures. I gained an Aha! moment from this book. I have known about how one can manage stress by categorizing tasks in terms of urgency and importance. However, this book advocates that one does an energy audit. If some tasks are important and boost your energy, relegate other tasks to spend more time on them because they spark joy and fortify your sense of purpose. I also liked the way the author framed mistakes as not personal, nor permanent, and not pervasive. It enables you to take failures in your stride.

Since I have been trying to cement “amplify happiness” and “strengthen conviction” into my students’ minds, I am gratified that I have come across so many instances of “amplify” throughout the course of reading this book. The same goes with “metabolise stress” and “bolster/boost confidence”. Seems like a book 12-year-olds should read in preparation for the PSLE, but of course they are all busy being tuff.