India, July 31 -- After 13 years of working with individuals in business, academia and government, I have identified three important habits of people who tend to be happier at work.

These habits - deliberate practice, appreciation and equanimity - are not philosophical constructs but practical tools for becoming a little happier each day.

Being deliberate makes a big difference. It's easy to assume that I will be happy only when I get what I want, but it takes deliberate decision-making to be happy most of the time and sad only when things go extremely wrong.

This is what I call your proactive tendency. Are you taking small steps every day to become more open to change (if things don't happen your way), or are you becoming more rigid?...