First thought: The Week sure does like using stock photos of old people with creepy smiles.

All 6 secrets are good but my favorite is #4:

4. Plan your happiness

It's ironic that we treasure happiness so much yet often treat it as this random bit of alchemy we luck into. That's silly. Passively waiting for happiness is a losing proposition. Happiness needs regular appointments.

Schedule the things that make you happy.

Is this overly simple and obvious? Yes. Do you regularly do it? Probably not.

In my interview with Stanford professor Jennifer Aaker, author of The Dragonfly Effect, she explained:

…what is interesting is that there is often a gap between where people say they want to spend their time and how they actually spend their time… you find a large percentage know what projects and people energize them, but do not in fact spend much time on those projects and with those people.

…once you identify the activities and people with whom you want to spend more time, calendaring your time thoughtfully becomes critical. When you put something on a calendar, you're more likely to actually do that activity — partly because you're less likely to have to make an active decision whether you should do it — because it's already on your calendar.

Look at the things that make you happy and plan them into your calendar and schedule. Do not wait for happiness. Game the system. Happiness card-counting. Happiness Moneyball. Refuse to leave it to chance.

(More on scheduling happiness here.)

Read more: 

http://theweek.com/article/index/257312/6-secrets-you-can-learn-from-the-happiest-people-on-earth