I’ve spent more than 12 years studying happiness and human nature. Along the way, I’ve collected what I call “Secrets of Adulthood” — the lessons I’ve learned, with time and experience, about how to create lives that are happier, more meaningful, and more confident life.

Many of my most important discoveries can be distilled into one short line. As the old saying goes, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears,” and sometimes reading a single sentence can spark a transformative insight.

1. Accept yourself, and expect more from yourself.

To be happier, seek to have self-compassion and acknowledge the natural limits of your nature; also seek to grow, stretch, and push yourself outside of our comfort zone.

2. Working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination. 

In my case, work-procrastination often takes the form of needless research. It may look like work, but if it’s not actually helping me achieve my work aims, I’m goofing off.

3. What we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while.

If we go for 20-minute walk most days each month, it’s okay if we miss a few days here or there; if we go for an hour’s walk just one day each month, we won’t accomplish much.

4. A strong voice repels as well as attracts. 

As a writer, I often remind myself of this truth. If I aim to be so mild that no one can disagree with my conclusions or object to my style, my work will be featureless and boring.

5. Perfectionism is driven not by high standards but by anxiety. 

If you feel plagued by perfectionism, don’t worry about lowering your standards but rather work to address your anxieties.

6. To respect us, people must first notice us; we can’t earn trust and admiration from the sidelines. 

Many people are puzzled when their efforts aren’t recognized; the problem is that no one knows what they’re doing.

7. If we’re not failing, we’re not trying hard enough. 

By trying to avoid failure, we’re also avoiding the risks and challenges that lead to accomplishment and opportunity.

8. Before declaring that something is superficial, un­healthy, inefficient, dangerous, disgusting, or immoral, we should consider: Maybe this just doesn’t suit my taste. 

Consider instead: Writing was denounced for fear that dependence on the written word would weaken people’s memories. Railroad travel was denounced for fear that it would cause brain damage. Postcards were denounced for fear that they would encourage heedless, frivolous disclosure.

9. The sharing of tasks often leads to the shirking of tasks.

We’ve all experienced this phenomenon!

10. Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started.

I’ve felt overwhelmed for a week because I delayed writing an email that, in the end, took me 20 seconds to draft.

11. It’s easier to change our surroundings and our schedules than to change ourselves.

Instead of trying to become a “morning person,” do your most taxing work late in the day. Instead of trying to become a marathoner who works slowly and steadily toward a deadline, embrace your sprinter nature and the fact that you do your best work when you’re racing to meet a deadline.

12. The bird, the bee, and the bat all fly, but they use different wings. 

Nothing is a one-size-fits-all! Use the approach and the tools that work best for you.

Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential observers of happiness and human nature. She’s the author of many books, including the bestseller ”The Happiness Project.” Her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, in more than 30 languages. She hosts the award-winning podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, where she explores practical solutions for living a happier life. Her new book, ”Secrets of Adulthood,” is out now.

Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn from three expert instructors how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.

Oracle’s stock is surging, and so is CEO Safra Catz’s net worth.

The 63-year-old tech executive saw her personal wealth increase by roughly $412 million in the New York Stock Exchange’s first six hours of trading on Wednesday, according to a Forbes estimate. The jump is tied to the software giant’s stock price, which has soared by roughly 40% after the company’s Tuesday afternoon report showed a massive $455 billion in remaining performance obligations, a measure of contracted revenue that has not yet been recognized.

Catz’s estimated net worth is now $3.4 billion, as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Forbes — up from $3 billion at the start of the day. Oracle’s stock performance has benefited co-founder Larry Ellison’s net worth even more: He’s now estimated to be the second-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $386.3 billion, up from $293 billion on Wednesday morning.

“Clearly, we had an amazing start to the year because Oracle has become the go-to place for AI workloads,” Catz said on Oracle’s Tuesday earnings call. Oracle’s growth projections come from a fast-growing cloud infrastructure business, and deals signed with several large artificial intelligence companies, she said: “We have signed significant cloud contracts with the who’s who of AI, including OpenAI, xAI, Meta, Nvidia, AMD, and many others.”

She became a co-CEO at Oracle in 2014 when Ellison stepped down from the role, and has been the company’s sole CEO since the death of her co-lead, Mark Hurd, in 2019. Under Catz’s leadership, Oracle’s stock is reaching record levels and a type of surge it hasn’t seen since the 1999 tech boom, CNBC reported.

DON’T MISS: How to build a standout personal brand—online, in person and at work

Catz was born in Israel, and her family moved to Brookline, Massachusetts, when she was 6 years old, according to Time. She graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1983, where she later earned a law degree.

She spent more than a decade working on Wall Street as an investment banker, and joined Oracle as a senior vice president in 1999. She quickly climbed the ladder, joining the company’s board of directors in 2000 and becoming its president in 2004.

Before her CEO appointment, Catz led an aggressive mergers and acquisitions team that acquired dozens of companies during her tenure and helped propel Oracle’s growth. She’s credited with steering acquisitions of fierce software rivals like PeopleSoft (acquired for $10.3 billion in 2004) and Sun Microsystems ($7.4 billion in 2009), navigating major antitrust hurdles to complete both deals.

During her tenure as Oracle’s CEO, dating back to 2014, the company’s stock price has increased by more than 800%. Catz ranked as one of the highest-paid U.S. CEOs as recently as 2022, when she earned $138 million in total compensation, the bulk of it in the form of stock options. In 2024, she earned nearly $6.5 million in total compensation, according to government filings by Oracle.

Outside of Oracle, Catz has been active in national politics over the past decade, joining U.S. President Donald Trump’s transition team in 2016 ahead of his first term in office. She currently serves on the Homeland Security Advisory Council alongside fellow CEOs like General Motors’ Mary Barra, Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan and Chobani’s Hamdi Ulukaya, along with Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen.

In June, Catz was the 40th-richest self-made woman in the world, according to a Forbes ranking.

Some Wall Street analysts, including at Bank of America, predict that Oracle’s stock price could continue climbing based on the company’s revenue growth projections. On Tuesday’s earnings call, analyst Brad Zelnick of Deutsche Bank said he and other Wall Street analysts were “in shock, in a very good way,” from viewing Oracle’s report. John DiFucci of Guggenheim Securities said he was “blown away.”

Catz touted Oracle’s “astonishing quarter” while promising more multibillion-dollar cloud pacts in the coming months, in a statement on Tuesday.

Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.

Over the last decade, I’ve founded multiple companies, interviewed over 500 candidates, and hired more than 100 people. 

As the CEO of two companies, I’ve made every hiring mistake you can imagine — and learned how costly they are.

The truth is, many bad hires look great on paper. But in the interview, there are three subtle behaviors that almost always predict trouble. Job seekers should know them, because to hiring managers, they’re giant red flags.

If someone shows up even a minute late to an interview, it raises questions right away. Sure, emergencies happen. But most of the time, it signals poor planning.

When someone doesn’t protect time for the interview, I have to assume they won’t protect time for clients, deadlines, or teammates once they’re in the role. In fast-moving agency environments, that can create real problems.

Do this instead

• Aim to be early, even if it’s a virtual interview. Log on 10 minutes ahead of time and test your tech.
• If something unavoidable does come up, communicate right away. A quick message goes a long way.
• Treat the interview with the same respect you’d give a client meeting.

Some candidates are great talkers. They sound smooth, confident, and quick on their feet. But when you listen closely, their answers aren’t rooted in personal experience.

I’ve had interviews where a candidate gave me a full paragraph that sounded smart, but when I replayed it in my head, I realized there was no real example, metric, or detail. 

In the age of AI, leaders want proof that you’ve faced challenges, solved problems, and delivered results — not just that you can sound good talking about them.

Do this instead

Instead of simply claiming strengths, the best candidates show them.

• Replace buzzwords with proof. Instead of “I’m collaborative,” tell a story about how collaboration helped you save a project.
• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure answers.
• Prepare a few stories that highlight how you’ve put key skills into practice and how you’ve handled real challenges.

For me, energy is one of the most telling signals. The interview is your best-case performance — if you show up flat, it won’t get better once you’re actually on the job.

That’s especially important in client-facing or high-pressure roles. I’ve seen how much energy matters. A candidate who brings enthusiasm, curiosity, and presence to the conversation is far more likely to thrive than one who seems muted or disengaged.

Do this instead

• Acknowledge nerves but channel them into enthusiasm.
• Show engagement with tone, posture, and thoughtful questions.
• Let the interviewer see your real personality. Don’t fake this by pretending to be someone you’re not. Most people can see right through it. 

One good rule of thumb for any job interview is to bring the best version of yourself into the room. Remember that you’re not just being evaluated on your skills, you’re showing your prospective boss and team how you’ll show up day after day if they decide to hire you. So help them imagine what a great choice you’d be.

Eli Rubel is a life-long entrepreneur and currently serves as the CEO of Profit Labs, a strategic finance, bookkeeping, and accounting firm for agencies, and SurveyGate, a SaaS tool that helps business owners automatically capture objective client feedback. He also owns a small portfolio of services businesses, which includes NoBoringDesign, a design and creative agency for technology companies, and Matter Made, a B2B performance marketing agency for technology companies.

Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn from three expert instructors how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate.

There are plenty of data points to bolster the idea that getting your bachelor’s degree is worth it. 

College grads earn 68% a year more, on average, than workers with only high school diplomas, according to New York Fed data. Degree-holders also tend to have lower unemployment rates, higher homeownership rates and higher marriage rates.

But not all degrees pay off the same. The school you attend and the major you pursue can make a big difference.

That doesn’t mean you need to go to an expensive or prestigious school to be successful, such as an Ivy League institution like Harvard University or an “Ivy-plus” like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says higher education expert Jeff Selingo.

“Even if you don’t go to one of those elite schools, you can land a fulfilling job with a steady paycheck after college by pulling two levers while you’re there: acquiring the skills employers want most and getting an internship,” Selingo writes in his new book, “Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You.”

Selingo drew on educational outcome research and surveys of over 3,000 parents to provide a guide to help students and their families make sure their college degree really pays off. He finds that students can obtain the two pillars he mentions — skills and internships — at a number of colleges, not just the Ivies.

Selingo acknowledges that “selective colleges do sometimes have better earnings outcomes.” But at other top to mid-ranked schools, students can achieve similar career outcomes by picking a well-paying major and obtaining employer-favored skills through coursework and internships, he tells CNBC Make It.

“Your major does matter,” he says. ”[Science, technology, engineering and math] and business majors make more than humanities majors.”

When it comes time to find a job after graduation, “employers are increasingly hiring not just on the college you went to and what you majored in, but can you actually do the job?” Selingo says. “A lot of that comes through skills that you can show off because you interned, or skills that you might get through an extra class.”

Complementing your chosen field of study with skills you know employers like to see, such as industry-specific software or competence with artificial intelligence, can help boost your career just as well as the name of a prestigious college.

“I’m a history major, but I know data visualization. I know Canva, or I know Adobe,” Selingo says as an example. “If you have those opportunities, you get those skills, you get those internships, you can equal the outcomes, even outdo the outcomes, of more selective schools.”

Getting a job or internship while you’re in school can be essential to gaining the skills and work experience employers will want to see on your resume after you graduate, and the right college can help facilitate that, Selingo says.

He encourages students and families to explore each school’s internship opportunities and find out if they’re required as part of the curriculum. Campus jobs may also be helpful if the school offers roles that deliver “real world experience,” Selingo says. Some colleges may even partner with local businesses to incorporate student workers in project-based roles, he says.

″You want to know when [schools] invest in resources such as advisors or career services. Are they really making a dedicated effort to do that?” he says.

Beyond reading the college’s brochures and website, Selingo encourages prospective students to ask current students how helpful the career offices are, what their advisors are like and how accessible required courses are.

“There are a lot of little clues that you can find,” he says.

Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.

It can be hard to see other couples’ fancy vacations, expensive gifts for each other, and Michelin star dinner dates without feeling as though you aren’t doing enough to keep the spark alive in your own relationship. 

Yet, as both a psychologist who studies couples and as a husband, I always encourage people to inject novelty into their relationship. Thankfully, fun comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price-points. And often, the most meaningful forms cost $0.

Here’s what the happiest, most successful couples do for fun — that most others neglect.

Not every couple has the time or budget to hop on a plane whenever they feel like shaking things up. But that doesn’t stop happy couples from finding adventure. They just do it locally.

Research shows that “micro-adventures” (think: staycations, day trips, or even discovering a new coffee shop across town) can bring just as much joy as big vacations.

They explore their city like tourists. They hit the trails, visit bookstores, museums, or check out that weird roadside attraction. The idea is to make the ordinary feel novel.

You love reading. Your partner is into video games. It might not seem like a match made in heaven — until you realize you can do them together, separately.

Psychologists call this “parallel play”: when couples do their own thing, but in the same space. Instead of forcing shared interests, you’re just creating shared presence.

As a result, couples can easily stay bonded without burning themselves out. Low-pressure, comfortable companionship supports deeper intimacy just as much as active socialization can. 

Yes, doing your own thing is important. But research shows that shared hobbies and rituals are strongly linked to relationship satisfaction.

This doesn’t mean starting a couple’s podcast or training for a marathon (unless you want to). For most couples, it’s as simple as a standing game night, a Sunday morning walk, or a favorite TV show they only watch together.

The point is consistency. These small shared rituals become something to look forward to, no matter how busy life gets.

Errands. Laundry. Dishes. Not exactly romantic. For working couples or couples with kids, it can be especially hard to find time for fun. This is why researchers agree that intentional playfulness should be a priority.

The happiest couples I know are good at “hijacking” the mundane. If they’re stuck with a boring chore or task, they’ll find a playlist or a show to put on in the background to spice it up. And if they’re out of the house running errands, they’ll turn it into an opportunity for a little game or competition.

They ensure that laughter and silliness is always on the agenda, even if it happens to overlap with their other tasks.

Remember your first date? That inside joke you used to have? That song that used to be “yours”?

So many people look back nostalgically at the early days of their relationship and think about how easy and simple it was to have fun. But happy couples know that the thrill of the honeymoon phase never has to end if they continue to honor it.

Research shows that rituals play an integral part of relationship satisfaction, quality, and intimacy. Happy couples leverage this by giving the activities that once brought them together a cherished place in their relationship.

Make it a point to talk, dream, and joke with your partner in the same playful, coy ways you did when you first met. It will keep things fun while simultaneously honoring the many ways your relationship came to be.

Mark Travers, PhD, is a psychologist who specializes in relationships. He holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, a telehealth company that provides online psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching. He is also the curator of the popular mental health and wellness website, Therapytips.org.

Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up today for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.