Yahoo! calls for people to pick up a passion as lack of motivation prevents 1 in 5 from being happy

Sheer lack of motivation is preventing 1 in 5 Brits from being happy with over half of us neglecting our passions and interests in life according to a survey by Yahoo! (www.yahoo.co.uk).

The good news is we know how to put a spring back in our step already - a massive  95% of us agree we would be happier, more energetic and less stressed if we re-discovered our passions and interests – we just lack the motivation to make a start.

Not knowing where to start is one of the hurdles to rediscovering our passions and is one of the factors in keeping us de-motivated, so Yahoo! and Life Coach, Gladeana McMahon are here to help that 95% of us put a spring back into Britain, encourage the nation to log on, rediscover their passions and set a Spring Resolution.

Gladeana comments: ‘The principles of positive psychology show that happier people are healthier people, so as well as making us happier and more content, rediscovering a passion outside of our everyday lives could act as a very tangible stress buster.

The research also found that three quarters of us failed to make New Year’s resolutions this year, but a third of us feel that spring, a natural time of renewal and growth is the best time to make changes to our lives - so lets all leap into action and set some Spring resolutions!’

Yahoo!’s campaign to bring the bounce back into Britain, includes a series of five step plans from experts and hobbyists to help us start re-discovering our dreams: from forgotten sports courtesy of ex Man United footballer David May*, to undiscovered talents in photography to, developing knowledge of fine wines via Yahoo! Answers and Flickr.

A Spring Resolutions page on www.yahoo.co.uk is full of information and suggestions making Yahoo! the perfect starting point for rediscovering your passion including Yahoo! and Gladeana’s five point plan:

-Filling the void -  Identify what is missing from your life and consider how you can fill this void - for example with creativity
-Set your sights - Set a goal that is manageable and obtainable.   
-Time is precious - Make time for yourself to explore and share your passions. Not knowing where to start can be a hurdle. The internet offers a wealth of information as well as opportunities for people to share their passions with others.
-Research and discover – Research how you can best understand your passion, where things are happening and how you can get involved. Ensure that you maintain the time to keep it up.   
-Spring into action - Take advantage of spring; an extra hour of sunlight and the end of the winter-blues means we are better placed both physically and mentally to rediscover your passions.

Kristof Fahy, VP Marketing Yahoo! Europe: ‘We know that we all lead busy lives, but we were really surprised that nearly everyone we surveyed claimed they could be happier and less stressed if they spent some time on a passion and interest.  It inspired us to develop our campaign to act as a starting point in helping people rediscover their passions and with Spring the perfect time to do so, why not start now at www.yahoo.co.uk’