Choose to Take the Journey

Many years ago I had what I like to call “My best summer ever!” It was a period of 2 months where despite having no girlfriend, I felt a deep sense of happiness. In fact, my level of joy was so unprecedented and pervasive that I felt compelled to ask myself, “Why am I so happy anyway?”

The answer I uncovered was a series of needs that I had been meeting on a consistent basis…

A physical need:

Every morning, I either went jogging or swimming, without exception. Nothing compares to exercise when it comes to boosting your mood and your metabolism. Because I had already gotten my workout in early on, I didn’t have to contend with end-of-the-day fatigue or after-dinner food coma later on.

An intellectual need:

Every day, without fail, I stimulated my mind with books or internet articles. This was in addition to any studying I had to do for school. Instead of reading, some people prefer building cars or writing computer code to engage their intellect. To each his own.

A social need:

Twice a week, I took my mother out on what I called “mom dates.” Basically, I took her some place she had never been, or just accompanied her while she ran various errands. On the other days, I made sure to hang out with my friends for at least an hour each day.

A need for growth:

Every week, without exception, I challenged myself to pursue activities that were either completely outside of my prior experience or a notch above my current level. This could be anything from making cold calls to jogging up steeper hills.

A need for fun/novelty:

Every day I tried something new. A new restaurant, a new philosophy, a new workout routine–it didn’t matter. The point was that even though I had a certain structure to my day, there was always enough novelty that I was still having fun.

I often fulfilled more than one need simultaneously, and without even knowing I had such needs. But once I became aware of this “happiness algorithm,” I managed to replicate that summer lifestyle several times, one time for as long as 6 months of uninterrupted bliss. The piling on of ever more career obligations and personal responsibilities does make it increasingly difficult to set up such a scenario, but it can still be done. As you chase your billions of dollars, pop star girlfriend, or chiseled 8-pack, just remember to lead a life of balance, a life that fulfills your every need.

//Check out the follow-up post here.