The start of a new year often symbolizes a fresh beginning, a chance to improve our lives. We set resolutions with the hope of becoming healthier, more productive, and ultimately happier. However, we often rely on external sources such as magazines and experts to guide us towards this new and improved version of ourselves. In reality, we already possess the knowledge of what truly brings us satisfaction. We don’t need to search for something new; we should focus on what has already made us happy.
I am an instructor for a course at UCLA that caters to graduate business students and executives. The course is titled “Applying the Science of Happiness to Life Design” and aims to help students achieve higher levels of satisfaction in their daily lives, careers, and overall well-being. Throughout the 10-week elective, I expose them to various insights derived from academic research in psychology and behavioral decision-making. However, the most valuable lessons for the students arise from the assignments that encourage them to introspect and analyze their own experiences.
One particular task stands out for its simplicity. It requires just a few minutes of your time, and you have the opportunity to complete it immediately. Take a moment to contemplate the past year and identify the moments that brought you the utmost joy. Ponder upon it briefly and make a note of the five activities from the last 12 months that brought you the most happiness. These activities, which have previously brought you joy, hold the greatest potential to bring you happiness in the future.
Please be aware that this is distinct from my inquiry about the activities that generally bring you the most joy. That question is unhelpfully ambiguous and potentially overwhelming. Without the specific time frame of the past 12 months, it elicits responses based on abstract beliefs rather than your actual experiences, which can be misleading when seeking happiness.
If you are feeling anxious about how accurately you can remember the past twelve months or if you are someone who finds comfort in data, you may want to consider doing the time-tracking assignment. For one week, record the activity you engage in and your corresponding emotions on a scale of 1 to 10 for every half-hour that you are awake. Be honest with yourself when rating how satisfied and fulfilled you felt after each activity. Although it may seem like a tedious task to track your time for an entire week, reviewing your data can provide valuable insights into your emotional highs.
By analyzing your records, you will likely discover which social activities hold the most meaning for you. You will also be able to identify the work tasks or activities that bring you the greatest sense of reward. Even if you initially believed that watching TV in the evening was a treat and dreaded exercising, your data might reveal that your time on the couch is actually mediocre, while exercise is energizing or even enjoyable, especially when done in a specific environment or with a workout partner.
These assignments are more beneficial than generic “top New Year’s resolution tips” based on the experiences of a large number of people, many of whom have different circumstances and preferences than you. Your own past experiences provide more valuable information and specific guidance on what will bring you happiness in the future.
If you are feeling anxious about how accurately you can remember the past twelve months or if you are someone who finds comfort in data, you may want to consider doing the time-tracking assignment. For one week, record the activity you engage in and your corresponding emotions on a scale of 1 to 10 for every half-hour that you are awake. Be honest with yourself when rating how satisfied and fulfilled you felt after each activity. Although it may seem like a tedious task to track your time for an entire week, reviewing your data can provide valuable insights into your emotional highs.
By analyzing your records, you will likely discover which social activities hold the most meaning for you. You will also be able to identify the work tasks or activities that bring you the greatest sense of reward. Even if you initially believed that watching TV in the evening was a treat and dreaded exercising, your data might reveal that your time on the couch is actually mediocre, while exercise is energizing or even enjoyable, especially when done in a specific environment or with a workout partner.
These assignments are more beneficial than generic “top New Year’s resolution tips” based on the experiences of a large number of people, many of whom have different circumstances and preferences than you. Your own past experiences provide more valuable information and specific guidance on what will bring you happiness in the future.
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