738: What Defines Happiness

It’s fair to say that happiness is one of the most important goals we can pursue in life because not much else matters if you’re not deriving some happiness from this journey we are all on - but how do we define happiness, what can we do to improve our overall happiness, and how might we be sabotaging ourselves in the pursuit of it?


What to Listen For
What is the definition of happiness?What is the difference between contentment and pleasure with how they relate to your pursuit of happiness?How does having meaning in your life weave into your ability to be happy?AJ and Johnny explain the significance of being present and how it demands regular practice in order to make it stickWhat are the three primary influencing factors in your happiness?How important are the circumstances in which you live when it comes to your overall happiness?Are your genetics the biggest or smallest contributor to our happiness?Why are your mindset and actions the most important factor of happiness even though they’re not the biggest contributing factor?If happiness comes down to leading a good, meaningful life then how do you design such a life to maximize your happiness?What is the Vice-Joy-Dedication Gradient and how does it relate to your ability to find purpose and meaning in life?What do all the successful individuals we look up to have in common and how can you implement it immediately?How can you find meaning in your work if you hate what you do?On average, what percentage of our waking lives do we spend daydreaming and how does it impact our ability to be happy and successful?

Attaining and maintaining happiness in life is about much more than the simple joy we feel when we engage in acts and events that bring us pleasure. Much of it comes down to the why behind our actions and goals.
If we don’t have a deeper motivation for our day to day lives we can struggle to find happiness in the sometimes seemingly insignificant things we do, like a job you hate but one you need in order to get to the one you want, or suffering through brutal workouts in order to maintain your health and achieve your fitness goals.
Always be willing to ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” until you can get to a point where there is no deeper answer.


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Resources from this Episode
736: How to Rewire your Brain for Success | w/ Lisa Wimberger
735: The Best Ways to Rewrite Bad Habits w/ Charles Duhigg
Happiness: it’s not just your genes, stupid!
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport


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