Happiness project - Monthly update | Feb 2025

This is the second monthly update on my 2025 happiness learning project. I had quite a fun time in February with this project. By now, word has spread that I’m doing this thing, and as a result, I have many fun conversations daily with someone or the other. I also got introduced, albeit at the surface level, to many interesting concepts about happiness.

Reflections and progress update

I’ve realised that this project is wonderful for eliciting conversations. I’ve got a great ice-breaker topic. People are naturally curious about this topic, and as long as I don’t get personal, most folks want to discuss it. I get great perspectives and suggestions from everyone. These conversations also help me articulate what I have learned, which helps me understand them better. Beyond the initial conversations, I want to keep having conversations with a few folks regularly to maintain some continuity.

On the flip side, I’ve also realised that these conversations could make me a ‘happiness bore’ quickly. I’m tempted to preach or explain concepts in situations that could be better handled in other ways. I’m also tempted to offer unsolicited advice. I’ve resolved to be more mindful about it.

On a personal front, I was quite happy to achieve a small goal in February. I clocked my personal best time at a half marathon. I made a good training plan, stuck to it and executed well on the race day. No mishaps, no supposed illnesses before the run, no niggles here and there, no intense work at the last moment. Basically, no excuses this time. The anticipation of success made me happy. The achievement did, too.

I’m having such a great time on this project that I have decided to extend it beyond a year. Initially, I’d set 3 months for open-ended unstructured learning, 3 months for pursuing specific questions and topics and 6 months for outputs. That changes to 6 months each, extending the project by 6 months. Allow me to call this a ‘no-cost extension.’

Progress on the project in February 2025 has been sparse but quite rewarding

3 concepts learnt in the month

First, all the different kinds of happiness are real, valid, necessary and interrelated. One could associate happiness with a eudemonic state, which crudely refers to living a life of meaning and purpose and achieving self-realization. One could associate it with a hedonic state, which focuses on pleasure, joy and avoiding pain. One could simply ditch philosophy and associate it with bodily states that involve neurochemical states. All of them would be right in part. Each of these supposed kinds of happiness is real, valid, and necessary. Furthermore, I feel that blending these kinds could achieve more than the sum of parts. Why couldn’t a meaningful experience also be joyous and lead to better bodily states? Do any examples come to mind?

Second, money matters to happiness. Probably not in the most superficial way. Beyond a certain level of income which meets day-to-day survival needs and provides a bit more, happiness doesn’t scale with extra income substantially. However, although this finding supports the popular narrative that “money can’t buy happiness”, it can buy you time, space, and comfort that could lead to happier states of being. It certainly can buffer stress. So, what I gather from this is that the quality and category of spending matters. Also, FYI, Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness.

Third, sleep, nutrition, social interaction (even superficial interaction), achieving focus states, getting enough sunlight, voluntarily giving resources to others (monetary or non-monetary), not smoking and not consuming alcohol and allogrooming impact happiness levels. Look up allogrooming, it’s quite interesting! Needless to say, this is an evolving and non-exhaustive list.

Happiness mantras

I can only change myself to improve my happiness.

Choose to be happy.

One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; one of the best ways to make other people happy is to make yourself happy - Gretchen Rubin

To be happy, you need to consider feeling good, feeling bad and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth - Gretchen Rubin

Content

1. [Book] The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson - Rereading.

2. [Book] The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - Done. Find my notes here.

3. [Book] The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change your Life and Achieve Real Happiness - Almost done. Find my notes here.

4. [Video] Science-based Tools for Increasing Happiness by Andrew Huberman - Find my notes and the link here.

5. [Video] The surprising science of happiness by Dan Gilbert - Find my notes and the link here.

6. [Article] What Role Does Pleasure Play in Happiness? by Todd Kashdan and Robert Diener - Find my notes and the link here.

7. [Article] Five secrets to a lifetime of joy by Tom Greene

Happiness project resources

A public notion board is maintained here. :)