Happiness by Design

The production process for happiness is therefore how you allocate your attention

Yes, there is another important category of feelings that matter to you, and these are the feelings of purpose and pointlessness you feel.

purpose is not usually considered in this experience-based way.

Most of our concerns more generally are about what has not yet happened, and sometimes about what has already taken place. In contrast, we nearly always have nothing to worry about right now.

The key to being happier is to pay more attention to what makes you happy and less attention to what does not.

You are more likely to run a marathon if you first commit to going out for a run a couple of times a week and building up from there, as opposed to saying “I’m going to run a marathon.”

The first is a classic distinction, which goes back at least to Aristotle, between two views of the good life: a life of pleasure, contentment, and other positive feelings, or one that is well-lived and meaningful.

DRM-type data on your own experiences of pleasure and purpose can also help you avoid mistaken beliefs about how you use your time and what brings you happiness.

If you are not as happy as you could be, then you must be misallocating your attention. You will be the happiest you can be when you allocate your attention as best as you can.

Attention is the glue that holds your life together.