Thoughtful living

if someone wants to live an aesthetic life, then engaging with thought-provoking art can be transformative for them, compared to someone who isn’t interested in these values. It also matters how reflective the person is. Self-reflection might be what binds experiences together to make them count toward a well-lived life. When we deeply reflect on o... See more

if the emphasis of a happy life is on positive emotions and security, and the emphasis of a meaningful life is on purpose and coherence, then the hallmarks of a psychologically rich life are variety, interest, and perspective (Oishi & Westgate, 2021)

The good life, it appeared, was still within reach, even when happiness and meaning weren’t.

To make the conceptual space of the well-lived life more inclusive, Oishi proposed the dimension of psychological richness . Characterized by a variety of novel, complex, and perspective-changing experiences (that weren’t necessarily happy or meaningful), t... See more

Creativity is not efficient . What is efficient is enjoying your creative process.

I was happy to stumble, a few months back, across the concept of MTO goalsetting, which fits perfectly here. For any goal you’re aiming to accomplish, this approach involves setting three levels of success: the Minimum, which you’re confident you’ll achieve; the Target, which is realistic but a bit of a stretch; and an Outrageous outcome, which you... See more

It might be tempting to think of willpower-based goalsetting systems as hardheaded and realistic, while dismissing those that leave space for spontaneity – or for just not feeling like it today – as self-indulgent and second-tier. But I think it’s the other way around. Our changing moods and energy levels, and how inspired we’re feeling on any give... See more

There is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by. A life of good days lived in the senses is not enough. The life of sensation is the life of greed; it requires more and more. The life of the spirit requires less and less; time is ample and its passage sweet. Who would call a day spent reading a good day? But a life spen... See more

It’s rare that life situations fall into a neat and tidy yes or no in terms of value alignment. We might be moving away from some values and toward other ones