Don’t “When” Your Life Away

Main Theme:

• Avoid the common trap of living life waiting for future milestones (“when-ing your life away”) versus solely living for the present moment.
• It’s important to find balance—being content in the present while also planning purposefully for the future.

---

Key Points:

1. The “I’ll be happy when…” trap

• Many people live life waiting for future achievements (e.g., marriage, promotion, children) to be happy.
• This mindset is flawed because happiness from reaching goals is temporary and ultimately returns to a baseline state (a concept known as hormesis).

2. The Opposite Extreme: Living Only in the Moment

• Spending over a decade traveling and “living the dream,” completely immersed in the present moment, was fun, but it had its consequences.
• Neglecting to plan ahead caused significant future challenges.

3. Hormesis and the Baseline of Happiness

• Our happiness is regulated like a thermostat. Significant positive or negative events temporarily raise or lower happiness but inevitably revert to a baseline level.
• Achieving a milestone does not produce permanent happiness because of this natural tendency.

4. Why “Choosing to be Happy” Doesn’t Work

• Simply deciding to be happy through positive thinking isn’t effective or realistic.
• Genuine happiness involves making tangible changes in your lifestyle, not just mental affirmations.

5. The Importance of the Journey

• Happiness comes from enjoying the process itself, not just reaching the destination.
• Value the journey. Life, like hiking, enjoyable for the process itself, not just the endpoint.
• The phrase “hike your own hike” encapsulates this: define and pursue your unique path.

6. Finding Balance

• Life should balance future planning and present enjoyment.
• Identify what genuinely brings happiness now while maintaining purposeful direction toward meaningful goals.
• Pursuing meaningful work or activities that help others and solve problems naturally leads to fulfillment and financial reward.

7. Practical Strategy: 30-Day Sprints

• Experiment with short, manageable 30-day challenges (e.g., making videos, writing, volunteering) to test and discover enjoyable journeys.
• Helps identify passions or meaningful directions worth pursuing long-term.

---

Conclusion:

• Don’t live entirely for future goals (“when-ing your life away”) nor solely in the immediate present (which lacks necessary foresight).
• Aim for a balanced life: enjoy the current journey while directing it towards meaningful, purposeful goals.
• Authentic happiness requires actively shaping your lifestyle, experimenting with interests, and appreciating both the process and direction.