

Actions That Made Me Happier - macournoyer_
http://www.garyharan.com/2010/04/04/5-actions-that-made-me-happier.html

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dazmax
In the "removing small frustrations" category: getting a second power cord for
my laptop. It makes me happy twice a day when I don't have to fish my cord out
to bring it to work/home.

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lotharbot
More generally speaking: set up the right infrastructure and own the right
tools for common tasks. If you can save yourself a few minutes and a bit of
frustration every day for a ten dollar investment or for a bit of effort once,
it's worth it!

Some examples: \- owning extra power cords, batteries, memory cards, etc. for
electronic devices \- setting up a power strip and various charging or
connecting cables where they're easy to reach (consider the recently-
circulated pic of the cables clipped to the edge of the desk.) \- own the
right cooking utensils, pots, pans, maybe a slow cooker or rice steamer, and
so on. There's no sense in frustrating yourself day after day because it's
harder than it needs to be to make dinner. \- have appropriately-sized and
located garbage cans, recycling bins, clothes hampers, toy boxes, file
cabinets, and other types of containers. \- repair or replace broken stuff
that regularly causes annoyance, like sticky file cabinet drawers.

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colonelxc
As dazmax said, not only is it removing frustration, it actually can make you
more happy every time you realize you don't have to pack up your cord. This
probably mostly applies to people who are used to having to pack up cords a
couple times a day to move around.

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kalid
I like the phrasing of the title, i.e. keeping track of what actually works.

One tip that's helped me: when something makes you feel good, add it to
feelgood.txt. Over time, you'll start to see patterns (vs. the random,
fallible memories/ideas we have about what makes us happy).

Every few days or so I'll have a random entry [7/23/09: felt good to chill
with Andreas. played games, chatted, had bfast, etc. hospitality. nice to
catch up. 7/15/09: Felt good to 1) post to BE and 2) exercise today].

Looking back, I can see what actually worked in making me happy.

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quickpost
I like that. A lot.

I'm going to create a feelgood.txt on my work computer right now. I'm also
thinking about creating a feelbad.txt - so I know what to avoid in my life.

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zackattack
The flip side of this is it can be very hard to make changes in your life when
you realize that people to whom you may be very close .. are no longer good
for you.

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jambalaya
I came back here to this comment. How has anyone dealt with this situation?

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zackattack
Can you email me with your phone number? I'll give you a call.
(zackster@gmail.com)

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nw
A great and somewhat related article by David Brooks:
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/opinion/30brooks.html>

From the article:

"... economic and professional success exists on the surface of life, and that
they emerge out of interpersonal relationships, which are much deeper and more
important."

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jazzdev
Yeah, good article. Thanks for the link. I liked this statement from article:

"Most governments release a ton of data on economic trends but not enough on
trust and other social conditions. In short, modern societies have developed
vast institutions oriented around the things that are easy to count, not
around the things that matter most."

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hcatlin
I'm proud to say I've done all of these. I think the "drink with co-workers"
is a super-good point and I wish more people were more honest about it!

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xox
I understand the logic about the strategic importance of drinking with
coworkers but I have always felt it imposed some kind of obligation that I was
somewhat uncomfortable about while I was single but much more so since I got
married. The burden of the obligation for me is such that it outweighs any
benefits I feel it could have in relation to my happiness. Those times when I
have gone out with coworkers it has produced rigid conversations bound by
convention and politics - not much different from what happens in the office.
So I would say that piece of advice should be examined on a case-by-case
basis.

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TheSOB88
Maybe that's indicative of a larger culture problem at your company. I can't
really see people at a bar talking about politics - are you sure you drank
enough?

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xox
Not _talking_ about politics but _bound_ by politics (office politics).

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pasbesoin
I had the pleasure of spending a week with a group of techies in Montreal
(referenced in the post). Definitely a nice and interesting crowd to hang out
with (and have a drink with (which did NOT == get blitzed)). Once I read
Montreal, that part clicked a bit more. The value and pleasure in such does
depend on the crowd and attitudes. Back here and at the corporate job, having
drinks has usually been about awkwardly commenting on the attractive women
(even in mixed company), an in depth analysis of some fellow's paintball games
and season, movies movies movies (but only Hollywood blockbusters and
comedies), and wondering when the next bit of shit would hit the fan at the
office. Straying from these points often seems risky; people are not too open
-- as/in a group -- to alternatives and everyone is at least partially
watching their back.

I very much like the point about 'removing small frustrations'. So often, the
temptation is to pass the opportunity by, perhaps because it is small compared
to everything else we are worrying about. But add it up, over a year or two,
or take them all as a set, and the cumulative effect is quite significant. The
satisfaction of addressing even one is a real, immediate boost and sense of
accomplishment.

Finally, to return to the drinking. I find, especially as I get older, that I
enjoy a cup or two of coffee in a cafe as much or more than a drink in a bar.
The caffeine elevates dopamine and thereby seems to open up conversation, but
the results tend to be more interesting and don't culminate in a hang-over.

~~~
wallflower
Yes, since alcohol is a depressant, if you want someone to indirectly
associate you with being stimulated, coffee.

~~~
zackattack
Dude that's genius. I never thought of it in that way before.

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davidedicillo
I can only agree with these points. I experienced all of them myself.

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sabat
Makes me want to go to one of the SV/SF Hackers and Founders meetups.

On drinking with co-workers: point taken, but if you are actually having mood
problems, watch the alcohol intake. It's a depressant.

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timcederman
You're thinking of the wrong definition of "depressant". Alcohol is a physical
depressant.

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sabat
It's a psychological depressant as well.

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timcederman
Citation needed.

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nickpp
Holly non-cleartype fonts, my eyes are bleeding!

Why, oh why are people so cruel, so uncaring, so unkind?

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Goosey
<http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/>

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sketerpot
No matter how many times this is posted, I can't upvote it enough.

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jjs
<http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/>

~~~
sketerpot
Honestly, that helps.

