sketches of the mind

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This really was a great read as it offered some insight into the way our memories work (or don’t work as you’ll discover) and why we make the choices that we do. Often times those choices are misguided/misinformed and they ultimately lead us to unhappiness (even though at the time we thought it’d lead us to happiness).



I found the book to be very accessible, and it’s the first book that didn’t get overly scientific to the point where I switched off. It’s an entertaining and informative read and though it’s no guide on how to acquire happiness (Daniel Gilbert clearly states this) it definitely highlights why we might not be getting it. Awareness is always a great place to start!


View all my reviews.

Life doesn’t have to be so damn hard. It really doesn’t. Most people, my past self included, have spent too much time convincing themselves that life has to be hard, a resignation to 9-to-5 drudgery in exchange for (sometimes) relaxing weekends and the occasional keep-it-short-or-get-fired vacation. ~ Tim Ferriss - The 4-Hour Workweek

I’ve been recommending The 4-Hour Workweek to anybody and everybody who has expressed a desire to get out of the vicious work-home-bills cycle (aka “Rat Race” as Robert Kiyosaki refers to it). The book really does present a new paradigm, and it blows any old ideas about what life “needs” to be out of the stratosphere.

I’m currently in the process of applying some of the tools recommended by Tim Ferriss. The first will be to check e-mail twice a day only. I actually trialled this for a week a while ago and it really did demonstrate something interesting. Aside from seeing how it could increase productivity I also realised that because I was accessing my email less, and because I was only doing it for an hour each time, I wasn’t sending out nearly as many useless emails thus soliciting equally useless replies i.e. time wasters.

I have since returned to my poor habit of checking email when I wake up, thus effectively wasting my mornings however as of next Monday I will return to checking my personal mail twice a day - once at midday for an hour, and secondly at 8pm for an hour.

It really is a good test of discipline. Now I have to work out when I’m going to do the same for my work email and what am I going to do when I’m not checking my email anymore!

I will also limit checking facebook to once every day.

As I start applying other tools and techniques discussed in the book I’ll post my experiences here. I’m particularly excited about outsourcing my life!