Less is More

I read an interesting article from Harvard professor Arthur Brooks about the secret to happiness that really resonated with me. He refers to the “hedonic treadmill” which is our tendency to add things when we consider what it would take to improve our lives. Our first impulse is to think that we would be happier if our career was going better or if we could take a trip or even make a large purchase. The problem with this approach is that it tends to backfire.



According to Brooks: “Having goals is a great way to accomplish the kinds of big ambitions that give life meaning. No one says waiting around on the couch for the universe to do what it will with you is the route to fulfillment. But a mountain of research shows that when you reach your goals, they're likely to only bring you momentary joy. After a brief high, dissatisfaction creeps in and we start to crave the next thing on the list.”

This is what psychologists call the “hedonic treadmill”. We all have experienced this — we fantasize about a better television, a better job, a glamorous vacations, but as soon as we get it we start coveting even better TV’s , jobs, and vacations. Our quest for more is insatiable and it rarely results in more happiness. 



Brooks has a simple solution to this perpetual problem - a reverse bucket list. He describes exactly what he means by the term.

“Each year on my birthday, I list my wants and attachments--the stuff that fits under Thomas Aquinas's categories of money, power, pleasure, and honor. I try to be completely honest. I don't list stuff I would actually hate and never choose, like a sailboat or a vacation house. Rather, I go to my weaknesses, most of which--I'm embarrassed to admit--involve the admiration of others for my work," he writes.



Next he imagines what his life would be in five years if he were to be truly happy - if he were living up to his values and experiencing a sense of psychological peace. The final step is to compare the two lists side by side. Would those things he craves actually bring him closer to his vision of the good life? Basically he asks if an item is on his bucket list because it lines up with his deepest desires and values or if it there to impress someone else or feed an unquenchable need for validation. If it is the former, it goes on his bucket list. If it is the latter, it goes on his reverse bucket list. 



Almost always, less is more.



“I’ve learned that minimalism is not about what you own, it’s about why you own it.” - Brian Gardner