Happy People Have Projects

It’s easy to forget this little bit of wisdom: happy people have projects.

I’ve had lots of up and down times in my life, in terms of passion, meaning and happiness, but certainly when I had projects those were the happiest times for me. I know that personally to be true.

Science also backs up that hypothesis. If you read Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar or A Philosopher’s Notes by Brian Johnson, you’ll see study after study that shows that people who have projects in their life –  hobbies or activities they are passionate about – are happier. Whether it’s projects on the side or full-time projects, they are happier.

I was reminded of this when I watched this interview with Seth Godin below, which I loved. He talks about “art projects,” doing what you love, why it’s so hard to step out into that work and also why it’s important to realize what is stopping us. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.