Here at Further, we’re all about the science. Just notice how may of the entries below include the words “study or “research” in the description. That bias toward empirical findings supports my “no guru” policy — no woo woo or fluffy motivational stuff from people with more personality than facts.
So, if it weren’t for the fact that I’ve known Jonathan Fields for over a decade, I might not have picked up his latest book, How to Live a Good Life. But I do know him, and he’s one of the most helpful people I know. Plus, “How to live a good life” is pretty much what Further is about.
Like me, Jonathan is a former attorney. He quit the practice to open a yoga studio, which then led to his career as an author and the founder of The Good Life Project.
How to Live a Good Life is a systematic way of thinking about what’s important in life, and making sure that you’re in a good place in those areas. Fields uses a bucket metaphor to make sure you’re focused on the things that matter, and further, to keep those buckets filled.
1. Vitality:
As we discussed late last year, health is your first priority. The same is true in Fields’ system. In his words, “You can’t buy your way out of a tumor. Or depression. Or illness. Or pain. You can’t feel alive, happy, and joyful when your body is abandoning you.”
2. Connection:
The connection bucket is all about relationships, which means we need to find and be with “our people.” Those we can love and those who’ll love us back. Later in the book, Jonathan shares 10 powerful ways in order to keep this bucket filled with the right people.
3. Contribution:
The third bucket concerns the topic we talk about the most here at Further — the things we choose to do with our time that both contribute to the world and lead to our own personal growth. “It’s about feeling like you’re accessing your full potential, your strengths, your gifts, the deepest parts of your humanity, leaving nothing unrealized or untapped.”
I also like Jonathan’s Bucket Laws, which will ring true to anyone who’s trying to optimize their life. The first one is the fact that the buckets leak. Unless you remain vigilant, you’ll end up running on empty in one or more of these critical areas.
Another Bucket Law is that your emptiest bucket will drag the others down with it. Again, you may be succeeding wildly in the Contribution area, but a deficiency in Vitality is going to bring everything crashing down.
That’s where I was a few years ago. I got on the right track, and a book like How to Live a Good Life provides a great way to stay there.
- How to Live a Good Life (Amazon Associates link)
- Good Life Project
Keep going-
Brian Clark
Further
further: resources
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Starting last year, it seems like I can’t eat anything without dousing it in Cholula or Sriracha sauce. Which turns out to be a good thing, since consumption of hot red chili peppers is associated with a 13 percent reduction in total mortality, a large study has found.
Eat hot peppers for a longer life?
Cheat to Win
To cheat or not to cheat … that’s the question (at least when it comes to your diet). A new study suggests that planned lapses in control may actually help people stick to their goals in the long run.
Gym Reboot
“A new study looks at exactly how much of a benefit fitness club-goers have over the rest of us when it comes to getting regular exercise—and its results may convince you to restart that stalled membership.”
Why You Really Need to Join the Gym
Sexy Travel
As if you needed more reasons to travel more often, here’s a couple anyway. A new study says couples who travel together have better sex lives than their stationary counterparts, and a whole bunch of studies say experiencing new things together can help deepen a relationship.
Couples That Travel Together Have a Deeper Connection, Better Sex
Panama, Jack
It’s looking like my next adventure will be in Panama. I want to check out the mountain areas — specifically Boquete. The Spanish lessons I’ve been taking this year will come in handy, plus … you never know when you might need to leave the country suddenly (ahem).
The Top 5 Panama Mountain Towns for Expats
Busy is Bad
“Chances are you spend a lot of your day on useless busywork without even realizing it. Here’s how to spot it and eliminate it.”
How To Stop Busywork From Holding Your Career Progress Back
Autonomous Career
Some think entrepreneurism is about the money, status, and power. I became an entrepreneur to have the freedom to do what I want to do and how I want to do it. A new study reveals that I’m pretty normal to that desire. What about you?
All Anyone Really Wants at Work Is Autonomy
Unique: Just Like Everyone Else
“If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s better to fit in or stand out at work when you’re gunning for recognition or advancement, new research indicates that it may be best to do a little of both.”
Fitting In Or Standing Out: Which One Gets You Ahead Faster?
Bubble Burst
A new app called Read Across the Aisle aims to understand which way you lean politically, and then periodically expose you to the other side of things. Seems like a good idea that will go absolutely nowhere, but who knows?
Gently Break Out Of Your Bubble With This App That Acclimates You To Different Views
Meaningful Purpose
We’ve already seen this year that living with purpose is better for you than pursuing happiness, and now we hear it’s the same thing with meaning. What’s the difference between the two? A purpose is the belief that you have a reason for being. Meaning is the value or values that are assigned to that belief.
In 2017, Pursue Meaning Instead of Happiness
further: sharing
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