Jeff Bezos famously said that it's better to invest more into what we expect to not change, rather than what we expect to change.
"I very frequently get the question: "What's going to change in the next 10 years?" And that is a very interesting question; it's a very common one. I almost never get the question: "What's not going to change in the next 10 years?" And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two -- because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time. ... [I]n our retail business, we know that customers want low prices, and I know that's going to be true 10 years from now. They want fast delivery; they want vast selection.
And so the effort we put into those things, spinning those things up, we know the energy we put into it today will still be paying off dividends for our customers 10 years from now. When you have something that you know is true, even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it."
And so the effort we put into those things, spinning those things up, we know the energy we put into it today will still be paying off dividends for our customers 10 years from now. When you have something that you know is true, even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it."
I think a similar logic can be applied to how we strategize and invest in our personal lives. Instead of trying to figure out what will make you happy in the long-term, which is a hard thing to predict and figure out, start by laying out what will definitely make you unhappy in the long run and then invest in avoiding them.
Here's my list of definite joy killers:
- Illness and poor physical health
- Poor mental health and resilience
- Bad attitude - low energy, pessimism, cynicism, greed, comparison, causing harm.
- Bad habits or lack of good habits
- Lack of meaning, curiosity, passion or goals
- Lack of ability - knowledge, skills, discipline, boldness, energy, capital, relationships - to pursue the above.
- Lack of close, supportive, positive, and meaningful relationships
- Lack of income or savings for a middle class lifestyle
- Spending significant time and energy in ways that are not aligned with my purpose and interests.
- Lack of regular reflection and self-awareness