A Little Happier: Yet More Good Advice from My Father.

In episode 184 of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast, Elizabeth and I talked about using the annual holiday of Labor Day (which we celebrate here in the United States) as a catalyst to reflect on how to be happier in our work lives.

Just as Valentine’s Day can remind us of the importance of having a loving relationship with our sweetheart, and Mother’s and Father’s Day can remind us to tell our parents how much we love and appreciate them, and New Year’s Day can be a catalyst for self-reflection and resolution, Labor Day can be a prompt to think about work. To see a discussion of this subject, see #happierlaborday.

During our conversation, Elizabeth and I mentioned a wise observation that my father has made—something that’s been so useful to both of us in our lives that I thought it worthy of a bit more discussion.

My father told us, “For the most part, people are very reluctant to make changes, and very influenced by inertia. That means that if you’ve thought that it might be time to make a change, you probably should’ve made that change six months ago.

Elizabeth and I have absolutely found this to be true—about work, about moving, about relationships, about many things. I often remind myself, “If I’m thinking about making a change, I’m probably already long overdue for that change.”

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