Book Review: Happiness by Design by Paul Dolan

How can we make it easier to be happy? This is a simple question for what can be a complicated answer, but one that is tackled headfirst by Professor Paul Dolan. Combining cutting edge research into happiness with behavioural science, Dolan provides a research-heavy, accessible book, which helps us take control of how we find happiness! This month’s personal development book review is “Happiness by Design: Finding pleasure and purpose in everyday life.” *

The backbone of everything I do within The Balance Collective is linked to a career to enjoy; pleasure within your job one of the ways people find happiness! It’s something I have touched on within eight book reviews (so far) and many blogs, including Gretchen Rubin’s year-long experiment “ The Happiness Project” , Lucy Sheridan’s “The Comparison Cure” and Matt Haig’s thought-provoking “Notes on a Nervous Planet”. So, I was intrigued to see what, if anything, new would be within Dolan’s book.

Paul Dolan is Professor of Behaviour Science, an expert in happiness, behaviour, and public policy. His research is unique and very interesting; looking into the measurement of happiness, it’s causes and consequences. If you have ever looked into work to measure wellbeing, there is good chance he is involved in it. Like many books, these choices seem to fall into my bookshelf at a time where they are really needed! With so many of us re-evaluating what makes us happy, and if (and how) we want to make lifestyle changed due to COVID-19, a book that looks at the science of happiness is well-timed!

It was a solid read; a balance between well-explained academia, real-life examples and personal anecdotes, building a picture of what the science says makes us happy. Part of the issue with personal happiness, that so often, we can define when we AREN’T happy, but can’t always say when we are. Drawing in years of a variety of approaches around happiness, considering ALL the aspects of our moderns lives that impact that emotions, creates a journey through what can be a complicated question.

It is broken down, into two main parts: Developing Happiness and Delivering Happiness. The first half of the book answers almost philosophical questions, queries and doubts which often stand in the way of actually changing our lives. Questions including:

What is happiness?
What do we know about happiness?
What causes happiness?
Why aren’t we happier?

Part 2, Delivering Happiness becomes more action-focused, and uses research to present the “Decide, Design and Do” model; the answer to the book’s question “How can we make it easier to be happy?”

So, in true Clara Cliff Notes style, here are the things you need to know about “Happiness by Design”:

Happiness doesn’t exist on its own
The science is simple, the interaction between pleasure and purpose is what creates consistent happiness. So, pure hedonism is not enough, neither is being driven for the greater good alone. If you are feeling like life isn’t what you want, consider the feelings around the activities in your life. The book includes some simple exercises to help you pay close attention and engage with your life in a new way.

You need to take notice
Like my balance coaching, which connects to a career to enjoy, Dolan’s work (and that of many others) connect happiness to where you “allocate your attention.” Using a structure utilised from economics, he discusses how a formula can highlight where is best to put your attention.
Your inputs (such as health, energy, status job) doesn’t automatically lead to outputs (such as the levels of happiness); you need to consider your production process. In this case, the production process is your allocation of attention.
Simply, we often put our attention in the wrong place! So, if your outputs, aren’t the way you want it, you can either change your inputs, change where you put your attention or, unsurprisingly, BOTH!

The happiness aim is equilibrium
So often we spend our lives striving for the next thing. We believe once that “thing” happens, everything else will fall into place. However, as the research used in the book uncovers, us human beings are VERY quick to adapt to changes in our lives.
Take winning the lottery, as an example (winners are used a lot for research purposes). Initially the money brings with it great happiness, new opportunities, stress reduction and a significant change in lifestyle. However, over time (a period which a lot speedier than you will think) you stop paying so much attention to what the money has created, and its impact on happiness reduces.
Ultimately, in research terms at least, the aim of a happy life is actually getting your inputs and your outputs exactly where you want to be, with no incentive to change and a comfort with the level of attention it gets!

Do not live your life in the future
Finally, we can spend so long wishing and hoping for changes in our lives that will give us the happiness we think we need, that we miss out on the things that really give us happiness now. This quote, on page 76 of “Happiness by Design” sums it up perfectly “future happiness cannot really compensate for misery now; lost happiness is lost forever.”
However, the things that are making you really unhappy at the moment can be changed through adjusting your routine; small behavioural nudges to move you closer to what you need. Ultimately, happiness really exists within the small stuff; the things that matter and that make you happier are amplified once you pay attention to it!

This book is a gift right now, for those that are at a crossroads with their life but aren’t quite sure where to start. For those that are planning to make changes, but feel guilt around WHY, the science within this easily accessible book it likely to give you the confidence to make the first step!

I’m a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance. Isn’t it time to you had a career to enjoy not endure?

*This is an affiliate link. If you click and buy, I may get a few pennies, but it won’t cost you anything extra.
Like the look of Happiness by Design? Read the previous book reviews on the website!