Motivation from the happiest cities in America

Motivation from America’s Happiest Cities

Last week, WalletHub released a list of the happiest cities in America. To rank 182 American cities by happiness, Adam McCann considered 29 indicators including depression, income-growth and average leisure time. He then used the indicators to score the cities across three dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Income & Employment and 3) Community & Environment.

The #1 happiest city: Fremont, CA

How can we use the happiest cities across the country to motivate us?

1. Surroundings are important: just as the people we surround ourselves with make us who we are, the cities where we live impact our ambition by giving constant subtle messages like “work harder”, “make more money”, “enjoy life more”. Our surroundings mold our lifestyle and impact our happiness.

   Takeaway: Consider what messages your environment gives you this week. Do they align with who you are and the person you want to become?

2. Money is helpful but only to a point: just as earning more money correlates with more happiness only until a certain point, living in a more expensive city doesn’t always mean more happiness.

   Takeaway: Before trying to solve a problem with money, consider if more dollars are truly the best way to address the root cause. Could there be a better approach that doesn’t require more money?

3. Bigger isn't always better: cities like New York (rank #86), Los Angeles (rank #64) and Chicago (rank #83) are the three largest cities in the USA, yet rank in the middle of the pack for happiness. While it’s easy to think of going bigger (running a longer distance, getting the next promotion or buying a bigger house) as a way to elevate to the next level - being great doesn’t always require going bigger. A great example is how Yvon Chouinard thought about controlled growth as he built Patagonia into an iconic brand.

   Takeaway: Consider the end goal before seeking bigger. Growth can take many forms and doesn’t always require going bigger.

Before we make plans to move to Fremont, CA, let’s consider how we cultivate our own happiness regardless of where we live. Since happiness tends to be a byproduct of our actions, we are in more control of it than we might think. As podcast host Andy Frisella describes his formula for happiness:

Happiness = Discipline + Purpose + Gratitude

Stay focused and have a great week!