It is important to know a few simple concepts and measurements in order to understand the learnings of my life. In fact, there are three critical measurements connected to happiness:
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You need income high enough for you to do the things you like to do. Without any income, you are unlikely to be happy. Income is typically better when it is higher, and there is no upper limit.
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You need to have time to do what you want to do without sacrificing too much income. This is measured in terms of Days Paid but Not Worked per Year, abbreviated DPNWY and pronounced “dip·en·way.” A higher dipenway is typically considered better, and has a maximum value of 261 in the United States (the standard number of work-days in a year), although this number may vary internationally. Many people in the United States receive ten holidays and ten to twenty vacation days each year, which results in thirty dipenway days.
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You need to maximize your time doing the things that you like to do. In my case, this is measured in terms of Days Used to Travel per Year, abbreviated DUTY. A higher DUTY is better for me because it means I am traveling and going on bicycle tours and hiking mountains and seeing the world and enjoying my life. You may choose to substitute a different measurement based on what you like to do (e.g., days skiing, days playing video games). Remember Mark Manson’s words in his best-selling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*: “True happiness occurs only when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving.”[1] I enjoy solving the problems of travel.
[1] Manson, M. (2016). The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life*.