In this podcast we discussion the pursuit of happiness with Jeff from The Happy Philosopher including how he reached a burn out point in his job as a radiologist and how his focus on happiness helped him find a path forward.
Podcast Episode Summary
- A discussion with Jeff from The Happy Philosopher
- An introduction to Jeff’s background story
- Jeff found himself burned out about four years into his full-time profession and he was stressed out and anxious and just not happy
- He reached a breaking point where he discussed with his wife his plan for five more years of work
- He had shortened his “prison sentence” but hadn’t made his “cell any more comfortable” (we discussed suicide in the episode and Jeff asked that we include a phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
- He couldn’t wait five years to be happy – he had to experiment now to find that happiness
- Was there something about his job that led him to this breaking point or was it that he hadn’t found what made him happy?
- Early Retirement Extreme was mind-blowing for him intellectually and led him to FI
- How medical professionals can feel “trapped” in their job because of sunk costs
- Did Jeff experience lifestyle inflation once he became a full-time physician?
- What did Jeff’s path out of burnout look like?
- How Jeff’s consumption of news led to much of his stress
- What else has Jeff cut out of his life?
- Happiness through subtraction
- Decluttering and getting rid of the negatives in your life
- Cutting down on commitments that aren’t necessary in our jobs and lives
- How Jeff pursued a job sharing part-time work during his peak earning years
- The Marginal Utility of Money and how your spending impacts your happiness
- The concept of trading your time for money
- How does Jeff approach how to spend money in his own life?
- The concept of utility versus value
- The importance of gratitude and how happiness is a skill
- Make a conscious decision to place a space between stimulus and response
- Hot Seat Questions
- Jeff suggests you experiment with cutting out alcohol entirely from your life for a set period of time as an experiment (Jeff also wanted us to mention: “Anyone who is a heavy drinker should probably consult with a doctor or someone familiar with alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal before quitting cold turkey.”)
Listen to Brad and Jonathan’s thoughts about this episode here.
Links from the show:
- The Happy Philosopher
- Early Retirement Extreme
- Mr. Money Mustache
- Happiness Through Subtraction at Mad Fientist
- Alligators and Kittens at The Happy Philosopher
- The Power of No at The Happy Philosopher
- How Understanding the Marginal Utility of Money Will Make Your Happier at The Happy Philosopher
- How to Be The Happiest Person in the Room at 1500 Days
- 7 Ways to Be Insufferable on Facebook at Wait But Why
