WRAP #136: Overlapping Happiness

Hey Reader, it's Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. I hope you have a great long weekend with your friends and family.

One thing I always do over Memorial Day is the Murph Challenge workout. It's a big one. Run a mile, then 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, then run another mile. It's done in memorial of Lt Michael Murphy, who died in combat in Afghanistan in 2005. This was a favorite workout of his.

Thank you to all the brave men and women, like Lt Murphy, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten 🇺🇸

In this issue:

💡 The Big Idea

Happy Stacking, part 3

📖 Book to Read

Good Inside

👀 A Video to Watch

Time Blocking Early Access

💡 The Big Idea

Happy Stacking, part 3

You might have heard about habit stacking. That's when you use one good habit to build other good habits on top of it. For example, if you exercise regularly, it can help you start eating healthier too.

But today, I want to talk about something different: "happy stacking." This is about putting together as many things that make you happy into one moment. It's made my life better, and I think it can help you too.

Happy stacking is finding ways to do activities you love at the same time. For instance, my wife and I love to read. Sometimes we sit on the couch together and read our books. Even if we aren't reading the same book, we're still spending time together. We might stop and talk about what we're reading or just enjoy each other's company. This way, we're reading (which we love) and spending quality time together.

Another way I do happy stacking is with my kids. I turn family time into a workout by creating fun obstacle courses or games. We all get to play, laugh, and exercise together. It's a great way to bond with my kids while staying active. These moments are special because they combine family time, exercise, and play—things that make me very happy.

Think about what makes you happy. Maybe it's cooking while listening to music, or going on a long walk with a friend to catch up. I love to go on a hike then come back home to grill and have a cold beer with friends. I’m always looking for ways to combine activities I enjoy with people I love.

It’s easy to start happy stacking. First, make a list of things that make you happy! Then, think about how you can do 2-3 at once with people that make you happy. It might take a little creativity, but it’s worth it. You'll find more joy and satisfaction in your daily life.

What activities make up your happy stack? Take some time to think about them and start finding ways to combine these moments. Click reply and let me know your happy stacks 😃

Note: if you're a dad looking for ideas and encouragement with your happy stacks — you should hang out with us in Father Fire. Reply for an invite or read more at the end.

📖 Book to Read

Good Inside

I started reading Good Inside after talking with my friend and author Katie Clemons — who by the way has a new book out, The Daily Family Conversation Starter. Good Inside is one of the better parenting books I've read, along with Raising Cain and The Gardener and The Carpenter.

My favorite concept from Good Inside is the "two things are true," which helps parents understand that it's possible to hold multiple truths simultaneously. From the book:

We also do better, as individuals, when we approach our own internal monologue with a “two things are true” perspective. Multiplicity is what allows a person to recognize that I can love my kids and crave alone time; I can be grateful to have a roof over my head and feel jealous of those who have more childcare support; I can be a good parent and yell at my kid sometimes.

Our ability to experience many seemingly oppositional thoughts and feelings at once—to know that you can experience several truths simultaneously—is key to our mental health.

Order the book →

👀 A Video to Watch

Time Blocking [Early Access]

Time blocking is one of my super-powers. It helps me protect enough time for my big goals while understanding what my capacity is for work, family, and personal time (like workouts or reading).

I'm in the final stages of editing the video, but I wanted to give you special early access. Enjoy and thanks for watching!

Watch the video →

The WRAP is sponsored by

Mighty Networks
🤝 Father Fire

In the Big Idea 💡 I mentioned that if you're a Dad who at times deals with those wild problems that life throws at you every day → you should come hang out with us in Father Fire.

It's a community where we are working together on our family, career, and not getting fat. We're also talking about Dr Becky's book, Good Inside. Just reply to this email to request an invite and join the group!

If you're curious about the how of a community then you should know that Father Fire and thousands of other communities run on Mighty Networks!

It has all the features you would expect from a community platform, like spaces for posts, chats, and the ability to go live. Mighty also is using AI to help you better understand what your community needs and talks about the most, then develops questions to keep the conversation going!

If you're a person building community with others over a common vision or goal (like being a great dad) — then check out Mighty Networks and see what they can do to support your mission.

Check out Mighty Networks →