Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

182. Stop Chasing Time and Start Owning It: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

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Jan 30, 2025

Cassie Holmes, a UCLA professor and author of "Happier Hour," shares insights on enhancing happiness through purposeful living. She emphasizes the importance of clarifying one’s purpose to make intentional choices in daily life. Holmes introduces practical strategies like the 'five whys' exercise and time audits to improve time management and reduce distractions. She also discusses how meaningful connections and effective communication play vital roles in overall well-being. Get ready to rethink how you spend your time and cultivate deeper connections!

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INSIGHT

Defining Purpose

Purpose is your 'why', your ultimate goal, what truly drives you.
Discover it by repeatedly asking 'Why?' about your actions, revealing deeper motivations.

ADVICE

Purpose as a Filter

Use your purpose as a filter for incoming requests.
Say no to tasks that don't align with your purpose and yes to those that do.

ANECDOTE

Cassie's Purpose

Cassie Holmes' purpose is to create and share knowledge about happiness.
This aligns with her accepting Matt Abrahams' podcast invitation.

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Clarify your purpose — and stop wasting time.

The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.

As Cassie Holmes knows, how we spend our time has a big impact on our happiness and well-being. For her, that means focusing on the things not just immediately in front of us, but those that most closely align with our purpose.

"When I say purpose, what I mean is what really drives you," explains Holmes, a professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management and author of Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most. Living a happier and more fulfilled life, she says, rests on using purpose to drive our decisions. “Once you clarify for yourself: what is your purpose? What is your why? Then you can use that as a filter [for] where you should be spending your time.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Holmes and host Matt Abrahams explore practical strategies for being more purposeful with our time. From email management to relationship building, Holmes shares research-backed approaches for achieving greater happiness through intentional choices.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/ThinkFast and get ten percent off your first month.

Episode Reference Links:

Cassie Holmes
Cassie’s Book: Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(03:31) - Defining Purpose
(05:54) - Time Management Strategies
(08:26) - Time Tracking for Insight
(12:49) - Consolidating Tasks
(14:41) - Presence and Happiness
(16:44) - The Final Three Questions
(21:17) - Conclusion

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