Avoiding the New Year's Suck - Dogs Are Smarter Than People Podcast

Okay. Okay. I know we always try to be positive because we are positive people. Cough. But New Years? It's a little frustrating.

That's because it's all about goals and new starts. And you know, every day should be about that, right? And then you're like, "Crap, I failed in my goals. Crap, I need new goals. Crap, why is this party boring? Crap, should my new goal to be to never attend a party?"

And so on.

But that pressure? To be Instagram-worthy, to be super achiever goal person, to be extra? That's what makes New Years suck. At this house, we like to just celebrate that we're still alive, not bankrupt, and not in jail. It's way better that way because there's not as much pressure.

A long time ago - back in the 1980s - this guy Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was studying happiness. He gave people pagers. Remember this was in the 1980s. Then he and his research assistants would send the people messages at random times and ask how they were doing, feeling, what they were doing, etc. It sounds a bit like when your mom texts you, honestly.

And he discovered flow. People were happy when they were super engaged in the task they were doing. People weren't happy when they were doing nothing. They were happy when they were involved in something.

Minds were blown.

When people were in the 'flow,' they forgot about time, space, all the other detritus in their lives. They were focused on the now, on what they were doing. What they were doing might be writing, sports, hanging out with other humans, art, and so on... But for them the involvement was so intense that they became engaged and absorbed into it and were happy.

Writing should do that for you.

Help Us?

Hey! Please like and subscribe and even donate to our podcast so we can worry less about money. To check out more writing tips, life tips, or back episodes, check out Carrie's website carriejonesbooks.blog

Happy New Year!

Writing Tip of the Pod

If you aren't in the flow, why are you writing? Give yourself ten minutes. Set a timer. If the writing isn't working, get up and go back later. Life is too short to be unhappy. Make that your new year mantra. Don't spend time outside the flow unless it's necessary.

Dog Tip for Life

Fun and work aren't mutually exclusive. Having fun and being useful aren't either, man. Pull out your inner dog and go with the flow this year. Look for the flow.

Be a Part of the Podcast!

Hey! If you download the Anchor application, you can call into the podcast, record a question, or just say 'hi,' and we'll answer. You can be heard on our podcast! Sa-sweet!

No question is too wild. But just like Shaun does, try not to swear, okay?

Here is the link to the mobile app.

SHOUT OUT

The music we’ve clipped and shortened in this podcast is awesome and is made available through the Creative Commons License. Here’s a link to that and the artist’s website. Who is this artist and what is this song? It’s “Night Owl” by Broke For Free.

TIME STOPPERS!

You can order Carrie's middle grade fantasy novel Time Stoppers Escape From the Badlands here or anywhere.

People call it a cross between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson but it’s set in Maine. It’s full of adventure, quirkiness and heart, but mostly it's fun.