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Traps and your plan · Lesson 11 of 11

Your Happiness Experiments: A Two-Week Plan

Turn what you have learned into two small experiments, measure whether they help, and keep what works for you.

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THE WRITTEN LESSONFollow along at your pace

This is the last lesson, so now you turn what you have learned into a plan. You will choose two small experiments to run over the next two weeks, and a simple way to tell whether they help you.

Why treat ideas as experiments

Every idea in this course has small average effects, and people differ. What works well for one person may do little for another. So instead of trying everything at once, treat each idea as an experiment and keep what works for you.

Five different people each have a different small icon above them: a notebook, a heart, a picture frame, a star and a gift. Labels read Small average effects and People differ. A flask with a green check is labeled Keep what works.(opens the full-size picture)
Different people, different small icons: keep what works for you.

Pick two

Start by picking two. Choose from what you have learned: a weekly gratitude list, one small kind act a day, thirty seconds of savoring, using a strength in a new way, a regular call with a friend, or a protected block of absorbing time. Two is enough. More than that and each one gets less attention.

Six cards: Weekly gratitude and One kind act a day (both ticked), Savor 30 seconds, Use a strength, Call a friend and Absorbing time. A label says Start with just two.(opens the full-size picture)
Six ideas from this course. Choose two to start.

Make each one concrete

Make each one concrete. Decide when, where and how often. For example, every Sunday evening, at your desk, write three good things from the week and why they happened. Then put both experiments in your calendar, so they do not depend on remembering.

A week from Monday to Sunday with a small heart on each weekday and an empty block on Sunday. A box ticks When: Sunday evening, Where: At my desk, How often: Every week. Next to it are the words One kind act and Not left to memory.(opens the full-size picture)
When, where and how often, written into your calendar.

Measure simply

Before you start, rate your life on the zero to ten ladder, and note how most days have felt. After two weeks, rate it again. Do not expect a big jump. Look for a small, steady shift, and notice which experiment you actually enjoyed.

A ladder numbered 0 to 10 with a figure on a rung near the middle and the words About 6.5. A calendar page reads Two weeks later. Labels say Small, steady shift and What you enjoyed, and three faces show How most days felt.(opens the full-size picture)
One number now, one number later, and a note on what you enjoyed.

Keep, change or swap

After two weeks, keep what helped, change what felt like a chore, and swap in a new idea if nothing changed. Happiness habits work best when they fit your life and stay a little fresh.

Three numbered steps under the line Fit your life, stay a little fresh: 1 Keep what helped (a check), 2 Change what felt like a chore (a wrench), 3 Swap in a new idea (two arrows).(opens the full-size picture)
Three simple choices after two weeks.

When to get help

These experiments are for ordinary ups and downs. If you have felt low, empty or lost interest most days for two weeks or more, talk to a doctor. In a crisis, call your local emergency number. Asking for help is a strong, sensible step.

Two cards: a doctor with Low most days for 2+ weeks: see a doctor, and a phone with Crisis: call your local emergency number. A green label says Asking for help is a strong step, beside a heart.(opens the full-size picture)
Know when an experiment is not the right tool.

YOUR TURN

My two-week happiness plan

Well done for finishing the course.

Read more

Read the full lesson script

In this last lesson, you'll turn what you've learned into a simple plan: two small happiness experiments you can run over the next two weeks, and a way to tell whether they help you.

Every idea in this course has small average effects, and people differ. What works well for one person may do little for another. So instead of trying everything at once, treat each idea as an experiment and keep what works for you.

Start by picking two. Choose from what you've learned: a weekly gratitude list, one small kind act a day, thirty seconds of savoring, using a strength in a new way, a regular call with a friend, or a protected block of absorbing time.

Make each one concrete. Decide when, where and how often. For example, every Sunday evening, write three good things and why they happened. Put both experiments in your calendar, so they don't depend on remembering.

Then measure, simply. Before you start, rate your life on the zero to ten ladder, and note how most days have felt. After two weeks, rate it again. Don't expect a big jump. Look for a small, steady shift, and notice which experiment you actually enjoyed.

After two weeks, keep what helped, change what felt like a chore, and swap in a new idea if nothing changed. Happiness habits work best when they fit your life and stay a little fresh.

One last reminder. These experiments are for ordinary ups and downs. If you've felt low, empty or lost interest most days for two weeks or more, talk to a doctor. And in a crisis, call your local emergency number. Asking for help is a strong, sensible step.

So remember: treat happiness ideas as small experiments. Pick two, make them concrete, and measure simply. And keep what works for you. Before you finish, choose your two experiments and put them in your calendar for the next two weeks. Well done for finishing The Science of Happiness.