Anticipate good experiences in advance — and savor them afterward
A good experience provides happiness three times: in anticipation, during, and in memory.
Why it works
Prospective and retrospective enjoyment are distinct from in-the-moment experience but both reliably add to overall wellbeing. Planning something to look forward to extends the temporal footprint of a positive event without requiring additional time; savoring in memory does the same. This is a cost-efficient way to increase felt time richness.
How to do it
- Schedule something to look forward to at least once a week — it does not need to be elaborate.
- In the days before the event, allow yourself to anticipate it briefly and deliberately.
- After a good experience, take five minutes to write or reflect on what you valued about it.
- Revisit positive memories occasionally rather than only cataloging problems to solve.
Evidence
Anticipation and savoring are well-supported components of positive emotion regulation. Positive prospective thinking produces positive affect before the event; retrospective savoring extends the benefit afterward. (observational)
Most savoring research is self-report and correlational; some studies suggest that over-anticipation can raise expectations to a level that produces disappointment. Moderate, not intense, anticipation is the target.
Sources
- Bryant & Veroff (2007), Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience
Common mistake
Living entirely in problem-solving mode so that even good experiences are immediately assessed for what could be better, which eliminates both the savoring and the memory value.
Practice this with IX Coach
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More practices for Time Affluence Practices (Cassie Holmes)
- Protect moderate discretionary time — not too little, not too much
The wellbeing sweet spot is two to five hours of free daily time; below or above it and happiness falls.
- Spend time on activities that feel both meaningful and enjoyable
Activities that are both meaningful and enjoyable produce the highest time happiness — aim for the overlap.
- Prioritize social time as a primary time investment
Time with people you care about is one of the strongest predictors of feeling your time is well used.
- Eliminate time confetti — fragmented scraps of free time
Small fragmented pockets of time feel worthless even when they add up — consolidate them for real recovery.
- Invest in experiences rather than possessions
Experiential spending produces more lasting happiness than material spending of equivalent cost.
- Start the week by connecting your schedule to what you value
Time feels well spent when you can articulate why it aligns with what matters to you.