Living a Happier Life, Saying No, and Prioritizing Goals with Derek Sivers

#108: Writer and entrepreneur Derek Sivers joins Chris to discuss decision-making, having meaningful experiences, personal happiness, journaling, saying no, and parenting. They also touch on the subject of traveling with children and aligning your actions and personal values to achieve goals in life

Derek Sivers (@sivers) is an entrepreneur, writer, musician, and self-proclaimed "slow thinker" who has optimized his life for creating and learning. He founded CD Baby, an online platform that helped independent musicians sell their music directly to fans, and has published several books, including Hell Yeah or No.

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Selected Links From The Episode

Derek Sivers: Website | Twitter 

Book: Hell Yeah or No: what's worth doing

Articles: My Heroes | Actions, Not Words, Reveal Our Real Values | Parenting: Who Is It Really For? | Travel Is Best With Young Children | Relax for the Same Result

Books Mentioned: The Paradox of Choice | Brain Rules for Baby

New Zealand Recommendation: Staglands Wildlife Reserve

Full Show Notes

(00:00) Introduction to Derek Sivers

(02:02) Pursuing change through exploration

(03:54) Turning intentions into reality

(09:05) Reflecting on what you want and why

(11:22) Learning to pause, reflect, and push back through journaling

(19:06) Methods for decision-making

(22:20) Analysis paralysis: Making decisions when there are too many options

(29:51) Coin toss: Noticing your feelings while the coin is in the air

(32:06) Paradox of choice: Satisfice not maximize

(40:19) Theory vs. Practice

(43:50) Living with the culmination of your decisions

(47:30) Decision-making based on personal goals and aspirations

(51:13) Actions reveal values

(55:29) Choosing the correct decision-making strategy for your situation

(58:15) Prioritizing family

(1:00:31) Saying no

(1:06:49) Parenting Perspective

(1:10:18) Traveling with children

(1:18:03) Adjusting expectations and being open to unexpected encounters

(1:26:13) “Relax for the same result”

(1:37:15) Derek Sivers’ New Zealand recommendations

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