What the solution might look like
Even if you've read all of the other pages you still might be wondering how this would work, or what it would look like. So I'll try to give a brief description here to give you an idea, but think of this like someone outlining what they wanted to see in the first version of iTunes, not version 100 or whatever it is at now. Over time it will get new features and new services, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the user and to incorporate the latest technology.
As presented so far the solution is an Employment Agency with the mission statement; To make its clients as happy as possible.
More broadly, think of it as a 'Happiness Service Provider". You sign up and it helps you make changes in your life to be happier, for a fee.
How someone might interact with the company:
Step 1 - Information gathering/intro to the company - user reveals basic info and outlines what they want out of the service, company outlines the services they provide (probably in person at first then move to a web based application)
Step 2 - Education - providing some Emotional Intelligence type training which educates people on what motivates them, how to set goals and overcome obstacles (willpower tricks). Get them to start thinking about their definition of happiness, and tell them the latest research on what seems to make people happier (not to dictate to them what makes them happy, but to get them thinking more about it, and thinking of possible solutions for themselves).
Step 3 - Making a plan - once they have a basic understanding of motivations and the factors impacting their happiness make a blueprint of success. This will evolve over time, but to have a goal in mind in order to move towards it.
Step 4 - Having the company take on as much as they can to help with the plan from step 3
Examples
Help with money management
- Go over your bills with you to eliminate wasteful monthly expenses you won't notice
- Go over your bills to hopefully find cheaper service providers (possible group discounts)
- Consolidate debt to reduce interest payments
- Examine personal spending habits, and identify areas for improvement, and help with sticking to it
- Suggestions for cost savings in your hobbies
- Shared resources between users, car sharing, tool sharing, etc.
- Discounted services between members
- Provide advice on home, car or appliance purchases
- Eventually provide services to retrofit homes to high efficiency everything for no up front costs.
- And Create a market for better solutions, homes, cars, appliances (think kickstarter with a huge list of eager backers)
Relationships
- Resources for improving any relationships (family, work or friends).
Health
- Set up health goals, find others to work out with
- Realistic advice, not fad diets
Career
- Help finding a better career, or help you thrive in your current career
- The savings looked at above could even open new options of careers previously thought out of the question since they didn't pay enough.
Step 5 - Continued support and motivation
- Support network to keep you on track. Many people read self-help books but they lose steam after a few days of not seeing results, or worse people could achieve their goals, but move the target as they get close, so never allow themselves to feel happy. The company will provide a support system and a network of others to talk about their successes and failures along the way.
- A news feed of actually helpful advice building on each other and with resources to support it rather than the contradictory articles found in magazines which don't usually give you any new information or any realistic advice.
- Events that promote happiness and provide an alternative to TV or other things that bombard you with counteractive messages.
The mission of the company is to make the person as happy as possible by focusing on the areas of helping people see their work as meaningful (job change optional), fostering loving relationships, and living healthier (not just to be healthier, but to feel better).
This TED Talk by Barry Schwartz paints a good picture of what problems I'd like to address and the type of happiness I'm aiming for, 'to promote human flourishing'.
As presented so far the solution is an Employment Agency with the mission statement; To make its clients as happy as possible.
More broadly, think of it as a 'Happiness Service Provider". You sign up and it helps you make changes in your life to be happier, for a fee.
How someone might interact with the company:
Step 1 - Information gathering/intro to the company - user reveals basic info and outlines what they want out of the service, company outlines the services they provide (probably in person at first then move to a web based application)
Step 2 - Education - providing some Emotional Intelligence type training which educates people on what motivates them, how to set goals and overcome obstacles (willpower tricks). Get them to start thinking about their definition of happiness, and tell them the latest research on what seems to make people happier (not to dictate to them what makes them happy, but to get them thinking more about it, and thinking of possible solutions for themselves).
Step 3 - Making a plan - once they have a basic understanding of motivations and the factors impacting their happiness make a blueprint of success. This will evolve over time, but to have a goal in mind in order to move towards it.
Step 4 - Having the company take on as much as they can to help with the plan from step 3
Examples
Help with money management
- Go over your bills with you to eliminate wasteful monthly expenses you won't notice
- Go over your bills to hopefully find cheaper service providers (possible group discounts)
- Consolidate debt to reduce interest payments
- Examine personal spending habits, and identify areas for improvement, and help with sticking to it
- Suggestions for cost savings in your hobbies
- Shared resources between users, car sharing, tool sharing, etc.
- Discounted services between members
- Provide advice on home, car or appliance purchases
- Eventually provide services to retrofit homes to high efficiency everything for no up front costs.
- And Create a market for better solutions, homes, cars, appliances (think kickstarter with a huge list of eager backers)
Relationships
- Resources for improving any relationships (family, work or friends).
Health
- Set up health goals, find others to work out with
- Realistic advice, not fad diets
Career
- Help finding a better career, or help you thrive in your current career
- The savings looked at above could even open new options of careers previously thought out of the question since they didn't pay enough.
Step 5 - Continued support and motivation
- Support network to keep you on track. Many people read self-help books but they lose steam after a few days of not seeing results, or worse people could achieve their goals, but move the target as they get close, so never allow themselves to feel happy. The company will provide a support system and a network of others to talk about their successes and failures along the way.
- A news feed of actually helpful advice building on each other and with resources to support it rather than the contradictory articles found in magazines which don't usually give you any new information or any realistic advice.
- Events that promote happiness and provide an alternative to TV or other things that bombard you with counteractive messages.
The mission of the company is to make the person as happy as possible by focusing on the areas of helping people see their work as meaningful (job change optional), fostering loving relationships, and living healthier (not just to be healthier, but to feel better).
This TED Talk by Barry Schwartz paints a good picture of what problems I'd like to address and the type of happiness I'm aiming for, 'to promote human flourishing'.