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
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.