A Harvard professor teaching at the Kennedy School and the Business School while also doing speaking gigs at Fortune 500 companies—reading that, you might form some preconceptions. Like talks that are so stunningly boring people play them back later as a sleep aid. But in Arthur Brooks’ case, you’d be very wrong. See, Brooks is a self-described happiness scholar, and he wants you to be one, too.
The man has spent the past couple of decades helping teach anyone who’ll listen how to build meaningful lives through routines backed by his research in behavioral science. He’s written 15 books on the subject, the latest being The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life, which delves into how to treat your life like a startup. So taking smart risks, finding real purpose, and doing away with the fear of regret.
Arthur’s also teaching happiness classes at Harvard, hosting packed venues all over the world, and even has his own podcast, called Office Hours, where last October he shared his own daily routine: wake up at 4:30 a.m., hit the gym, meditate, and then down a protein-loaded breakfast. I’m not doing any of that.
