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Happy New Year!  I've been discussing with my clients recently what they'd like to do more of and less of in this new year. A common theme?  More fun. Sometimes our work persona can dull our sense of play and fun. Mike Rucker, PhD joins us to discuss his new book The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life and how you can renew your sense of fun and retire happy.

Mike Rucker joins us from North Carolina.

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Bio
In no particular order, Mike Rucker is a: Author. Father. Husband. Organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist. Recovering entrepreneur. Fitness enthusiast with mechanical parts. VW Bus aficionado. Seeker. Traveler. Future astronaut.

The story he tells in his book The Fun Habit starts in 2016 when the tools he knew as a student of positive psychology suddenly failed him during one of his life’s most difficult stretches. Finding himself unhappy, a bit lonely, and burnt out, he began to critically evaluate modern approaches to happiness. He quickly realized how much misinformation is out there about happiness. Years of research coalesced as The Fun Habit—an action-based approach that helps you critically examine your pursuit of happiness and make adjustments using evidence-based practices to invite more fun and joy in your life.

Every story has many beginnings. A major commitment to fun as an intentional way of life came in 2007 when Mike announced the Live Life Love project, where he publicly committed himself to 25 years of documented self-development and self-discovery. After a long stint as an entrepreneur, he was heading back to Corporate America, and wanted to make sure that he continued to experience and contribute to this collaborative effort we all call “Life.”

The rules of the project are straightforward. From 2007 to 2032, Mike has committed to interviewing two thought leaders each quarter, or 200 in total. He has also committed to experiencing something new each quarter by way of an interesting life event, activity, or trip, ensuring that by the end of 2032, he will have 100 unique experiences to relish when the project concludes. Finally, Mike has committed to contributing a year’s salary and a year’s work hours to charity.

The project officially kicked off in 2007, but its spark was lit in 2005 when he took an early interest in peak performance and positive psychology. Through good fortune, he was introduced to an early mentor, Dr. Mike Gervais, and was also invited to be one of the first charter members of the International Positive Psychology Association. During this period, he was a sponge, soaking up knowledge from these emerging fields of psychology and using what he learned to personally thrive.

So that’s how it started. How’s it going? 

In 2020, he reached the project’s halfway point. 

100+ interviews 
50+ unique life experiences 
One honorable philanthropic scorecard

During all this, Mike also became a peer-reviewed and widely published author, including his new book The Fun Habit. For many years he served as the Health Tech expert for About, Inc’s Verywell Health. He is currently on sabbatical from being an executive for Active Wellness. Mike has been published in the academic journals International Journal of Workplace Health Management and Nutrition Research, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, Vox, Thrive Global, Mindful, mindbodygreen, and elsewhere. In all, he has earned five advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He's a member of the American Psychological Association, International Positive Psychology Association,