Happiness Habits + Your Happy Ending
Name three weekly happiness habits, then your three deathbed regrets — and check they line up
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 90%
A two-part exercise with 'deceptive simplicity'. Part one (the day-to-day, granular view): name three things that reliably bring you deep calm, contentment and a sense of feeling good — your weekly 'happiness habits' (Bartlett's were serving others, creative expression, and movement). Part two (the 30,000-foot view): imagine you're on your deathbed looking back — name the three things you'll want to have done. Then check whether doing your weekly habits actually gets you to your happy ending. The gap is the insight: Bartlett's happiness habits omitted relationships, yet relationships topped his deathbed list — instantly revealing a misalignment he'd missed for years.
Origin
Chatterjee uses the exercise with patients and on himself because we spot misalignment easily in others but struggle to hold the mirror up to ourselves.
Core principles
- 01Pair a granular view (weekly habits) with a big-picture view (deathbed regrets).
- 02The gap between them is the actionable insight.
- 03It's about intention and honesty, not catching yourself out.
- 04Consistent small weekly actions compound toward the ending you want.
How to run it
- 1
Name three weekly happiness habits
Identify three things that give you deep calm, contentment and genuine good feeling, and that you could do each week.
Pro tip Chatterjee's are undistracted time with family, improving others' health, and pursuing a passion.
- 2
Write your happy ending
Imagine your deathbed and name the three things you'll most want to have done.
- 3
Check alignment and adjust
Ask whether doing the weekly habits actually delivers the deathbed ending; if something's missing, add a small weekly action for it.
Pro tip Even one 10-minute weekly call to a friend starts closing the gap.
Watch out Don't use the gap for guilt — use it to set one small intention.
In the wild
Bartlett's weekly happiness habits were serving others, creativity and movement, but his deathbed list led with friends and family — a fundamental value his habits ignored.
→ The mismatch was 'alarming' and obvious the moment he zoomed out, giving him a clear thing to add.
Common mistakes
Only ever taking the granular view
Optimising your weekly habits without checking them against your deathbed priorities lets you stay busy while neglecting what matters most.
Is it for you?
Best for
Anyone who feels busy but suspects they're neglecting something important.
Not ideal for
People unwilling to sit with an uncomfortable deathbed reflection.
From the transcript
“define your happiness habits and write your happy ending”
From the episode
Dr Rangan Chatterjee: 3 Steps To "Core" Happiness
Dr Rangan Chatterjee