Why creating happiness in the future starts today.

The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.

In pursuing happiness and well-being, we often focus on the present moment. But according to Hal Hershfield, one of the best ways to help ourselves today is to have a conversation with ourselves in the future.

"When I say future self, I really mean any version of us that exists at some later point in time," explains Hershfield, a UCLA professor and author of Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today. By thinking of our future selves as different people — ones we should care about — we can make better choices in the present. "If we can tap into the feelings of our future selves, then we can do more that benefits them, which may make our lives easier now and later."
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Hershfield and host Matt Abrahams explore how communication between our present and future selves can help us set goals, make decisions, and overcome pitfalls like procrastination, enabling us to take meaningful action now so we can thrive today and tomorrow.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/ThinkFast and get ten percent off your first month.

Episode Reference Links:

• Hal Hershfield
• Hal’s Book: Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today

Connect:

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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:12) - What Is a Future Self?
• (03:37) - Mistakes in Time Travel Thinking
• (04:45) - Overcoming Procrastination
• (07:16) - Connecting to Our Future Selves
• (10:35) - Disappointment and Adjusting Goals
• (12:14) - Goal Setting and Motivation
• (15:02) - Public Accountability for Motivation
• (16:04) - The Final Three Questions
• (20:35) - Conclusion

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A double definition of happiness — and how to cultivate both parts.

The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to happiness, but according to Laurie Santos, everyone needs the two key components of contentment and fulfillment — or as she puts it, being happy in your life and happy with your life.

“Being happy in your life [means] your life is filled with joy,” explains Santos, a Yale psychology professor and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. This felt sense of happiness — enjoying where we are, what we do, and who we’re with — is essential, but it’s not the only piece of the puzzle. Being happy with your life, she says, is the belief that “your life is going well. Being happy with your life gets closer to things like fulfillment and purpose.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Santos joins Matt Abrahams to explore how to cultivate both sides of her happiness equation, from building deeper connections with others to transforming the ways we communicate with ourselves.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/ThinkFast and get ten percent off your first month.

Episode Reference Links:

• Laurie Santos
• The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos | Podcast

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:08) - Defining Happiness
• (03:21) - The Role of Negative Emotions
• (04:54) - Balancing Negative and Positive Emotions
• (05:45) - Positive Communication
• (07:18) - Improving Self-Talk
• (09:50) - Deepening Conversations
• (11:04) - Navigating Difficult Conversations
• (12:39) - The Power of Gratitude
• (15:15) - Technology and Wellbeing
• (18:33) - The Final Three Questions
• (22:35) - Conclusion

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Clear communication during times of uncertainty.

Whether leading people through a 15-minute meeting or a years-long pandemic, communication requires compassion. For Dr. Anthony Fauci, that means being clear about who we’re speaking to and concise in what we say.

As one of the world's leading experts in infectious diseases and public health, Fauci has been America's most trusted voice during the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crises. Whether addressing groups of fellow scientists and specialists or everyday people, his communication approach is the same. "Know your audience," he says. "Decide what your message is and make it crisp [and] clear."

In addition to being clear about the known facts, Fauci advocates for equal transparency about the unknowns. "Be totally transparent into what you know and what you don't know," he says. "Transparency, honesty and a little bit of humility — let the audience know that you don't know everything."

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Fauci joins Matt Abrahams to discuss how leaders can communicate more effectively by staying focused on what matters most. From managing uncertainty to handling contentious interactions, they explore how clarity and transparency build trust and drive results.

Thank you to our Sponsor Superhuman for offering the TFTS community one month free.

Episode Reference Links:

• Dr. Anthony Fauci
• Dr. Fauci’s Book: Expect the Unexpected

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:19) - Communication in Crisis
• (03:25) - Strategies for Building Trust
• (04:45) - Adapting Messages for Different Audiences
• (06:50) - Techniques for Effective Communication
• (08:17) - Managing High-Stakes Communication
• (10:05) - Addressing Misinformation
• (11:18) - Impromptu Speaking Skills
• (14:30) - Managing Conflict in Communication
• (15:36) - The Final Three Questions
• (19:27) - Conclusion

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Take advantage of our Sponsor offer from Superhuman