![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.sdnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20220831154242\/9781982148805-204x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDr. Cassie Mogilner Holmes, a La Jolla Country Day School grad now a university professor, chose a familiar subject for her first book: happiness.<\/p>\n
A professor at UCLA\u2019s Anderson School of Management, Holmes, from LJCD\u2019s class of 1998, teaches a popular MBA course titled \u201cApplying the Science of Happiness to Life Design.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her first book, \u201cHappier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most,\u201d reflects her overarching view that our most precious resource isn\u2019t money but time. \u201cHappier Hour\u201d demonstrates how small changes in our lives can have an enormous impact on reducing our sense of being overwhelmed, while increasing overall life satisfaction.<\/p>\n
Discussing the point of her research and book, Holmes said: \u201cI\u2019ve been studying this (happiness) since I got my Ph.D. I wanted to figure out whether the choices we make daily can bring more satisfaction to our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The professor noted it was a tough sell pitching the idea of a new book about happiness to her superiors. \u201cThey wanted to know how this was relevant for businesses,\u201d said Holmes. \u201cAnd my response was, \u2018We are educating our future business leaders, so I developed a way to apply my Science of Happiness to Life Design class.\u2019 And it\u2019s become one of the most popular courses. Recognizing the positive impacts the class has had on my students and their relationships, I wanted to spread its empirical-based learning (verifiable by observation or experience) more broadly. So I agreed to write this book.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her book, Holmes shares her conviction that one of the main ways to maximize our happiness is to remove as much \u201cwaste time\u201d as possible from our lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many of us feel we don\u2019t have enough time to do what we want \u2013 and have \u2013 to do,\u201d she said adding, \u201cBut the problem is, so many of our hours spent aren\u2019t fulfilling, it just fills our day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thus, \u201cHappier Hour\u201d teaches how to maximize time spent on productive pursuits while minimizing the time we feel is being wasted. \u201cWe want to be able to look back on our days and feel like our time spent was fulfilling, and not just simply busy,\u201d Holmes said.<\/p>\n
Reflecting back on her LJCD days, the professor believes the independent, intimate private school laid a solid foundation to build upon. She started in seventh grade at the K-12 school and was active in a number of varsity sports, including track and soccer. She was also the first girl to play on the school\u2019s flag football team. \u201cI played against other schools,\u201d she said. \u201cNow there are lots of girls who play flag football.\u201d<\/p>\n
Added Holmes: \u201cThe (school\u2019s) small community aspect helped me as well as my classmates. We were all very motivated and have actually been quite successful. It was fun being part of a community where we all knew, and supported, each other. We had good relationships with many of our teachers, some of whom also coached us in sports. So we had that multiple dimension.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHappier Hour\u201d is also about minimizing distractions, like cell phones, noted Holmes. \u201cWe might think we\u2019re just checking our phones, but that adds up to tens of hours in the week in ways that aren\u2019t fulfilling,\u201d she pointed out, adding that is one reason why her book has exercises allowing readers to reliably track how they spend their time. In the end, she said, \u201cYou see how much time you spend on various things.\u201d With that knowledge, she said, \u201cYou can become more thoughtful and deliberate on how you use your time, crafting your schedule for the upcoming week. So, you can spend your time on those things that are worthy, not distractions. People can spend their time more enjoyably and less wastefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cHappier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most,\u201d\u00a0(cassiemholmes.com\/happierhour<\/a>), by Dr. Cassie Mogilner Holmes, will be available Sept. 6.<\/em><\/p>\n