By Matt Doan · July 5, 2025 · 3 min read

The Happiness Decision

7:30 AM.

James sat in his home office, second cup of coffee in hand.

His eyes glazed over.

He stared blankly at the next slide deck on his screen—a presentation he had to critique and send back to his team.

It wasn’t the task itself.

It was the endless repetition. The constant urgency.

The sinking feeling that none of it truly mattered.

The relentless corporate carnival played on: a flood of pings and dings from Slack and email, popping off like fireworks without end.

James was the classic corporate crusader.

Married. Two kids. The family provider.

The guy who pushed through 12-hour days because, well, that’s what you do.

Mortgage payments. College tuition. Child support. Vacations planned but never taken.

His job felt like the glue holding it all together.

But the glue was cracking.

Then—

The layoff came.

The noise stopped abruptly. Silence filled the space—thick and heavy.

Nerves surfaced. Tension with his wife. Fear settled in.

Not long after, I connected with James and asked a simple question:

What do you want?

He took a breath, looked me in the eye, and spoke three words that cut deep:

“To be happy.”

That desire is universal.

In over 1,000 conversations with senior corporate professionals in the last three years, I’ve heard it again and again.

When I ask what they want beyond titles, bonuses, or business success, it’s always the same answer:

To be happy.

And when I ask what their spouses want for them?

The answer echoes back: happiness.

Yet, most of us believe happiness is something we earn later.

After the promotion. After the big business launch. After retirement.

But that mindset costs us dearly.

Every day spent waiting is time, energy, and precious moments lost.

Those core family memories. That business you should’ve built. The bond with your spouse.

We’re in desperate need of a reframe, so here it is:

What if happiness isn’t a destination?

What if happiness is a decision you can make right now?

The Happiness Decision is what stands between you and the life you really want.

What would it look like to prioritize happiness today?

To choose it. To build your life around it?

Imagine starting your weekday mornings in quiet reflection—journaling, reading, breathing deeply.

Imagine setting hard tech boundaries: no corporate devices before 10 AM, no colleagues can touch you after 4 PM. (Bold, I know. But suspend your disbelief.)

Imagine carving out space for movement—midday gym sessions, evening walks with your partner, 10,000 steps in the sun.

Imagine learning the power of saying no.

Making “hard to reach” your secret weapon.

And when you do show up at your job, you bring your best energy with highly targeted efforts.

Back to James—he didn’t just wait for happiness to find him.

He made a powerful new decision.

After the layoff, he used that time to figure out what he truly wanted.

He got healthier. He spent time outside.

He planted the seeds of a consulting business he cared about.

He started sharing his voice online—resulting in new corporate job opportunities finding him.

He chose one and engineered it to fit his life.

He works a fraction of the time his colleagues do. On his terms.

He pours his energy into his own business. He just finished the first draft of his book.

He took his family on a trip to Italy.

James is on fire.

Beyond the paycheck, beyond titles, beyond “success,” James found happiness.

And it started with a decision… to prioritize his happiness now.

That momentum—happiness in motion—is a state of creative energy.

It transforms your relationships, career, finances, hope, and life.

What if you woke up every day energized, hopeful, and aligned?

What if happiness were your foundation, not your finish line?

Imagine how that would change your days. Your life trajectory.

Here’s my challenge to you:

What choices will you make today to claim your happiness?

The things you say yes to. The people in your life. The ideas that permeate your mind.

Be mindful and decide with intention.

Don’t await happiness. Choose it now.

—Matt

What’s next:

• Reply to this email—share what needs to change for you to truly feel happy. I read and respond to every message personally.
• ​Apply for our (free) Corporate Graduation™ Lab—an immersive, live workshop where you’ll learn exactly how to navigate the complex journey from corporate success to entrepreneurial ownership. Build a $30K/month service business while living authentically and managing risk for you and your family. This is where transformation happens.
• ​Explore our podcast for deeper insights into Corporate Graduation™ strategies and building your next chapter.

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