--- title: The Most Proven Technique For Increasing Long Term Happiness description: Every night, write down three things that went well on that day canonical: https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-18T05:01:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:36.728Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Most Proven Technique For Increasing Long Term Happiness og:description: Every night, write down three things that went well on that day og:url: https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt143972491a2f7ea7/69877f4de20a8753c9a851d7/485640743-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: morning-dew og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Most Proven Technique For Increasing Long Term Happiness twitter:description: Every night, write down three things that went well on that day twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt143972491a2f7ea7/69877f4de20a8753c9a851d7/485640743-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Most Proven Technique For Increasing Long Term Happiness ## Video: How to Maximize Happiness With Your Spending: An Economist Explains [Watch (HLS stream): How to Maximize Happiness With Your Spending: An Economist Explains](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Ypg3UoAM.m3u8) (1:29)  _Published 2014-06-09. University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers explains how best to spend your money to maximize happiness._ by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Feb 18, 2015 5:01 AM UTC  Morning Dew Morning DewGetty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Feb 18, 2015 5:01 AM UTC This technique has been proven [again](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/was-grandmom-right-about-counting-your-blessi) and [again](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-quick-little-things-you-can-do-to-in) and [again](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-any-of-this-make-yourself-happier-stuff). Here it is, explained by its originator, University of Pennsylvania professor Martin Seligman. Via [Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190763/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439190763): --- > “” --- **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/the-most-proven-technique-for-increasing-long/)**_._** **Join over 161,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) [6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/) [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/"},"headline":"The Most Proven Technique For Increasing Long Term Happiness","datePublished":"2015-02-18T05:01:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:49:36.728Z","description":"Every night, write down three things that went well on that day","url":"https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/","keywords":["Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt143972491a2f7ea7/69877f4de20a8753c9a851d7/485640743-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt143972491a2f7ea7/69877f4de20a8753c9a851d7/485640743-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"morning-dew","caption":"morning-dew","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/","name":"The Most Proven Technique For Increasing Long Term Happiness"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How to Maximize Happiness With Your Spending: An Economist Explains","description":"University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers explains how best to spend your money to maximize happiness.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Ypg3UoAM/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-06-09T22:13:22.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Ypg3UoAM.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/","duration":"PT1M29S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3709747/increasing-long-term-happiness/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```