The study started in 1938.

Crazily, it’s still going today. 

One of the early questions in the study asked participants “are you ticklish?” and continued to ask this question for 40 years before dropping it.

So clearly not a study that does things by halves!

There are now thousands of data points and measurements from participants who joined the study as teenagers and stuck with it all the way into old age.

All to try to answer the question:

What really matters when it comes to a person’s health and happiness?

I’m reading a book called The Good Life And How To Live It about the key finding from the study.

From the book:

Once we had followed the people in the Harvard Study all the way into their 80s, we wanted to look back at them at midlife to see if we could predict who was going to grow into a happy, healthy octogenarian.

Through all the years of studying these lives, one crucial factor stands out: 

Good relationships.

Based on other parts of the book, I might re-word this and say:

Quality time with loved ones.

Maybe this key to health and happiness surprises you.  Maybe it doesn't.

Whatever the case, I daresay this is the start of the conversation and not the end of it.

And anyone chomping at the bit to delve deeper into this topic might like to pick up Issue 15 of New Escapologist, a print journal (that’s right - real, physical pages!) published by writer, editor and comedian Robert Wringham.

The theme of the issue?

Non-commercial pleasures.

If the study is to be believed, you could call quality time with loved ones the ultimate non-commercial pleasure.  

But other non-commercial pleasures are available too.

As Robert writes on his website:

We don’t think it’s shameful to want enough time in life to read library books, laze around, throw parties, go for walks, pursue our own creative projects or (heaven forbid) better ourselves. 

We refute the notion that being a successful worker-consumer is the height of it all.

And inside the hallowed pages of Issue 15, you’ll find the first of what will be a regular column from Yours Truly.

I’m joining the ranks of previous contributors to New Escapologist like Alain de Botton, Richard Herring and Will Self.

Which, I have to say, has got me very excited!

If you’d like to pick up a copy, here’s the link:

https://newescapologist.co.uk/product/issue-15/

That’s all for today.

- Tom

p.s.  To celebrate my first column, I’m adding a valuable Brucie Bonus into the mix for anyone who buys a four issue subscription to New Escapologist by my self-imposed deadline of 8pm UK time on Wednesday 20^th December (7 short hours from the time I hit send on this email).

That bonus?

A free, 30 minute Escape the Matrix Zoom call with me.

An Escape the Matrix call is not a coaching call.

I think of it as a consulting call for anyone plotting their very own escape (in whatever form) and who’d like to pick my brains on anything escape-related.

That could be my experience of quitting my job, the trigger that took me from mulling quitting to actually quitting, starting from scratch in copywriting, setting up a daily newsletter, building that newsletter, posting & growing on LinkedIn, moving into coaching, my thoughts on coaching courses, finding your passion, following your gut, making difficult decisions, or anything else you’d like to talk about.

It really is up to you.  The call is yours.

And, there is no time-limit to schedule the call.  You can cash in your chips whenever you want.

If you use this call carefully to mine my brain for what I've learnt over the last couple of years, or even what I'll learn over the next 1, 2, or 3+ years (if you decide to schedule the call in the future), the value could be off the charts.

I don’t know why I’m being so generous with this bonus.  Perhaps I’ve been brainwashed by all the Christmas lights and merry music around London over the last few days.

What I do know, though, is this:

I won’t be making this offer again. 

This newsletter is still small, but it’s growing.  And as new readers join, I can't keep making this offer.  I simply won't have time to jump on half hour Zoom calls and share my pearls of wisdom with every Tom, Dick and Harry.

So if you want to take me up on this offer, this is your chance.

Here’s what to do...

Use this link to pick up a 4 issue subscription:

https://newescapologist.co.uk/product/four-issue-subscription/

Then forward me your receipt by 8pm UK time on Wednesday 20^th December (7 hours from now).

Do this and an Escape the Matrix call is yours.

But you must send me your receipt by the deadline.  If it comes after – even by a minute, or even by the teeniest, tiniest second – the offer is null and void.