369: The Fun Habit, Magical Moments and the Disciplined Pursuit of Joy with Mike Rucker, Ph.D.

For any family man and entrepreneur, there are many things (and people) that are asking for your time and attention. But if we get lost in our to-do list, we’ll miss out on those magical moments with our kids and spouse that deepen our connection with them. Taking a few minutes each day to pause and connect with our family can help us to remember why we are working so hard in the first place.  It’s scary to think about letting go of the steering wheel for a bit. But, fellas, there's no way around the fact that we'll spend our entire lives looking back and wondering where the time went if we don't make time for enjoyment and fun intentionally. And I’m excited to share this conversation with Mike Rucker. Mike is a behavioral scientist with a PhD in organizational psychology and a peer-reviewed author who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. In his new book, The Fun Habit, Mike distills decades of life experience and academic research into a practical roadmap for bringing more fun into your life. One thing I took away from our epic conversation is that, as high achievers, we need to stop trying to "hack" our way to happiness and start doing more things that make us happy. Today, we discuss how play improves our relationships and how we sabotage our happiness and feel powerless to change that. We also dig into Mike’s tried and tested strategies for finding adult ways to be playful so that you can be happier and a more mindful parent and husband. Mike Rucker Podcast Highlights The importance of play - with your spouse, kids, friends and other loved ones. Happiness is not a sprint. It’s a lifetime journey. Becoming aware of how you spend your time is the first step toward a joyful life. Experiences will always make you happier than material possessions. The importance of working through trauma to make way for joy. How to push back against the systems that destroy our attention and mindfulness. The “24/7 hustle and grind” mindset will make you richer while making you miserable. Don’t just tell your kids what to do. Lead through your actions. Get the Full Show Notes Want access to the full show notes, including links to all resources mentioned during today's conversation? Visit FrontRowDads.com/369 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen who have families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with, Join The Brotherhood! Are you getting all the shows? Subscribe today! Want to leave a review? THANK YOU! http://FrontRowDads.com/review