Robert retired four years ago after spending his career in the financial sector, having worked in London and New York with large and small companies. He grew restless after a few months of retirement as it made him feel old. He decided to purchase his first road bike, a Bianchi Specialissima. Riding began to give him knee pain, so he preventatively began to invest in platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow concentration injections. He talked to a doctor about knee enhancements. And he is enthusiastic about future health tech.

He finds his greatest happiness in cycling, which has become a mix of exercise and meditation. The rhythm is like a trance that lets him forget his worries. Life is too short to pretend to be someone else, and he has the power to choose who he is and how he spends his time. He is worried about the quality of the end of his life.

His goals

Robert’s goals are to slow down and pay attention to the moments that matter while also discovering new passions to explore later in life. He always aims to keep healthy and active, so he never becomes obsolete.

For Robert, his body is a means to lead the life he wants. He has to balance living how he wants to with living in a way that preserves his health.

As a college student, Jessica still feels that she doesn’t have a clear purpose in life. She is only studying because she thinks she needs to prove to the world that she’s smart. She lives under the constant shadow of anxiety and has consistently struggled with friendships and relationships. Her emotional state is heavily influenced by her Instagram and how she looks each day. She has struggled in the past with anorexia and is terrified of boredom.

Her happiness is associated with fleeting moments of pleasure to hold off anxiety while seeking emotional connection simply for the joy of feeling. She prefers activities that combat boredom and keep her body thin —sex, drugs, and partying keep her attention away from the problems she sees in the mirror.

Her goal

Jessica wants to perfect her image to avoid anxiety and move towards a healthier lifestyle. She also wants to discover new things to avoid boredom + help her find purpose to move from small moments of pleasure to longer-term happiness.

Maria is a freelancer working for a few private clients as a consultant. She is highly invested in her health and wellbeing, tracking her daily caloric intake, sleep quality, exercises, and other health factors. She has an active membership at Soho House, Third Space Gym, and a brand new Colour Therapy Yoga Studio. She follows a strict morning and evening routine, even maintaining a shorter version when she’s on holiday. Technology is her ally to keep track of her health, but she also enjoys meditating in nature when feeling overwhelmed.

Happiness for Maria lies in the thrill she gets from achieving a goal. She believes that happiness derives from being self-aware and maintaining a healthy relationship with herself, so she maintains a strict life schedule and regularly uses yoga for  self-exploration.

Her goal

Maria wants to visualise and monitor her progress towards her long-term goals, and avoid costly, negative moments in order to be in control of her body, life and behaviour.

For people like Maria, their body and mind are vehicles that help them achieve the things they want in life. The easier it is to manage them, the happier they are.