The Science of Self

From first through twelfth grade (and beyond), many people easily cross 20,000 hours of study. Almost all of that training focuses on what happens outside of us.

When asked, “How many hours have you studied yourself—your thoughts, emotions, abilities, imagination, and purpose?” the most common answer is: zero. This gap explains why we can feel busy yet unclear, accomplished yet stuck.

Why this matters now

If you don’t study how you think and feel, you’re less equipped to get what you truly want from life. Building inner skills increases clarity, control, and long-term stability. When these pieces are in place, happiness follows more naturally.

Try it: count your hours

Estimate your school hours. Add hours from elementary, middle, and high school. (Rough math is fine.)
List what you studied. Subjects focused on the external world (e.g., math, history, sciences).
Estimate your “self-study” hours. Time explicitly spent learning to manage thoughts, emotions, abilities, imagery, and life purpose.
Compare the totals. What’s the ratio of outer study to inner study?
Choose one shift. Pick a small, repeatable action to start rebalancing this week (e.g., a 10-minute reflection, a feelings log, imagery practice, or purpose journaling).

Why this works: moving from concepts to lived experiments turns knowledge into skill. Small, structured actions create measurable change you can integrate and master over time.

Reflect

What did your 20,000-hour comparison reveal?
Which inner skill—thinking, feeling, abilities, imagery, or purpose—would most improve your decisions right now?
What tiny practice can you repeat daily for the next week?

— Sandro Formica, PhD

Founder of Permanently Happy (questions at [email protected])

Keynote Speaker | Transforming Leaders & Organizations Through Positive Leadership & Personal Branding | Director, Chief Happiness Officer Certificate Program