Ever feel like you’re sprinting on a treadmill that’s slightly too fast? You’re hitting the KPIs. You’re drinking the green juice. Maybe you even bought that ergonomic chair everyone on TikTok swears by. But honestly, it’s exhausting. Most people think "the good life" is a destination—a specific zip code or a bank balance that starts with a certain digit. They’re wrong. To get drunk on the good life isn't about reckless indulgence or being "set for life." It’s a psychological shift. It’s about a sensory overload of the present moment that makes the future's demands feel quiet for once.
Most of us are sober. Painfully sober. We’re sobered by taxes, by the terrifying news cycle, and by that lingering feeling that we haven't quite "arrived." But what if arriving isn't the point?
The Science of Living Like You Mean It
We have to talk about dopamine. Not the "scrolling through Instagram" kind of dopamine, but the deep, resonant satisfaction that comes from what psychologists call "Flow." Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the legendary psychologist who pioneered flow research, found that people are happiest when they are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. That’s the core of how you get drunk on the good life. It’s an intoxication of the soul.
When you’re in flow, your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain that worries about your mortgage and whether you sounded stupid in that meeting—actually slows down. It’s called transient hypofrontality. Basically, your inner critic takes a nap. You’re left with just the experience. Whether that’s the smell of a wood fire, the rhythm of a long run, or the taste of a peach that’s actually ripe for once.
Why Hedonic Adaptation is a Killer
There’s this thing called the hedonic treadmill. You buy a Porsche. You love it for six months. Then, it’s just your car. You get a raise. It’s great until your lifestyle expands to swallow it whole. To truly get drunk on the good life, you have to break the cycle of "more."
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Harvard researcher Shawn Achor talks about this in The Happiness Advantage. He argues that we think we need to be successful to be happy, but it’s actually the other way around. If you’re happy now—if you’re intoxicated by the small wins—your brain works significantly better. Your intelligence rises. Your creativity triples. You aren't just feeling good; you're becoming more capable.
What People Get Wrong About Luxury
Luxury isn't about price tags. It’s about intentionality.
I knew a guy who lived in a tiny studio in Brooklyn. He didn't have much. But he had these linen sheets that felt like clouds and he made coffee every morning using a manual grinder that took way too long. He was obsessed with the process. He was getting drunk on the good life in a 300-square-foot box. Meanwhile, I’ve met millionaires who eat standing over their kitchen sinks because they’re too stressed to sit down.
- Luxury is a Tuesday afternoon with no meetings.
- Luxury is a book that makes you forget to check your phone.
- It's a conversation where nobody looks at their watch.
If you’re waiting for the "perfect" moment to start enjoying things, you’re going to be waiting until you’re dead. Real life is messy. It’s loud. It’s full of laundry and emails. The trick is to find the "good" in the middle of the "messy."
How to Get Drunk on the Good Life Without Going Broke
You don't need a yacht. Seriously.
Start with your senses. We spend 90% of our lives in our heads. We’re thinking about what we said yesterday or what we have to do tomorrow. To get drunk on the good life, you have to drop into your body.
Go outside. Look at a tree. I know, it sounds like some New Age nonsense, but the Japanese call it Shinrin-yoku or "forest bathing." There’s actual data showing that spending time in nature lowers cortisol and boosts immune function. It’s a physiological reset.
Eat something incredible. Not expensive, just incredible. A loaf of bread that’s still warm. An heirloom tomato with actual sea salt. Pay attention to the texture. The way the light hits the plate. This isn't just eating; it's a sensory rebellion against a world that wants you to eat a protein bar while driving.
The Power of "No"
You can’t enjoy the good life if your schedule is a Tetris board of obligations you hate.
- Stop going to happy hours with people you don't like.
- Stop saying "yes" to projects that drain your soul for a few extra bucks.
- Delete the apps that make you feel like you’re failing.
Every "no" is a "yes" to your own sanity. It creates space. And space is the rarest commodity in the 21st century. When you have space, you have the capacity to actually feel the life you’re living.
The Role of Connection
Loneliness is a literal health hazard. The Harvard Study of Adult Development—the longest-running study on happiness—found that the single biggest predictor of health and happiness is the quality of our relationships. Not money. Not fame. Just people.
If you want to get drunk on the good life, find your people. Not "networking" people. Not "LinkedIn" people. Find the people who make you laugh until your stomach hurts. The ones who you can be silent with.
Invest in them. Host a dinner. It doesn't have to be fancy. Order pizza but put it on real plates. Put your phones in a basket by the door. Talk about big things. Talk about stupid things. That connection is the highest proof "alcohol" the good life provides.
Practical Steps to Start Today
Forget the five-year plan for a second. Let's look at the next 24 hours.
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- Audit your environment. What’s one thing in your house that annoys you every time you look at it? Fix it or throw it away. Beauty matters.
- Engage a "Sacred Hour." Pick one hour today where you do something purely for the joy of it. No "productivity." No "self-improvement." Just joy.
- Savor the mundane. When you drink your water, feel the coldness. When you walk to your car, feel the air on your face. It sounds small, but it’s how you train your brain to notice the "good."
- Change your narrative. Stop telling people how "busy" you are. Busyness isn't a badge of honor; it’s a sign you’ve lost control of your time. Start talking about what you’re enjoying instead.
The world is always going to be asking for more of you. It’s going to demand your attention, your labor, and your anxiety. Choosing to get drunk on the good life is an act of defiance. It’s saying that your existence is worth more than your output.
It’s about realizing that the "good life" isn't something you buy—it's something you notice. It’s already here, hidden under a pile of notifications and to-do lists. You just have to be willing to take a sip.
Actionable Insights for the Week Ahead
Identify three "sensory anchors" in your daily routine—like the smell of your morning coffee, the texture of your favorite sweater, or the view from your window at sunset. Commit to pausing for 30 seconds at each anchor to fully experience it. This simple practice interrupts the stress response and begins re-wiring your brain to recognize abundance over scarcity.
Next, schedule a "Digital Sabbath." Even four hours on a Sunday without a screen can radically shift your perspective on what is actually "urgent." Use that time to move your body, read a physical book, or have a face-to-face conversation. You'll find that the world doesn't end when you go offline; in fact, it usually gets a whole lot brighter.