This story is part of CNBC Make It's Tools for Happiness series, which details what we learned from taking a free happiness course offered by Harvard University.
There is no framework for sustaining joy, but Arthur Brooks, a Harvard instructor who teaches a class all about building a happier life, believes that any such plan should start with treating your happiness like a well-balanced investment portfolio.
Put simply, people should aim to invest in four areas that are equally important in order to feel more fulfilled in life, Brooks says in one of the happiness course's videos.
"We need all of them, so our happiness can grow in a balanced way," he says.
"Each aspect of the portfolio is critically important to experiencing happiness.
Persons:
Arthur Brooks, Brooks
Organizations:
CNBC, Harvard University