I’m Mike Rucker. In no particular order: Author. Father. Husband. Organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist. Recovering entrepreneur. Fitness enthusiast with mechanical parts. VW Bus aficionado. Seeker. Traveler. Future astronaut.
The story about myself that I tell in my book The Fun Habit starts in 2016, when the tools that I had built as a student of positive psychology suddenly failed me during one of my life’s most difficult stretches. Finding myself unhappy, a bit lonely, and burnt out, I began to critically evaluate modern approaches to happiness. I quickly realized how much misinformation is out there. Years of research coalesced as The Fun Habit. The Fun Habit is an action-based approach that helps you critically examine your pursuit of happiness and make adjustments using evidence-based practices to invite more fun and joy in your life. If you’re looking for a better way toward happiness, I invite you to sign up.
Every story has many beginnings. A major commitment to fun as an intentional way of life came in 2007, when I announced the Live Life Love project and created the website you’re on right now. You can read more about the project here, but in short, I publicly committed myself to 25 years of documented self-development and self-discovery. After a long stint as an entrepreneur, I was heading back to Corporate America and I wanted to make sure that I continued to experience and contribute to this collaborative effort we call “Life.”
The rules of the project are straightforward. From 2007 to 2032, I’m committed to interviewing two thought leaders each quarter, or 200 in total. I also committed to experiencing something new each quarter by way of an interesting life event, activity, or trip, ensuring that by the end of 2032 I will have 100 unique experiences to relish when the project concludes. Finally, I committed to contributing a year’s salary and a year’s work hours to charity.
The project officially kicked off in 2007, but its spark was lit in 2005 when I took an early interest in peak performance and positive psychology. Through good fortune, I was introduced to an early mentor, Dr. Mike Gervais, and also invited to be one of the first charter members of the International Positive Psychology Association. During this period, I was a sponge, soaking up knowledge from these emerging fields of psychology and using what I learned to personally thrive.
So that’s how it started. How it’s going? In 2020, I reached the project’s halfway point. If you want to view some of the results so far, you can see:
- 100+ interviews here (PRO TIP: Sign up above and you’ll receive an eBook containing quotes from each interviewee.)
- 50+ unique experiences here
- My philanthropic scorecard here
Crashing the stage with Liz Taylor at the Cannes Film Festival.
In this same period, I’ve become a peer-reviewed and widely published author. For many years I served as the Health Tech expert for About, Inc’s Verywell Health. I am currently an executive for Active Wellness. I’ve been published in the academic journals International Journal of Workplace Health Management and Nutrition Research, and I’ve been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CIO.com, and elsewhere. In all, I have earned five advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and an MBA from the University of Southern California. I’m a member of the American Psychological Association, International Positive Psychology Association, and an accredited member of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Somewhere along the way, I also met my better half and produced two tenacious kids while still finding some space for civic engagement and social contribution, resulting in various accolades, including a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate and a Congressional Commendation from the U.S. House of Representatives. Not bad for someone whose name first appeared on the Internet as the guy who swept the floors on the television show Baywatch. (Actually, schlepping around the entertainment industry in my 20s was a really fun time, it’s where I learned early that a little creative trespassing unlocks the door for once-in-a-lifetime experiences.)
If you’re looking for a better way toward enjoying life, I invite you to join the journey.
