People who have trips planned report being happier than people who just took trips.

Read that again.

The anticipation of something good is often better than the thing itself.

The Science of Anticipation

Researchers found that people experience a spike in happiness in the weeks before a vacation. After the vacation? Happiness returns to baseline almost immediately.

The looking forward was more valuable than the looking back.

This is called anticipatory savoring. Your brain gets pleasure not just from experiences, but from imagining future experiences.

Why Countdowns Work

They make the abstract concrete

“Summer vacation” is vague. “47 days until summer vacation” is real.

Numbers ground us. They turn hopes into certainties.

They extend the pleasure

An event is one day. A countdown is days, weeks, or months of mini-joys every time you check.

You’re essentially stretching one moment of happiness into many.

They create urgency

A deadline in the future motivates action.

“The launch is in 14 days” focuses the mind in a way “launch is coming” doesn’t.

They build anticipation loops

Each time you check the countdown, there’s a small dopamine hit. The number is smaller. The event is closer. Progress feels real.

What to Count Down To

Events you’re excited about

Vacations. Concerts. Weddings. Reunions.

Having something to look forward to is a powerful wellbeing tool.

Goals and deadlines

Product launch. Project deadline. Competition date.

Visual countdowns keep goals real and urgent.

Life milestones

Days until graduation. Days until your baby arrives. Days until you’re debt-free.

Big life moments deserve to be anticipated.

Even small things

The weekend. A friend visiting. Your favorite show returning.

Small anticipations add up to a happier baseline.

The Anti-Pattern

What not to count down to:

Things you dread.

“14 days until that difficult conversation” won’t make you happier. It’ll just make you anxious.

Use countdowns for positive anticipation only.

The Multiplier Effect

Want a happiness cheat code?

Always have at least one countdown running for something you’re looking forward to.

A weekend trip in 3 weeks. A concert in 2 months. A vacation next year.

When you always have something upcoming, you always have anticipation working for your happiness.

The App

I built Countdown to harness this psychology.

Beautiful countdowns for everything you’re looking forward to. Widgets on your home screen. A daily reminder that good things are coming.

Make future events feel real. Watch the days tick down. Let the anticipation do its work.

— Dolce