A Little Happier: Have You Ever Felt Like an Employee of Your Former Self?

Summary

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Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Episode: A Little Happier: Have You Ever Felt Like an Employee of Your Former Self?
Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Gretchen Rubin

Episode Overview

In this “A Little Happier” episode, Gretchen Rubin reflects on the intriguing sensation of becoming an “employee of your former self.” Drawing inspiration from novelist Ian McEwan, Gretchen explores how our past choices and commitments sometimes dictate our current obligations—whether in professional, creative, or personal realms. She also briefly touches on how we sometimes act for our “future selves,” and offers practical insight into navigating these dualities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Gretchen’s Professional Life & Identity (02:09)

• Multiple Roles: Gretchen describes the range of her creative work: two podcasts, two weekly newsletters, courses, products, and her Happier app.
• Core Identity: Despite all her projects, she identifies most as a writer:

  “...my primary identity and certainly the one that I enjoy most and value most, and that is the wellspring for everything else I do is writing books.” (02:37)

The Book Tour Dilemma (03:08)

• The Timeline Disconnect: By the time Gretchen is promoting a book, her creative involvement with that project has long since ended.
• New Projects, Old Commitments: She often finds herself fully absorbed in new writing projects, while still required to promote her previous work.
• Common Author Experience: Many authors, she notes, find it difficult to serve the demands of old and new projects at once—some even delay starting new work because of this.

The “Employee of Your Former Self” (03:47)

• Inspiration from Ian McEwan: Gretchen references a Harvard Business Review interview with novelist Ian McEwan:

  “The best bit of writing a novel is writing the novel. Then six or nine months later, you’re required to schlep around like some guy selling brushes, and you become the employee of your former self who was so happy at his desk freely dreaming—he’s sending you as his salesman.” (04:16, quoting McEwan)

• Personal Reflection: Gretchen loves the phrase and applies it broadly beyond writing, recognizing the sensation in many areas of life.

Universal Examples of “Former-Self Employment” (04:45)

• Everyday Scenarios:
  • Sticking with a class for sunk cost.
  • Completing a home project that’s lost its appeal.
  • Serving on a now-burdensome committee.
• Key Insight: In each case, you’re laboring under decisions made by a previous version of yourself.

The “Employee of Your Future Self” (05:07)

• Reversed Perspective: Sometimes we also act as employees of our future selves—making choices now for the benefit of our future wellbeing.
  • Packing carefully for a trip.
  • Exercising for long-term health.
  • Studying for a future career.
• Reflection: This framing puts a humorous, relatable spin on the obligations and investments we make across time.

Closing Thought

Gretchen finds the concept both funny and illuminating, and hopes considering it will make listeners’ weeks “a little happier.” (05:56)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Writing:

  “I love to write. In fact, more accurately, I’d say that I have to write. It’s true that I would write even if no one else read what I wrote.” — Gretchen Rubin (02:47)

• On Book Promotion:

  “By the time I’m on a book tour, I’m deep in a new project.” — Gretchen Rubin (03:25)

• On McEwan’s Analogy (Clear Attribution):

  “You become the employee of your former self who was so happy at his desk freely dreaming—he’s sending you as his salesman.” — Ian McEwan (quoted by Gretchen Rubin) (04:16)

• On Broader Application:

  “Maybe you agreed to serve on a committee that sounded interesting but turns out to require a lot of drudge work—you’re an employee of your former self.” — Gretchen Rubin (05:01)

• On the Future Perspective:

  “You’re an employee of your future self…exercising regularly so you’ll be healthier and stronger decades from now.” — Gretchen Rubin (05:17)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:09 — Gretchen introduces her many creative roles and describes her identity as a writer.
• 03:08 — She discusses the disconnect between finishing a creative project and promoting it.
• 03:47 — She brings in Ian McEwan’s analogy about being an "employee of your former self."
• 04:45 — Everyday examples: classes, home projects, committees.
• 05:07 — “Employee of your future self” concept and examples.
• 05:56 — Episode wraps up with a reflection on these ideas.

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Episode Takeaways

• Many of our obligations—professional, personal, or creative—are set by previous versions of ourselves.
• Recognizing when you’re working for your former or future self can reframe, and sometimes lighten, the burdens or responsibilities you carry.
• Thinking about commitments with this perspective can provide greater clarity and a touch of humor as you make decisions and manage your time.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

I love that they have heat in each sides from the prepared foods department because you know that I am not much of a cook so heat and serve is something I can do. And they have floral Gretchen so you can bring a nice bouquet of flowers. If you're going to someone's house, shop for everything you need at Whole Foods Market. Your holiday headquarters.

[C]

Lemonade.

[B]

I'm Gretchen Rubin and this is a little Happier. As part of my work I do many things. I work on two podcasts, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, which is the one you're listening to, and my new podcast with psychotherapist and writer Lori Gottlieb called Since youe Asked. I write two free weekly newsletters, one called five Things Making Me Happy and one called Secrets of Adulthood. Please subscribe. I love writing these. I also create courses, I create products. I have an app called Happier, but my primary identity and certainly the one that I enjoy most and value most, and that is the wellspring for everything else I do is writing books. I love to write. In fact, more accurately, I'd say that I have to write. It's true that I would write even if no one else read what I wrote. I write every day of the year. It is my treehouse and my cubicle separate from actually writing a book. But part of my work as a writer is going on book tours. I really enjoy book tours. I like the adventure. I like meeting new people. I like going to new bookstores or other venues. And as you might suspect, I like talking about my book. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do it. But it is also true that by the time it hits the shelves, my creative engagement with a book is long past. The work of printing and distributing the book takes many months, so by the time I'm on a book tour, I'm deep in a new project. I've talked to many authors about the effort it takes to balance the demands of the former and the new project in time, energy, and mental space. It's tricky. Some writers even hold off starting a new project because they don't like to serve two projects at the same time. I read a funny description of this feeling in an interview in the Harvard Business Review with the eminent novelist Ian McKeown. I love McEwan's work, and I've read many of his 18 published novels. Reading his observation, it occurred to me that probably many people have a similar feeling about aspects of their own work. There's the challenge and satisfaction of working on a project, and then at some later point after you've moved on to other things, you have to return to it and you feel like you're working for some former version of yourself. Ian McEwan said, The best bit of writing a novel is is writing the novel. Then six or nine months later, you're required to schlep around like some guy selling brushes, and you become the employee of your former self who was so happy at his desk freely dreaming he's sending you as his salesman. I love this phrase, the employee of your former self. Maybe you signed up for a class that you're not enjoying, but you feel like you have to continue to attend to get your money's worth. Maybe you've started a major home project that has turned into a big drag, but you have to finish because otherwise your house won't be livable. Maybe you agreed to serve on a committee that sounded interesting but turns out to require a lot of drudge work. You're an employee of your former self. It also occurs to me that sometimes it's like we're an employee of our future self. You're doing work now because your future self will demand it. You're making a lot of effort to pack wisely for a long trip. You're exercising regularly so you'll be healthier and stronger decades from now. You're studying for a degree that will give you more career opportunities for the future. You're an employee of your future self. I think this is a very funny and illuminating way to think about things. I'm Gretchen Rubin and I hope this makes your week a little happier.

From the Onward Project.

[C]

Hi Gretchen, Craig Robinson and my little sister Michelle here. We host a new podcast called IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. We know you're the queen of giving advice, so we wanted to get a few tips from you. You know, Gretchen, a lot of our listeners are going through some major life changes. What advice do you have for folks who are trying to stay grounded in the midst of major life transitions?

[B]

Craig Michelle, I am so happy to be talking to you. Here are a few questions that might help us gain perspective. So consider questions like this. What activities take up my time but are not particularly useful or stimulating for me? Do I spend a lot of time on something that's important to someone else but is not very important to me? If I could magically change one habit in my life, what would I choose? And here's a question. Would I like to have more time in solitude, restorative solitude, or would I like to have more time with friends? You know, just thinking about questions like this can help us start to figure out how we might make our lives happier. With greater self knowledge, we're better able to make hard decisions that reflect ourselves, our own nature, our own interests, our own values. In my own case, I have found that the more my life reflects my nature, the happier I get and the more grounded I feel when I'm going through a period of major change or transition. For more great advice, search for IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. Wherever your get podcast, you can listen to Issa Rae on letting go of certain friendships, Keke Palmer on why disappointment is actually the key to career success, Seth and Lauren Rogan on caring for aging parents and so many more.