The End

This is the end of The Happiness Project 6M².

Simon Tang
Aug 23, 2017 · 4 min read

Let’s recap.

Phase Alpha: Warrior

I woke at 0600hrs every morning for boxing classes. Got a black eye from sparring. After boxing, I alternated between the gym and the pool every day. Learned how to cook (read: tried valiantly) and crossed out all fast food and sugared drinks from my diet. Lost ~3kg of fat.

Phase Bravo: Creator

I attended dance classes twice weekly, learned choreographies off Youtube then made and uploaded three dance videos.

I started an art Instagram page, and made an assortment of pen, stencil, watercolor, digital and mixed media works.

I repurposed and customized two pairs of old army boots, learned sewing and altered a jacket, and built a chest of drawers for my art supplies.

Phase Charlie: Explorer

Traveled to Nepal, where I hiked for 13 days to Everest Base Camp with one guide.

Traveled to Greenland, where I completed the Arctic Circle Trail in 8 days alone, off-season.

Phase Delta: Learner

I read seven books: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I completed two sets of online courses on Coursera: Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts and HTML CSS JavaScript by HKUST. Takeaways: I love design and I was not born for programming.

Phase Echo: Giver

I donated about 3/4 of my wardrobe to the Salvation Army, and compiled four rolls of film I took in Japan and made a (really expensive) photobook for my family. I also wrote letters to my parents and my brother for them to read after I’m gone.

Phase Foxtrot: Teacher

I somehow managed to keep this blog publication going in the hopes of my project teaching and inspiring someone. My most successful journalling attempt before this lasted for two weeks.

Also I wrote a novel, and got it published. Now it’s being sold on Amazon, Kindle and BookDepository.


After all this crap, naturally the question would be, have I found it? The way to happiness?

I can’t speak for everyone, but I believe I have found mine.

These six months have been the best in my life. Not the most fun – I don’t classify getting punched in the face at 7 in the morning as fun. Neither were they the most relaxing – hiking up to 5550m elevation, and trekking 150km are not ideas for a chill holiday. By no means the most exciting – getting stuck on codes that don’t work and trying to finish a 500-page book are not things that compel me to leap out of bed every day.

But these six months were full.

My body, mind, soul, life were full.

And that’s my happiness.


The 6 Men method to happiness here.

The 6M2 project idea here.

Thank you for coming with me on this journey.

The 6 Months 6 Men Project

Pursue affordable happiness without a hippie beard or a 10 year road trip.

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Simon Tang

Written by

Published author and contributor on Thrive Global. Also: ex-lieutenant, graphic artist, business student, amateur hiker, dancer, beer-drinker, Asian (see pic).

The 6 Months 6 Men Project

Pursue affordable happiness without a hippie beard or a 10 year road trip.

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