Happiness and Accomplishment
by: Aqua Blutopia
THREE STEPS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
One of the most important elements of a deeply happy life is the pursuit of meaningful accomplishments. It’s a big green light on the traffic light of happiness.
Progressing toward goals that matter to us gives our lives purpose and structure and increases our self-confidence in the present and hope for the future. Plus, it feels great. Our brains are hard-wired to enjoy meeting challenges, especially those along the way to the achievement of a goal.
Researchers have learned a lot about how we can best set, pursue, and achieve goals that support living deeply happy lives. Here are three steps to ensure that your goals help you do just that.
1. SET GOALS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU
You’ll be your happiest if you commit to goals that are:
PositiveFrame your goals in terms of what you’re moving toward, not what you’re getting away from. (Not “I can’t stand this job one more minute,” but “I’m going to go back to school and get that teaching degree so I can have the career I really want.”)
AuthenticFor your goals to enhance your happiness, they need to be a good fit with what you love to do, what you value, and where your strengths lie. (“I love to help people of all walks of life, and I’m creative and patient.”)
PracticalFinally, your goals should be in sync with the rest of your aims in life and flexible enough to allow you to respond in the face of changing circumstances or interests.
2. GET STARTED BY . . . STARTING
Okay, you’ve got a goal, and you’re excited to get started. Now what? Where should you begin?
The answer is clear. It doesn’t matter.
Just start. Any way you’d like. You’ll probably want to start with a step that’s particularly interesting to you, or one that you think you’ll really enjoy.
Perfect! Go ahead.
Most goals never make it out of the starting gate. We think we need to wait for circumstances to be just right before we begin, or that we’d better start with something hard to see if we can really do it, or we hold off on beginning because we’re afraid of really committing to what it will really take. The truth is that progress feels great and makes us want to do more. So take one joyful step toward your goal and let yourself feel good about having the courage to begin.
3. TAKE THE JOURNEY, STEP BY STEP, BY STEP
Seeing your goal through to completion may take weeks or years, or it may take your lifetime. And even if it’s a great fit with your strengths and what you love to do, you’ll have to do some stuff you don’t love and aren’t very good at along the way. So how to see it through?
Visualize the journey.
I know this doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as visualizing the destination, but to really get the thing done, you’ll need to focus on what it’s going to take. Think through what you’ll need to do to achieve your goal, then picture yourself taking the various steps. (“I need to find a degree program that can fit with my schedule, apply for scholarships and student loans, set aside time to study two evenings and two early mornings every week, etc.”)
The point is not to develop an inflexible plan, but to get used to the idea that there is no magic involved in this journey, that you’ll actually have to start at the beginning and walk, run, bike, or swim to the finish.
Break it up.
Now break the process up into manageable parts, set interim goals and deadlines along the way, and celebrate every time you achieve something that gets you closer to your goal.
Bounce back after setbacks.
You can’t really predict what will go wrong, but you can be sure that some things will. Expect it, experience it, then forgive the universe, yourself, or who or whatever else messed up your plan and find a way to get back on the journey. Remember why you want to go where you’re headed, then find your way back to the road, try a new path, or just plow on through the trees.
Enjoy it along the way.
Remember, the goals that make us the happiest are the ones we enjoy pursuing. Plus, if you don’t enjoy the journey, you’re not likely to make it to the destination. So remember why you’re doing it, take it at a pace you can enjoy, and don’t forget to celebrate every single time you crest a steep hill, cross a deep ravine, or just get one mile further on a beautiful sunny day.
One of the most important elements of a deeply happy life is the pursuit of meaningful accomplishments. It’s a big green light on the traffic light of happiness.
Progressing toward goals that matter to us gives our lives purpose and structure and increases our self-confidence in the present and hope for the future. Plus, it feels great. Our brains are hard-wired to enjoy meeting challenges, especially those along the way to the achievement of a goal.
Researchers have learned a lot about how we can best set, pursue, and achieve goals that support living deeply happy lives. Here are three steps to ensure that your goals help you do just that.
1. SET GOALS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU
You’ll be your happiest if you commit to goals that are:
PositiveFrame your goals in terms of what you’re moving toward, not what you’re getting away from. (Not “I can’t stand this job one more minute,” but “I’m going to go back to school and get that teaching degree so I can have the career I really want.”)
AuthenticFor your goals to enhance your happiness, they need to be a good fit with what you love to do, what you value, and where your strengths lie. (“I love to help people of all walks of life, and I’m creative and patient.”)
PracticalFinally, your goals should be in sync with the rest of your aims in life and flexible enough to allow you to respond in the face of changing circumstances or interests.
2. GET STARTED BY . . . STARTING
Okay, you’ve got a goal, and you’re excited to get started. Now what? Where should you begin?
The answer is clear. It doesn’t matter.
Just start. Any way you’d like. You’ll probably want to start with a step that’s particularly interesting to you, or one that you think you’ll really enjoy.
Perfect! Go ahead.
Most goals never make it out of the starting gate. We think we need to wait for circumstances to be just right before we begin, or that we’d better start with something hard to see if we can really do it, or we hold off on beginning because we’re afraid of really committing to what it will really take. The truth is that progress feels great and makes us want to do more. So take one joyful step toward your goal and let yourself feel good about having the courage to begin.
3. TAKE THE JOURNEY, STEP BY STEP, BY STEPSeeing your goal through to completion may take weeks or years, or it may take your lifetime. And even if it’s a great fit with your strengths and what you love to do, you’ll have to do some stuff you don’t love and aren’t very good at along the way. So how to see it through?
Visualize the journey.
I know this doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as visualizing the destination, but to really get the thing done, you’ll need to focus on what it’s going to take. Think through what you’ll need to do to achieve your goal, then picture yourself taking the various steps. (“I need to find a degree program that can fit with my schedule, apply for scholarships and student loans, set aside time to study two evenings and two early mornings every week, etc.”)
I know this doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as visualizing the destination, but to really get the thing done, you’ll need to focus on what it’s going to take. Think through what you’ll need to do to achieve your goal, then picture yourself taking the various steps. (“I need to find a degree program that can fit with my schedule, apply for scholarships and student loans, set aside time to study two evenings and two early mornings every week, etc.”)
The point is not to develop an inflexible plan, but to get used to the idea that there is no magic involved in this journey, that you’ll actually have to start at the beginning and walk, run, bike, or swim to the finish.
Break it up.
Now break the process up into manageable parts, set interim goals and deadlines along the way, and celebrate every time you achieve something that gets you closer to your goal.
Now break the process up into manageable parts, set interim goals and deadlines along the way, and celebrate every time you achieve something that gets you closer to your goal.
Bounce back after setbacks.
You can’t really predict what will go wrong, but you can be sure that some things will. Expect it, experience it, then forgive the universe, yourself, or who or whatever else messed up your plan and find a way to get back on the journey. Remember why you want to go where you’re headed, then find your way back to the road, try a new path, or just plow on through the trees.
You can’t really predict what will go wrong, but you can be sure that some things will. Expect it, experience it, then forgive the universe, yourself, or who or whatever else messed up your plan and find a way to get back on the journey. Remember why you want to go where you’re headed, then find your way back to the road, try a new path, or just plow on through the trees.
Enjoy it along the way.
Remember, the goals that make us the happiest are the ones we enjoy pursuing. Plus, if you don’t enjoy the journey, you’re not likely to make it to the destination. So remember why you’re doing it, take it at a pace you can enjoy, and don’t forget to celebrate every single time you crest a steep hill, cross a deep ravine, or just get one mile further on a beautiful sunny day.
Remember, the goals that make us the happiest are the ones we enjoy pursuing. Plus, if you don’t enjoy the journey, you’re not likely to make it to the destination. So remember why you’re doing it, take it at a pace you can enjoy, and don’t forget to celebrate every single time you crest a steep hill, cross a deep ravine, or just get one mile further on a beautiful sunny day.
No comments:
Post a Comment