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My opinion on how someone can attain happiness

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My opinion on how someone can attain happiness

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When I'm asked what makes me happy I don't have an exact answer off the bat but I feel like its because I don't do some of the things I've learned through this activity. From this I've learned the importance of goal setting and the worthlessness of materialistic things because when you really think about it if I but a video game or I get my paycheck I'll be happy for a week or so or a set amount of time but if I were to set a goal like saving up for a car I'd be more happy and proud of it due to how I feel like its something I've done to make an impact on myself and its something I would use for years to come. Another thing I've learned from this is how to appreciate what I have at the moment because of how later in life it might be taken away from me or privileges I might lose when I go to college or leave the house and start my life my own way.

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The article talks about the feeling that comes with achieving a goal. it talks about how its a very powerful motivator and that the feeling after achieving that goal can completely boost your mood showing how when someone can set a small goal for themselves it can improve their mood and through setting the small goals you can consistently stay happy.

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Do you ever feel like you're sleepwalking through life with no real idea of what you want? Perhaps you know exactly what you want to achieve, but have no idea how to get there.

That's where goal setting comes in. Goals are the first step towards planning for the future, and play a fundamental role in the development of skills in various facets of life, from work to relationships and everything in between. They are the target at which we aim our proverbial arrow.

Understanding the importance of goals and the techniques involved in setting achievable goals paves the way for success.

In the words of Pablo Picasso,

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.

What is Goal Setting?

Goal setting is a powerful motivator, the value of which has been recognized in an abundance of clinical and real-world settings for over 35 years.

'Goals,' as defined by Latham & Locke (2002, p.705) are " the object or aim of an action, for example, to attain a specific standard of proficiency, usually within a specified time limit." They are the level of competence that we wish to achieve and create a useful lens through which we assess our current performance.

Goal setting is the process by which we achieve these goals. The importance of the goal setting process should not go unappreciated, according to Locke (2019) " Every person's life depends on the process of choosing goals to pursue; if you remain passive you are not going to thrive as a human being. "

Goal setting theory (Locke & Latham, 1984) is based on the premise that conscious goals affect action (Ryan, 1970) and that conscious human behavior is purposeful and regulated by individual goals. Simply put, we must decide what is beneficial to our own welfare, and set goals to achieve it.

Why do some people perform better on tasks than others? The goal setting theory approaches the issue of motivation from a first-level perspective; its emphasis is on an immediate level of explanation of individual differences in task performance. According to Ryan (1970), if individuals are equal in ability and knowledge, then the cause must be motivational.

The theory states that the simplest and most direct motivational explanation of why some people perform better than others is due to disparate performance goals, implying that setting and adjusting goals can significantly impact performance.

Why is Goal Setting Important?

There exists a wealth of research in the area of goal setting, particularly within organizational settings. Initially, this exploration began with the objective of ascertaining how the level of intended achievement (the goal) is related to the actual level of achievement (the performance) in an organizational setting (Locke, 1990).

The setting of goals has been shown to increase employee motivation and organizational commitment (Latham, 2004). Additionally, goals affect the intensity of our actions and our emotions - the more difficult and valued a goal is, the more intense our efforts will be in order to attain it, and the more success we experience following achievement (Latham & Locke, 2006).

Through the experience of success and the positive emotions that accompany it, confidence and belief in our own abilities grow. Schunk (1985) found that participation in goal setting encourages a search for new strategies to aid success. Finding novel ways to utilize our skills and push our abilities increases task-relevant knowledge while enhancing self-efficacy and self-confidence.

Goal setting involves planning for the future. MacLeod, Coates & Hetherton (2008) found that goal setting and skill-oriented planning significantly improved subjective well-being in those who took part in a goal setting intervention program. Thinking positively about the future bolsters our ability to create goals and consider the actions required to achieve them.

The capacity to plan positively impacts our perceived control over goal outcomes and our future (Vincent, Boddana, & MacLeod, 2004). Furthermore, goal setting and achievement can promote the development of an internal locus of control. Where individuals with an external locus of control believe that both positive and negative outcomes are the result of external influences, those with an internal locus of control believe that success is determined by their own actions and skills.

Key Principles of Goal Setting

Initial theoretical statements regarding goal setting were made to determine how levels of intended achievement related to the actual levels of achievement (Locke, 1990). The goal-setting framework developed further provision that when an individual has specific goals to meet, their performance is more pronounced than in the absence of specifics. That is, setting clearly defined goals leads to better performance.

By the 1990's the research into goal setting culminated in the theory of goal setting and task performance in which 5 key principles for successful goal achievement were suggested (Locke & Latham, 1990).

1. Commitment

Commitment refers to the degree to which an individual is attached to the goal and their determination to reach it - even when faced with obstacles. According to Locke & Latham (1990), goal performance is strongest when people are committed, and even more so when said goals are difficult. Given the commitment to a goal, if an individual discovers their performance is below that which is required, they are likely to increase their effort or change their strategy in order to attain it (Latham & Locke, 2006).

When we are less committed to goals - particularly more challenging goals - we increase the likelihood of giving up. In the presence of strong commitment, there is a significant association between goals and performance; we are more likely to do what we intend to do. (Latham & Locke, 1991).

According to Miner (2005), a number of factors can influence our commitment levels. Namely, the perceived desirability of a goal and the perceived ability of achieving it. Whether you are setting a goal for yourself or for others, in order to be successful you must possess the desire and a comprehensive understanding of what is required to achieve it.

2. Clarity

Specific goals put you on a direct course. When a goal is vague, it has limited motivational value. Research by Arvey, Dewhirst & Boling (1976) indicated that goal clarity was positively related to overall motivation and satisfaction in the workplace.

Set clear, precise and unambiguous goals that are implicit and can be measured. When a goal is clear in your mind, you have an improved understanding of the task at hand. You know exactly what is required and the resulting success is a further source of motivation.

3. Challenging

Goals must be challenging yet attainable. Challenging goals can improve performance through increased self-satisfaction, and the motivation to find suitable strategies to push our skills to the limit (Locke & Latham, 1990). Conversely, goals that are not within our ability level will not be achieved, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration.

We are motivated by achievement and the anticipation of achievement. If we know a goal is challenging yet believe it is within our abilities to accomplish, we are more likely to be motivated to complete a task (Zimmerman et al., 1992).

4. Task Complexity

Miner (2005) suggested that overly complex tasks introduce demands that may mute goal setting effects. Overly complex goals that lie out of our skill level may become overwhelming and negatively impact morale, productivity, and motivation.

The timescale for such goals should be realistic. Allowing sufficient time to work toward a goal allows opportunities to reassess the goal complexity, whilst reviewing and improving performance. Even the most motivated of people can become disillusioned if the task's complexity is too great for their skills.

5. Feedback

Goal setting is more effective in the presence of immediate feedback (Erez, 1977). Feedback - including internal feedback - helps to determine the degree to which a goal is being met and how you are progressing.

Unambiguous feedback ensures that action can be taken if necessary. If performance falls below the standard required to achieve a goal, feedback allows us to reflect upon our ability and set new, more attainable, goals. When such feedback is delayed, we cannot evaluate the effectiveness of our strategies promptly, leading to a potential reduction in the rate of progress (Zimmerman, 2008).

When we perceive our progress towards a goal as adequate, we feel capable of learning new skills and setting more challenging future goals.

8 Interesting Facts on Goal Setting

1. Setting goals and reflecting upon them improves academic success. Around 25% of students who enroll in 4-year university courses do not complete their studies - common explanations for this include a lack of clear goals and motivation. Goal setting intervention programs have been shown to significantly improve academic performance (Morisano, Hirsh, Peterson, Pihl, & Shore, 2010).

2. Goals are good for motivation and vice versa. Most definitions of motivation incorporate goals and goal setting as an essential factor, for example, "Motivation is the desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior." (Kleinginna & Kleinginna, 1981).

3. Goal setting is associated with achieving the optimal conditions for flow state. Setting clear goals that are both challenging yet within your skill level is a powerful contributor to finding yourself in 'the zone'.

4. An optimistic approach to goal setting can aid success. Research into goal setting among students indicates that factors such as hope and optimism have a significant impact on how we manage our goals (Bressler, Bressler, & Bressler, 2010).

5. Goals that are both specific and difficult lead to overall improved performance. Comparisons between the effect of non-specific goals such as "I will try to do my best" and specific, challenging goals suggest that people do not tend to perform well when trying to 'do their best'. A vague goal is compatible with multiple outcomes, including those lower than one's capabilities (Locke, 1996).

6. People with high efficacy are more likely to set challenging goals and commit to them. Individuals who sustain belief in their abilities under the pressure of challenging goals tend to maintain or even increase their subsequent goals, thereby making improvements to ensuing performances. Conversely, individuals who lack this confidence have a tendency to lower their goals (making them easier to achieve) and decrease their future efforts (Locke, 1996).

7. Social influences are a strong determinant in goal choice. While the impact of social influences on goal achievement may diminish with increased task-specific knowledge, social influences remain a strong determinant of goal choice (Klein, Austin & Cooper, 2008).

8. Goal setting is a more powerful motivator than monetary incentives alone. Latham & Locke (1979) found goal setting to be the major mechanism by which other incentives affect motivation. Within the workplace, money was found most effective as a motivator when the rewards offered were contingent on achieving specific objectives.

Research and Studies

A multitude of studies has shown that setting challenging yet attainable goals increases the prospect of pursuing and fulfilling ambitions. The setting of clear goals is more likely to close the gap between current ability and the desired objectives. With this in mind, let's look at some of the research related to goal setting.

Goal setting in teams - The increasing prevalence of team-based structures in the workplace encouraged research in goal setting within teams. Such research indicated structural differences between goal setting for individuals and for groups (Locke & Latham, 2013). Kozlowski & Klein (2000) suggested that while the effectiveness of individual and team goals may look similar when considering the final outcomes, the structure of the goal setting construct is very different.

In team-based structures, individuals must engage in interpersonal interaction and various other processes in order to accomplish the team's goal. Kristof-Brown & Stevens (2001) examined how perceived team mastery and performance goals affected individual outcome. Their findings suggested that agreement on team performance goals elicited greater individual satisfaction and contributions, regardless of goal strength.

Goal setting in virtual teams - Within virtual teams (work groups in which members collaborate remotely), designing interactions that encourage the setting of goals leads to the achievement of shared mental models (Powell, Piccoli, & Ives, 2004). The addition of intermediate goals in addition to final goals, and clearly articulating them, significantly improved task performance within virtual groups (Kaiser, Tuller, & McKowen, 2000).

Research by Powell, et al. (2004) suggested that virtual groups should employ a 'caretaker' - that is someone who is responsible for sharing goal-critical information. The inclusion of a 'caretaker' is a means of ensuring that each virtual team member's efforts are aligned with those of the group, that there is role clarity, and that each teammate's contribution advances the team toward its goals.

Goals and academia - The setting of educational goals in academia ensures learners have an unequivocal understanding of what is expected, which in turn aids concentration on the attainment of their goals (Hattie & Timperly, 2007).

Reis & McCoach (2000) suggested that specific characteristics are commonly associated with academic underachievement. These include low motivation, low self-regulation, and low goal valuation. For children, self-regulation and motivation are affected by perceived goal and achievement values. When a goal is valued, children are more likely to engage in, expend more effort on, and perform better on the task

Further research by McCoach and Siegle (2003) found that valuing a goal was a necessary prerequisite to one's motivation to self-regulate and to achieve in a scholastic environment. Additionally, students' beliefs in their efficacy for self-regulated learning influenced the academic goals they set for themselves and their final academic achievement (Zimmerman, 2008).

Neurological rehabilitation - Goal setting is at the core of many neurological rehabilitation therapies. Holliday, Ballinger, & Playford (2006) explored how in-patients with neurological impairments experienced goal setting and identified the issues that underpin individual experiences of goal setting.

Their findings suggested that within rehabilitative healthcare professions, it is vital that patients understand what is expected of them in order to ensure goal setting is a meaningful activity.

Goal setting in physical therapy - Goal setting is a traditional method used within the practice of physical therapy. Cott & Finch (1991) examined the potential use of goal setting in improving and measuring physical therapy effectiveness. The study suggested that active participation by the patient in the goal-setting process is of primary importance to the attainment of goals. That is, inclusion in the formation of goals rather than having them externally imposed is imperative.

An Explanation of How (and Why) Goal Setting Works

When done correctly, goal setting is effective and often critical to success. Goals give us direction by focusing attention on goal-relevant behavior and away from irrelevant tasks (Zimmerman, Bandura, & Martinez-Pons, 1992). Miner (2005) suggested that goal setting works through three basic propositions:

1. Goals energize performance through the motivation to expend the required effort in line with the difficulty of the task.

2. Goals motivate people to persist in activities over time.

3. Goals direct people's attention to relevant behaviors and away from behaviors which are irrelevant or detrimental to the achievement of the task.

As previously discussed goals that are specific and challenging lead to higher levels of performance. Locke & Latham (1990) suggested that these types of goal strategies work more effectively for the following reasons:

1. Specific and challenging goals are associated with higher self-efficacy (the belief in our own skills and abilities).

2. They require higher performance and more effort to elicit a sense of satisfaction.

3. Specific goals are less ambiguous in terms of what constitutes good performance.

4. Challenging goals are more likely to result in outcomes that are valued by the individual.

5. They encourage a tendency to persist with a task for longer.

6. The more specific and challenging the goal is, the more attention an individual will dedicate to it, often utilizing skills that have previously gone unused.

7. They motivate individuals to search for better strategies and to plan ahead.

Are there any Disadvantages?

While the advantages of goal setting are abundant, the process has potential drawbacks. If utilized incorrectly, goal setting has the potential to cause rather than solve problems. For example, if goals are used with a threat of negative consequences, and can be increased (Locke, 1996). Additionally, when there is a conflict between two or more goals, performance with respect to each goal may be undermined (Locke, Smith, Erez, Chah, & Shaffer, 1994).

Goal setting can be a useful tool to enhance interest in a task. However, if a goal is deemed arbitrary or unattainable, then dissatisfaction and poor performance may result. If difficult goals are set without proper quality controls, quantity may be achieved at the expense of quality (Latham & Locke, 2006).

Within the workplace, pressure for immediate results with no attention to how they are attained can trigger the use of expedient and ultimately costly methods such as dishonesty and high-pressure tactics in order to attain rapid results. As with any other management tool, goal setting works best when combined with good managerial judgment (Latham & Locke, 1979).

When tasks are complex in nature, it is crucial that the goal directive is unambiguous and that the skills of the individual are well-matched to the end goal. If the route to the goal is unclear, and there is a lack of relevant prior experience to refer to, individuals are forced to discover new strategies in order to reach their target.

While in some cases this can be done successfully, in others this may not be the case, particularly if the goals are specific and difficult. The reason appears to be that under this type of pressure, tunnel vision inhibits effective search procedures (Locke, 1996).

While there are disadvantages to goal setting, it is important to remember that, with sufficient foresight, these problems can be overcome or prevented entirely.

What Skills Does it Require?

There are some essential skills required for successful goal setting and achievement. The good news is they can be learned and developed through practice. If you cannot achieve the goals you have set, it is possible that the problem lies in one or more of these areas:

Planning - The old adage 'fail to plan, plan to fail' is applicable to successful goal achievement. Low-quality planning negatively affects performance in relation to goals (Smith, Locke, & Barry, 1990). Planning and organizational skills are integral to the goal achievement process. Through proper planning, we can prioritize and maintain focus on the task at hand, while avoiding extraneous distractions that can draw us away from the end goal.

Self-Motivation - Without the desire to achieve, our attempts at goal setting are doomed to fail. Motivation to achieve a goal encourages us to develop new techniques and skills in order to succeed (Locke, 2001). In more challenging circumstances, the motivation to keep going is a powerful contributor to goal attainment.

Time Management - Time management is a useful skill across many facets of life including goal setting. While setting goals are commonly considered to be a specific time management behavior (Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips, 1990), time management is also required in order to successfully accomplish a goal. If we do not properly consider the timescale required to attain a goal, we will inevitably fail.

Additionally, the time we allocate to planning our goals directly impacts task performance - the more time spent on the planning stage, the more likely we are to succeed (Smith, Locke, & Barry, 1990).

Flexibility - Inevitably, at some point, things aren't going to go as planned. Having the flexibility to adapt to barriers, the perseverance to sustain your efforts and to carry on in the face of adversity is essential to reaching your goal.

Self-regulation - An individual needs to regulate and manage their own emotions in order to promote their own personal and social goals. With developed Emotional Intelligence comes the ability to efficiently consider and describe motivational goals, aims, and missions (Mayer, 2004).

Commitment and Focus - If we are not committed to our goals, goal setting will not work (Locke, 2001). It is imperative that goals are important and relevant on a personal level, and that we know we are capable of attaining, or at the very least making substantial progress towards, a goal.

Different Areas Related to Goal Setting

Many areas related to goal setting significantly impact the end result - from the type of goal we set to the ways we in which we approach them. With this in mind, let's look at some of the areas related to goal setting and how they affect potential success.

Performance and Mastery

Achievement theorists have differentiated two types of achievement goals that characterize an individual's purpose for task engagement: mastery achievement goals which focus on the development of skills, and performance achievement goals which focus on the demonstration of ability (Ames & Archer, 1988).

Mastery goals encourage attempts to try and to improve. These skill-focused goals attribute outcomes to the effort put into a task, and construe obstacles as an indication that further learning is required. Within these types of goals, individuals are more likely to respond to failure by increasing future effort and seeking alternative strategies that can improve their skills (Butler, 2014).

Performance goals orient individuals to prove. These types of goals define and evaluate task competence relative to others. Performance goals attribute outcomes to ability or lack thereof. Setbacks are viewed as an indication of low ability and discourage the likelihood of asking for help so as to avoid exposing inadequacy (Butler, 2014).

Performance goals may create feelings of anxiety and interrupt task performance, whereas mastery goals promote involvement through self-evaluation and ongoing improvement. This suggests that mastery goals may provide a more positive effect on motivation and, in turn, goal achievement (Nichols, 1984).

While this is true in part, it is not so black and white. Elliot & Harackiewicz (1994) examined the effects of mastery and performance goals on intrinsic motivation. They discovered that mastery goals proved optimal for subjects with low achievement orientation, while performance goals reduced their interest in a task and led to poor performance. Conversely, high achievement oriented subjects showed positive reactions to performance-focused goals.

Prosociality

Much of the existing research inspired by achievement goal theory has focused on the workplace and academia. A separate line of inquiry suggested that goal setting not only contributes to a deeper understanding of achievement, but is also impacted by the interpersonal world of individuals. Peer acceptance and respect significantly affects how we choose and express goals (Covington, 2000).

The pursuit of social goals can help organize, direct, and empower individuals to achieve more fully. For example, the desire to achieve goals for the sake of the group is a well-known phenomenon, and it forms the basis for much of the success of cooperative learning (Hertiz-Lazarowitz et al 1992).

Self-Worth

Covington (1992) suggested that achievement goals adopted in an educational setting, whether mastery oriented or performance oriented, reflect an attempt to establish and maintain a sense of worth and belonging in a society that values competency and success.

In effect, individuals are widely considered to be as worthy as their ability to achieve. The fear of failure within this context can impact the attainment of goals. The grades students achieve and successes within the workplace are often the measure by which individuals judge their worth.

Approach vs Avoidance

While most achievement goal and intrinsic motivation theorists posit the existence of two primary goal orientations (mastery and performance), Elliot & Harackiewicz (1996) suggested that performance goals should be further partitioned into independent approach and avoidance orientations. When setting goals, individuals may aspire to attain competence or strive to avoid incompetence; we are driven either by a desire for success or a fear of failure (Lewin, Dembo, Festinger, & Sears, 1944).

3 Helpful Categories for Setting Healthy Goals

When it comes to setting goals, we can broadly identify the type of goal as falling into one of three categories. By doing so, we can set a goal in each category or set multiple goals within one category, allowing our focus to fall on specific or multiple areas that require particular attention.

Time Goals - Goals can be categorized into short-term or long-term. As the name suggests, short-term goals take relatively less time to achieve than longer-term goals. While there is no set definition to mark the transition between a short or long-term goal, we can think of goals which take between a day to a few weeks to achieve as short-term and goals expected to require a month or more as long-term goals.

Focus Goals - Focus goals are all about the big objectives, those potentially life-changing achievements you're aiming towards. These are goals that tend to fall into the long-term category and may include steps that require adaptations across multiple contexts.

For example, the goal of ' I will write and publish my first novel by the end of next year ' might entail the undertaking of training with respect to creative writing and research regarding self-publishing, a need to adjust your employment situation to allow adequate time to fulfill the goal with respect to the allotted deadline.

Topic-Based Goals - These goals fit neatly into a specific area of your life. Topic-based goals could relate to an aspect of your personal life, your career, or your finances.

For example, a financial goal could be to ' save $1,000 by the end of the year' while a personal goal might be to ' reduce my cholesterol level to X within 6 months '.

The categories of time, focus and topic are not mutually exclusive. Rather, goals are likely to fall into at least two categories. We may set ourselves a short-term financial goal of ' save 1/3 of next month's pay', or perhaps a long-term personal focus goal of ' get fit enough to compete in an iron man competition ' or any other combination thereof.

An Outline for Personal Goal Setting

Personal goal setting is a personal endeavor, only you know what you want to achieve. The following outline will help focus your attention on the personal goal setting process and guide you in the right direction for successful personal goal attainment.

Set three goals

It might be tempting to approach goal setting with gusto, and while enthusiasm is a good thing it is important not to rush into too much too soon. By limiting the number of goals you initially set there is less chance that you will become overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. Setting just a few initial goals will allow you to make a start on the journey while avoiding the negative emotions that accompany failure.

As you begin to achieve your objectives, try setting more challenging, longer-term goals to push your abilities even further. Once your goals are set, remember to review them regularly. When you begin the goal setting process it may be beneficial to revisit your progress daily or weekly depending on the goal.

Focus on short term goals

Initially, it is better to set short-term and more realistic goals. Setting short term goals such as " I will learn to make pancakes by next week " enables more frequent opportunities to review and acknowledge the achievement of goals. More frequent experiences of success result in greater positive emotions and increased motivation to set additional goals or a combination of short, medium and long-term goals.

Make your goals positive

Reframe negative goals such as " I want to stop eating so much junk food" into more positive terms like " I want to feel healthy and will change my diet in order to do so". With negative goals, the initial motivation often comes from a place of negativity, for example, " I want to stop eating so much junk food because I feel unattractive ". These negative connotations can lead to self-criticism and de-motivation.

Failure to achieve a positive goal is viewed as an indication that while we may have failed at least we are still on the right path.

3 Descriptions of Goal Setting in Practice

Psychological Health

Goal setting is a robust method of support for positive mental health (Rose & Smith, 2018). When considering the goals you would like to achieve in relation to psychological health, think about what you want to change and how you want to go about changing it. Achieving goals in any aspect of life can boost self-esteem and self-efficacy, leading to improvements in confidence and well-being.

Janet has been thinking about her well-being and wants to make changes to improve her mental health. Within this area, goals such as " I want to be happier" are too vague and will create barriers to achievement. Janet settles on the more specific goals of " I will do one thing every day that makes me happy ". This is much more realistic and can easily be reviewed.

Relationships

Canevello & Crocker (2011) suggested that goals contribute to the cycles of responsiveness between people and improve relationship quality. Interpersonal goal setting allows us to create higher quality relationships characterized by improved responsiveness that ultimately enhance relationship quality for everyone involved.

Toby decides he wants to spend more time with his family, after thinking about how he can do this he feels that the problem may be related to the many late nights he has been spending at work. Toby decides, " I will make sure I am home from work every night before the children go to bed ". While this may seem like a specific goal, there is still much ambiguity. What if he has to work late in order to meet a deadline? Both he and his children will feel disappointed and frustrated with this outcome.

After reviewing his goal, Toby makes some alterations and thinks that the goal, " I will make sure I am home from work 2 days a week so that I can see the children before bedtime ". By adding specifics, he has made his goal more achievable and measurable. On reviewing his goal progress, Toby might then decide to change his goal to three times per week if experience tells him this is attainable.

Financial

Money, or lack thereof, can massively influence our mental health and well-being (Mind, 2016). It is impossible to know what life will throw at you - illness, redundancy, unexpected expenditure. In this category, like many others, short term, smaller goals are often more likely to result in success. Perhaps you have debt that you want freedom from or even just a rainy day savings fund. Whatever your financial goal, small positive steps to taking control of your finances can make a big impact.

Jenny has been thinking about her finances and decides she wants to start building her savings. Rather than setting the vague goal, " I want to save money", she thinks in more detail about her objective and sets the goal " I will save $500 in the next 8 weeks ". By making the goal more specific and measurable, Jenny has improved the likelihood of actually achieving her goal. The goal can now be reviewed as and when she decides to and it will be clear if she is on track.

3 Goal Setting PDFs

This PDF: ' Workbook for Goal-setting and Evidence-based Strategies for Success ' provides an abundance of exercises and worksheets with the aim of teaching the reader the best practices for designing, pursuing and achieving important goals.

Compiled by Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP, author of ' Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide ', the 90+ page workbook provides a structured approach to guide readers towards successful goal setting.

This workbook/guide draws input from a number of areas, including work on "flourishing" from positive psychology founding father, Dr. Martin Seligman. It presents a thorough 6-theme process which guides readers to successful goal setting and provides an in-depth review of the underlying psychology.

Anxiety Canada's PDF ' Guide for Goal Setting ' provides a simple but effective guide on how to identify, set, and achieve realistic goals. The guide handily breaks down the process into easy-to-follow steps while prompting readers to view their future prospects in a positive light.

In brief, the guide is broken down into 5 steps:

1. Identify your goals with a focus on being realistic and specific.

2. Break down these goals into smaller steps.

3. Identify potential obstacles between you and your goals.

4. Build a schedule and allow adequate time to pursue goals.

5. Do it!

The guide's a really great way to dip your proverbial toe with regards to goal setting practices and represents a fantastic starting point if you're keen to jump right into the practice of goal setting.

The University of Exeter's PDF, ' Goal Setting ' for the physically impaired was compiled by BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist, Dr. Paul Farrand and associate research fellow, Joanne Woodford. The guide focuses on goal setting for individuals facing physical health problems.

Alongside goal setting advice, the guide contains worksheets with which individuals can track their progress.

How Often Should we Review Goals?

Once your goals are set, it is important to revisit and reassess them. Reviewing goals affords the opportunity to assess progress and to ensure they are still relevant.

While some goals can be achieved relatively quickly, others take time, patience and lasting motivation to continue. The frequency with which goals should be reviewed is very much dependent on the goal itself. What is more certain is that you should plan to review your goals regularly.

If, for example, you have set yourself smaller milestones to reach on the route to your final goal, it may be prudent to review these on a weekly basis. Being aware of your progress allows opportunities to alter your actions and goals so as not to undermine the hard work you have already put in. Perhaps things aren't quite going as planned, regular reviews allow you to reflect on the difficulty of the goals you have set. Is the goal more challenging than you expected? What can you improve upon to attain it?

Regular goal reviews ensure the goal is still relevant - is this still what you want to achieve? If you do not 'check in' on your progress, you can lose sight of your ultimate aim which will result in disappointment, frustration and less motivation to attain it than when you first began your journey.

Time-based goals such as learning a new language can take months or even years to complete. When working towards these types of long term goals, it is a good idea to break them down into more manageable targets that can be reviewed weekly.

Essentially, reviewing your goals ensures that you are monitoring your progress in relation to successes and failures. It gives you the chance to analyze the good and bad, so that you can regroup, build on that knowledge, and improve future goal setting strategies.

Are there any Golden Rules?

While perusing the abundance of literature available on the positive aspects of healthy goal setting, you may be wondering if there's an industry-accepted standard for the formation of goals.

The S.M.A.R.T. protocol offers a guide to help steer you towards setting goals that are suited to your abilities, timely, and measurable. If you are unsure of the goal setting process, the S.M.A.R.T framework offers a sense-check to ensure your goals are the best they can be.

S is for Specific
It's important to be as specific as possible when setting goals. This can make the difference between knowing what you are aiming for and how you'll get there versus being frustrated in the face of a seemingly insurmountable or open-ended goal.

Specificity in goal-setting can be achieved by looking at the what, why, where, when and how of a goal. What do I want to achieve? How will I get there? When should I have achieved this goal by?

Having a goal which can be quantified in some way makes it a lot easier to track your progress. Consider a 'get fitter' goal, how does one know when peak fitness has been achieved? We could be on the treadmill forever not knowing if our goal has been realized.

Amending the goal to, 'I want to get fitter so that I can take part in a half marathon' makes the goal more explicit, allowing for the continued evaluation of our progress towards achievement.

A is for Achievable/Attainable

Is the goal you have set actually achievable? Whilst humans are industrious, innovative, beings with massive potential for achievement, the goals we set need to be grounded in reality lest we set ourselves up for disappointment.

Working with the same 'get fitter' example, if you've never exercised in your life or perhaps suffer from some impairment to lower-body mobility it would be unrealistic to set a goal of say ' get fit enough to run an ultra-marathon by next week '.

Finding a balance between the effort required and the challenge posed can be tricky, the reward gained from goal attainment must be worth the effort put in.

Here we focus more intently on the subjective 'why'. Is the goal you've set something you actually want to achieve or does it stem from some external pressure? Do you really want to double the efficiency of your department at work? Would running a marathon provide fulfillment for you personally?

Like the dog chasing the car, when you finally reach your goal, is it going to be something you relish or will it represent an ineffective conclusion?

Deadlines maximize the reward versus time component of achieving a goal. For example, ' get fit enough to run a half marathon by the end of summer' includes a clear yet achievable timescale.
Setting a deadline that requires frantic learning or training in order to scramble towards a goal can turn the otherwise positive experience of setting goals into an unnecessarily stressful endeavor.

How can we Best Achieve Goals We Have Set?

Have you ever made a grand New Year's resolution only to find that by the middle of January, you've given up or forgotten all about it? Chances are, you set yourself a goal that was too general, too ambitious, or something you weren't entirely committed to. Incorporating healthy goal setting techniques is an excellent way to tackle these issues.

Write down your goals

It may seem like an unnecessary additional effort, but there is value in putting pen to paper. Write down your goals and think carefully about the steps involved to get there. The very act of writing something down improves recall (Naka & Naoi, 1995), and having a physical reminder of what you want to achieve means you can check-in and review it at any time.

Put a plan into action and review it regularly.

Consider the timescale in which you wish to achieve your target. If your goal is a particularly challenging one, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals that culminate in attaining your main goal.

Rather than saying "I want a promotion", consider the smaller steps that will help get you to that goal, "In the next 4 weeks I will commit to taking on a project I haven't tried before". Whatever you decide, ensure it is right for you.

Keep it specific and review your progress often

How we articulate goals to ourselves is integral to the outcome of our efforts. Rather than a blanket statement, more specific goals will be much more effective. Rethink your objectives by presenting them in more specific terms, then build on that.

Reward yourself for your successes, but don't punish yourself for failure.

This doesn't mean rewarding yourself with chocolate when you attain a healthy eating goal, rather an internal pat on the back. Acknowledge your success and revel in the positive emotions that accompany it.

It is important to be resilient in the face of adversity. Reassess your goals and make alterations when you feel it is necessary to do so.

It's great to shoot for the stars, but goal setting is more about what you can realistically accomplish rather than an idealistic vision of what you hope you can achieve.

7 Tips and Strategies

1. Brainstorm. Consider what you want to accomplish and be specific in your goals - really think about your core values and what outcome you are reaching for and write them down. Clear goals will ensure a comprehensive understanding of what is required in order to achieve them. Take the time to really reflect on what you want.

2. Create a 'Goal Tree'. This logical thinking process tool is an excellent way to maintain focus on your goal while considering the strategy you might use to achieve it. The very top of the tree is the end goal - your mission statement. On the next level is a maximum of five objectives that are critical to attaining your main goal. Under the objectives are the necessary conditions required to achieve each one. A Goal Tree is like a map to success, over time each step is color coded as it is completed, meaning that you can easily review your progress at a glance.

3. Be optimistic but realistic. If you set an unrealistic goal, it may well discourage you from continuing with your endeavor.

4. Evaluate your goals and reflect upon them. Feedback is superior to no feedback, and self-generated feedback is more powerful than externally generated feedback (Ivancevich & McMahon, 1982). After setting your goal, feedback is the best way to assess how well you are doing. Try setting up a schedule where you can 'check-in' on your progress every week - do you need to reassess and redefine your goal?

5. Intermittent reinforcement involves interspersing easier, more achievable goals among more challenging, difficult goals (Martin & Pear, 2019). The completion of each smaller goal becomes rewarding in and of itself, thus delivering the positive effect of success at regular intervals.

6. Tell others about your goals. When we share our goals we are more inclined to exhibit accountability and strengthened commitment. If you tell a friend about a goal you have set, how will you feel if they ask about it and you haven't been working towards it?

7. Believe in your abilities, but know that it's OK if things aren't going to plan. Reevaluating our progress and rethinking goals is all part of the process. Remember that any progress towards your goal is a good thing.

Take Home Message

We all have the capacity to adapt and to achieve our personal expectations. Through goal setting, we raise the bar in relation to our own potential and push ourselves to achieve things we only hoped were possible.

Have you incorporated any goal setting techniques to help you on your way to success? Or maybe you are tempted to make a start on your own plan? How are you going to turn your goal setting into goal getting? Let us know in the comments below.

References

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Arvey, R. D., Dewhirst, H. D., & Boling, J. C. (1976). Relationships between goal clarity, participation in goal setting, and personality characteristics on job satisfaction in a scientific organization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 61(1), 103-105.

Bressler, M., Bressler, L., & Bressler, M. (2010). The role and relationship of hope, optimism and goal setting in academic success: A study of students enrolled in online accounting courses. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal. 14. 37-51.

Butler, R. (2014). The Role of Gender in educational contexts and outcomes. Advances in child development and behavior, 47, 1-41.

Cott, C. & Finch, E. (1991). Goal-setting in physical therapy practice. Physiotherapy Canada, 43, 19-22.

Covington M.V. (1992). Making the Grade: A Self-Worth Perspective on Motivation and School Reform. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Covington, M.V. (2000). Goal theory, motivation, and school achievement: An integrative review. Annual Review of Psychology, 51, 171-200.

Elliot, A.J. & Harackiewicz, J.M. (1994). Goal setting, achievement orientation and intrinsic motivation: A mediational analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 968-980.

Erez, M. (1977). Feedback: A necessary condition for the goal setting-performance relationship. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 624-627.

Hattie, J. & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of educational research, 77, 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487

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Holliday, R. C., Ballinger, C., & Playford, E.D. (2007). Goal setting in neurological rehabilitation: Patients' perspectives, Disability and Rehabilitation. Reader in Occupational Therapy, 29, 389-394. DOI: 10.1080/09638280600841117

Ivancevich, J. M., & McMahon, J. T. (1982). The effects of goal setting, external feedback, and self-generated feedback on outcome variables: A field experiment. Academy of Management Journal, 25(2), 359-372.

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Zimmerman, B.J. (2008). Goal setting: A key proactive source of academic self-regulation. In Shunk, D.H. & Zimmerman, B.J. (Eds). Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning: Theory, Research, and Applications. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis.

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What is Goal Setting and How to Do it Well

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Last Updated on Do you ever feel like you're sleepwalking through life with no real idea of what you want? Perhaps you know exactly what you want to achieve, but have no idea how to get there. That's where goal setting comes in.

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This article talks about how materialistic things most of the time never lead to long term happiness. It shows how if you were to ask someone about what makes them happy it would be the same general statement of more money, a better job, or a new car but when research was done to see who the happiest people were it showed how people with too much money weren't as happy as people with just enough to get by with a little extra. This shows how when someone set goals like saving goals for something like a new car it proves to provide more happiness for that person rather than someone who can buy it outright without having to work for it leaving out the sense of achievement.

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If I were to ask you what makes you happy, you would probably have no problem providing me with at least a few answers - a new car, less body fat, a higher-paying job, a lottery win, a better 3k time, and so on. Answers to this question usually have a similar theme; i.e., our happiness depends on external circumstances (Lilienfeld et al., 2010).

You may be surprised to learn that materialistic things rarely determine long-term happiness. That which you have always assumed would make your life much more joyful may not actually improve long-term happiness. Happiness is determined by innate factors and perceptions, as well as experiences.

Albert Ellis claimed it was irrational to suggest that happiness was caused by external circumstances. According to Ellis, happiness depends on our interpretations of events.

British philosophers John Locke and Jeremy Bentham claimed that happiness is determined by the number of positive events experienced in life (Lilinefeld et al., 2010, & Eysenck, 1990). On the other hand, Eysenck says the No. 1 myth regarding happiness is that happiness is determined by the number and nature of pleasurable events experienced.

A study conducted by Kahneman and colleagues (2004) tracked the moods of 909 employed women. Their moods and activities were tracked by asking them to record the previous day's activities and experiences. The researches concluded that most major life circumstances (household income, jobs benefits) correlated minimally with moment-by-moment happiness. What did correlate strongly with happiness was sleep quality and proneness toward depression.

Money and Happiness

In order to be happy we need enough money to pay our bills and have a little room to purchase extras. There appears to be an income threshold where making more than this amount contributes very little to being happier.

Having a household income below $50,000 is moderately related to happiness. A household income above $50,000 results in a vanishing correlation between money and happiness. There is some data indicating that the income threshold may be a little higher or a little lower than $50,000.

Americans who earn $50,000 per year are much happier than those who earn $10,000 per year, but Americans who earn $5 million per year are not much happier than those who earn $100,000 per year. People who live in poor nations are much less happy than people who live in moderately wealthy nations, but people who live in moderately wealthy nations are not much less happy than people who live in extremely wealthy nations (Gilbert, 2007, p. 239).

Hedonic Treadmill

The hedonic treadmill hypothesis states that just as we adjust our walking or running speed to match the speed of the treadmill, we adjust our moods to match life's circumstances. Direct evidence for the hypothesis comes from studies investigating people who have experienced either extremely positive (group 1) or extremely negative (group 2) life events. People in Group 1 are happier than people in group 2, but often for very short times. Consider the following examples:

Big lottery winners report being super happy after winning the lottery. However, their happiness falls to baseline levels about two months later. People who become paralyzed from the waist down return to almost baseline levels of happiness within a few months after the accident (Silver, 1982; Lilienfeld et al., 2010).

Young professors who are denied tenure are very upset after receiving the news, but within a few years they are just about as happy as those young professors who received tenure. Negative events can sometimes produce life-long decreases in happiness. Divorce, loss of a loved one, or loss of a job can lead to permanent decreases in happiness (Diener et al., 2006).

Videos on Happiness

We do not know what makes us happy (but we think we do).

In this video Dr. Jennifer Aaker gives us a brief glimpse at what makes us happy, and what doesn't make us as happy as we might think. Aaker describes what she calls drivers of happiness. Some matter less than you think, and some matter more.

Drivers that matter less than you think include money, beauty, youth, intelligence and education. Those that matter more include self-esteem, social skills, free time, volunteering and humor.

Aaker suggests that money, beauty, intelligence and so on can make you happy, but generally this happiness dissipates rather quickly. She emphasizes the importance of volunteering, and its positive implications on happiness. She also points out people get happier as they age, and are happy when they have the perception that they can control their time.

Dan Gilbert discusses This Emotional Life, a PBS program he hosted. Gilbert offers an answer to the question "what causes happiness?" He points out that there is a set point for happiness, despite good or bad experiences. Humans are good at adjusting to their circumstances, and no matter what they experience they are likely to have a general level of happiness, independent of their experiences.

Gilbert suggests that we should be more skeptical when considering what causes happiness. Much of what we think we know about happiness is wrong.

In "This Emotional Life," Dan Gilbert says there are three key findings on the science of happiness:

1. we can't be happy alone

2. we can't be happy all the time

3. we can be happier than we are currently

Humans are social animals; we need to socialize. The biggest predictor of happiness is the extent of our social relationships. A primary reason that our brains have evolved in the manner they have is so we can be social.

Gilbert says "friendless people are not happy." It is not realistic, nor is it desirable to be happy all the time. Negative emotions are natural. When considering negative emotions, what is important is learning to appropriately regulate those potentially damaging thoughts. Being happy all the time implies epistemic irrationality (holding beliefs that are not commensurate with available evidence).

With a few minor changes you can probably be happier than you currently are. This adjustment doesn't require much effort, and may be easier than you think.
References
Diener, E., Lucas, R. E., & Scollon, C. N. (2006). Beyond the Hedonic Treadmill: Revisions to the adaptation theory of well-being. American Psychologist, 61, 305- 314.

Eysenck, M. (1990). Happiness: Fact and myths. Hove, UK: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Gilbert, D. (2007). Stumbling on to Happiness. New York: Vintage Books.

Kahneman, D., Kruger, A., Schkade, D., Schwartz, N., & Stone, A. (2004). A survey method for characterizing daily life experience: The Day Reconstruction Method (DRM). Science, 306, 1776-1780.

Lilienfeld, S., Lynn, S., Ruscio, J,.& Beyerstein, B. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Silver, R. L. (1982). Coping with an undesirable life event: A study of early reactions to physical disability. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.

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If I were to ask you what makes you happy, you would probably have no problem providing me with at least a few answers -- a new car, less body fat, a higher-paying job, a lottery win, a better 3k time, and so on.

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How many people in America are truly happy?

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How many people in America are truly happy?

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This article talks about how only 1/3rd of the population is truly happy and people with different backgrounds and income are happier than the people working an average 9-5 job. More importantly the article shows how people who are okay with themselves are happier in particular people with high school diplomas or less of education or a high income household, two opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of state of living but similar in how happy they are. Another interesting thing that the article said is how gender can affect happiness it showed that men are more happy than women but more frustrated at work.

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By many accounts, Americans are living in contentious times. Yet they report being happier in 2017 than they were in 2016, according the 2017 Harris Poll Survey of American Happiness, shared exclusively with TIME.

That's not to say that Americans are especially happy overall; only 33% of Americans surveyed said they were happy. In 2016, just 31% of Americans reported the same.

Happiness Guide

The Harris Poll, which has been conducting a happiness survey for the last nine years, surveyed 2,202 Americans ages 18 and older in May 2017. The survey was not designed to measure why Americans are or are not happy, but John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll, has some ideas.

"It's really interesting that Americans' overall happiness went up from last year-a year of alt-facts, mean tweets and robots coming for our jobs," Gerzema says. "Either people are becoming immune to the news, or there's a promise of change for so many Americans that felt alienated."

The people who reported being the happiest were men and women in high-income households and those with a high school diploma or less. Republicans and Democrats experienced similar increases in happiness levels (but Republicans tend to report higher happiness levels overall, Gerzema says).

Overall, men reported a greater increase in happiness levels compared to women, though they were more likely to say they were frustrated at work. Millennials were the most likely to say they were optimistic about their future: 79% said they were. However, 77% said they worried about finances, and slightly more than half said they were frustrated with their career. Despite the back and forth over health care changes, 53% of Americans surveyed said they rarely worry about their health, up from 48% in 2016.

Some of the biggest changes were in how people felt about their spiritual lives. In the survey, 71% of Americans said their spiritual beliefs were a positive guiding force to them, compared to 66% in 2016. Americans also say they feel close to their relatives; 86% said they have positive relationships with their family members. "One hypothesis is that we are trying to control what we can," says Gerzema. "Maybe we are turning off cable news and turning back into our families and communities and faith."

MORE: Being Generous Really Does Make You Happier

Americans have never been the happiest bunch, Gerzema says. In the nine-year history of the happiness poll, the highest happiness index was 35% in 2008 and 2009.

Distraction and a lack of control may be part of the reason why only about a third of Americans say they are happy, Gerzema says. Close to 40% of Americans said in 2017 that they rarely engage in hobbies and pastimes they enjoy, and 75% said that "my voice is not heard in national decisions that affect me."

"To me, it feels like a cultural lack of presence," says Gerzema. "We are so caught up in our texting, multitasking, jobs and commutes that we seem to have less and less free time. Older people age 65+ are the happiest."

Despite the happiness gap, the majority of Americans remain hopeful, and 72% say they feel optimistic about the future. "We are not that happy, but perhaps that's ok," says Gerzema. "Optimism, but not necessarily happiness, seems to be part of the American psyche. Perhaps we wear it like a coat of arms."

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Here's How Happy Americans Are Right Now

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By many accounts, Americans are living in contentious times. Yet they report being happier in 2017 than they were in 2016, according the 2017 Harris Poll Survey of American Happiness, shared exclusively with TIME. That's not to say that Americans are especially happy overall; only 33% of Americans surveyed said they were happy.

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This article talks about how the key to staying happy is knowing and understanding your own feelings. A quote from it shows a lot is "We need to water our personal selves like we water plants" it shows how by checking in with ourselves and writing down feelings we can realize whats truly going on in our lives and come to terms with how life is.

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What would I say to you, over cappuccinos and biscotti, if you told me that you have trouble with creating a new habit and then consistently following through?

Consistency is tough for 99.9% of the people on the planet. It involves knowing what habit you want to change, knowing how to change it, and then changing it, which are three steps that can feel almost super-human.

When I first started working with my coach a decade ago, he told me from session #1 about the value of daily practices-and I resisted it. Daily practices? Ugh. I'd been inspired before to begin new daily routines, and I'd started and stopped, or just never started. Sometimes I'd leave a session with my coach all lit up and ready to go on those daily practices...starting tomorrow, of course. You know how that always goes.

Consistency: Such a draaaaag, man.

I didn't get consistent mostly because consistency felt like such a drag. Instead of seeing these daily practices as something that would help me, they felt like "another thing" that I had to figure out how to fit into my day. My thinking: I didn't have the time. They probably wouldn't do much of anything, anyway. I'd tried this before and failed, so nothing would be different, this time.

And then, after two years of working with my coach and never doing the damned daily practices, I "got" it. I finally understood that if I continued to go to sessions with him and not actually follow through on what he was saying might help me, then I was wasting money, wasting my own time, and furthermore-it was a new year, same old issues.

Choosing not to do daily work to change negative habits into positive habits, I was actively conspiring in my own suffering, in my own life not getting better.

Consistency: But how?

I wanted to get consistent with these practices. "Trying to remember" wasn't cutting it. So in the back of my Moleskine notebook I created a checklist. I checked it every single day. The daily practices he was asking me to undertake involved things like gratitude, daily joy, an integrity check-in with myself, acknowledging myself, and more (all practices that I've integrated into the Courageous Living Program), and he was suggesting spending just a minute or two on each of them. Total time to complete: 30 minutes, sometimes less.

I kept up with this practice of ticking off practices in the back of my Moleskine for the better part of a year. After a year, I no longer needed to visit the checklist to keep myself accountable. It was part of my life, now, to turn to gratitude, or to ask myself how I might step into more integrity, or to deliberately find laughter in my day.

Sometimes I'd joke with my coach: So this stuff really works, and it was available to me, the whole time?

Yes, it was.

Consistency, thou art a virtue

Sometimes people think of personal growth as a perfectionistic end-point: you do the work, you never again have the...fear, the triggers, take it personally, doubt yourself.
That's never been my experience.

My experience is that we need to water our personal selves much like we water plants. You might think you'll get the a-ha moment where you're forever changed, but in my experience, it's like AA: It works when you work it!

So checklists, vision boards, accountability partners, whatever-however you want to do it, make it consistent.

It's not about whether or not you have time ( if you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to make the time). It's not about whether or not you know what to do (if you get honest with yourself, you really do know what you want and how to get there). It's not about whether or not consistency works (because if you get real, you KNOW that consistency works).

It's about a choice to step into consistently practicing the things that make your life feel better.

Consistency isn't a shackle; it's a pathway to feeling goooood.

I've been #RockingMyTools (that's the hashtag I've been using) and feeling a shit-ton more joy. I'm humming as I walk, rolling with it when a challenge arises, and saying "no" to the things that I don't want to do, without fear.

This is what consistency creates. It nurtures. It creates a container for something to grow.
It's only fear that would push the illusion of waiting for it to be perfect, waiting for the big A-ha!

If you want life to feel better now, choose to start a set of tools that make it feel better-now. If you want to start consistently feeling happy , then you've got to do the things that consistently bring about happiness.

It doesn't get any more straightforward than that.

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consistently feeling happy - Your Courageous Life

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What would I say to you, over cappuccinos and biscotti, if you told me that you have trouble with creating a new habit and then consistently following through? Consistency is tough for 99.9% of the people on the planet.

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Happiness is defined as the willingness to do something new or the feeling of accomplishment after doing something you're passionate about. This article makes a great point at illustrating how when you think about it if you just sit at home and do nothing all day are you truly happy?

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What's your definition of happiness? Research in the field of positive psychology often defines a happy person as someone who experiences frequent positive emotions, such as joy, interest, and pride, and infrequent (though not absent) negative emotions, such as sadness, anxiety, and anger (Lyubomirsky et al., 2005). Happiness has also been said to relate to life satisfaction, appreciation of life, and moments of pleasure, but overall it has to do with the positive experience of emotions.

The key to these definitions is that positive emotions do not indicate the absence of negative emotions. A "happy person" experiences the spectrum of emotions just like anybody else, but the frequency with which they experience the negative ones may differ. It could be that "happy people" don't experience as much negative emotion because they process it differently or they may find meaning in a way others have not. In fact, using the phrase "happy person" is probably misleading because it implies that certain people are naturally happy or that positive things happen to them more often. Nobody is immune to life's stressors. The question is whether you see those stressors as moments of opposition or moments of opportunity.

Regardless of where you are on the happiness spectrum, each person has their own way of defining happiness. Philosophers, actors, politicians, and everybody in between have weighed in on their own view of happiness. Read some of our favorite definitions below and let us know what resonated with you.

Shirley MacLaine, Academy Award winner, said:

"To be happy, you have to be willing to be compliant with not knowing."

Michael J. Fox said:

"My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations."

Mastin Kipp, the founder of Daily Love, said:

"I don't expect to always be happy, I simply accept what is. And that acceptance is key. This is what self-love is all about, really, acceptance and the ability to love yourself right where you are."

Aristotle said:

"Happiness is a state of activity."

Dr. Shefali Tsabary, psychologist and author, said:

"Only when we fill our own need and feel satiated from within can we truly be fulfilled and happy."

Eleanor Roosevelt said:

"Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. My answer was: A feeling that you have been honest with yourself and those around you; a feeling that you have done the best you could both in your personal life and in your work; and the ability to love others."

What's great about all these definitions is that commonalities start emerging. Shirley MacLaine and Michael J. Fox tell us to accept life's situations and to accept uncertainty as a natural part of life. Mastin Kipp tells us it's OK to not strive to be happy, but accept whatever we're feeling. He hints at an important concept, which is that we so often try to fix things and to be "happy" or "at peace" or "over a situation," but sometimes we need to acknowledge what we're feeling (whatever that is). What you often find is that acknowledgment will allow you to move into the "happy space" more quickly because your emotions aren't trying to get your attention. Your emotions aren't screaming at you, telling you that you're sad or angry. You've already begun the work of processing it.

Lastly, Aristotle shares a crucial part of happiness, which is staying active. How many "happy" people do you know who sit at home all day, every day? They might be content, but are they truly thriving? Happiness is often found in the doing of what you're passionate about and in building connections that are meaningful to you. Research has supported this with findings showing that strong social support is correlated with a number of positive outcomes. You might be in a rut now and you might have moments where you lose your connection to life, but you always have the opportunity to rebuild that connection.

So now it's your turn to begin finding the happiness in you. What brings you joy? Maybe it's a night in watching TV. Maybe it's a night out at a new restaurant in town. Maybe it's staying up late with your significant other. Maybe it depends on your mood. Wherever your happiness resides, go enjoy it. And tell us which of these definitions of happiness resonated with you most. Leave a comment and let us know how you define happiness.

Dr. Rubin Khoddam is a Clinical Psychologist currently working in private practice in Los Angeles, CA as well as at the West Los Angeles VA as the Team Lead in the residential rehabilitation program for individuals dealing with issues related to substance use and homelessness. Dr. Khoddam currently provides individual, couples and family therapy, as well as group therapy. He also runs the IMPROVE: Outpatient Substance Use Treatment Program, a low-demand, harm reduction substance use treatment program for individuals hoping to decrease their substance use or examine the impact of their substance use in their life. For more information, visit his site www.DrRubinKhoddam.com and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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What's your definition of happiness? Research in the field of positive psychology often defines a happy person as someone who experiences frequent positive emotions, such as joy, interest, and pride, and infrequent (though not absent) negative emotions, such as sadness, anxiety, and anger (Lyubomirsky et al., 2005).

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What does it mean to be happy and how does someone sustain happiness