Goals and Happiness What makes you happier than anything else you do? Where does real contentment come from? If you understand and apply the following definition of happiness, you also open the door to unlimited success for yourself, your family and your group. "Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals. There is an instant of contemplation of the last goal in which one is content. But contentment becomes boredom immediately when new goals do not come to view. There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life." — L. Ron Hubbard Examine how three facts, from this definition of happiness, make happiness come and go in your life. 1. "There is an instant of contemplation of the last goal in which one is content."
Think of goals you have reached in the past. Remember how you felt on your wedding day or when you graduated from school or a training course? In each case, you achieved a goal! Remember those times when you were content with life? Maybe when you started a business or landed a great job? When you paid off your debts? At every point in your life when you felt content or happy, you can probably find you were either making progress toward a goal or had reached a goal 2. "But contentment becomes boredom immediately when new goals do not come to view."
Without a new goal, you get bored. Boredom leads to stress and misery. For example, planning a vacation is exciting. But toward the end of a vacation many people are bored to tears as they no longer have a goal. Arguments during honeymoons are common if the newlyweds do not set goals for their marriage.Planning your retirement and the first day of retirement is a thrill. But the joy of freedom quickly turns to boredom and early death if you do not work on new goals. "There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life." Think of a time you were very bored. Had you completed a major goal without starting a new one? Look at other times you were bored. Examine your goals, or lack of goals, at those times.
3. "Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals."
We can use this definition to understand unhappiness as well. When were you last unhappy? In each case, you probably 1) had no goal, 2) were trying to reach an undesirable goal, or 3) you were making no progress toward a goal.Using the definition of happiness makes happiness easy to achieve. Simply chose desirable goals and make progress toward them! Exercises
The following steps will help you put this definition of happiness to use.
1. List goals you have not yet reached. Small goals, large goals, old goals, failed goals and current goals. Make a very complete list. 2. Circle those goals that interest you the most. Drop out the goals that do not excite you as you can’t reach a goal unless it interests you.
However, if an uninteresting goal is vital for you to reach, find ways to get excited about that goal. Examine the goal’s benefits. For example, maybe the goal to "Pay off all debts" does not thrill you until you examine the benefits:Save $5319 in interest this year, financial freedom, less anxiety. If you cannot find any benefits of the goal, eliminate it.
3. Add new, desirable goals. Push the envelope of your self limitations and set goals you really, really want. What are your greatest desires?
If you had unlimited time, money and support, what would your life be like? What would you do?
What would you have?
If you knew you could accomplish ANYTHING, what would your goals be?
Add these goals to the list.
4. Line up your goals in a logical sequence.
The better your goals align with each other, the more likely you will reach them. For instance, if you have a goal to travel the world for six months this year and another goal to make more money this year than ever before, you might have problems.
However, if you line up your goals, your odds of success are better because your focus is constant. Example of aligned goals: "Finish my training program so I can double my productivity and income." "Help my husband lower our monthly debts so we can spend more time with the kids." "Delegate all of my sales activities to the sales manager so I can open a new office." 5. To complete the procedure and become happier, you now need to start making progress toward your goals.
Big steps or baby steps, any progress is progress.
Plan out next week.Plan out the month of January. Plan your best year ever.
Make a new habit of reviewing your goals each day to keep your attention and efforts aligned with your goals. At the start of each day, ask yourself: What can I do today to make progress toward my goals? The more progress you make toward your most desired goals, the happier and more successful your new year will be! The difference between a goal and a dream is the written word.
-Gene Donohue What is your vision of success? The image is different for each of us. For one person it's having the corner office, for another it's having a flexible schedule with plenty of time off to be with their kids. But, whatever your dream, setting goals will help you make it come true.
Setting goals is more than making vague statements like, "I will find a new job" or "I will increase my business." It means creating a written plan that includes reasonable and measurable long term and short-term objectives. It means setting SMART goals.
Lots of coaches and consultants use the SMART acronym to explain goal setting. Each one uses a slightly different set of criteria. In this case,
SMART refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic andTime Framed. Specific: Goals need to be something specific. Often we set goals that are so lose, it's nearly impossible to judge whether we hit them or not. For example, a statement like "I will lose weight" is too vague. How will you know if and when you've reached your goal? Saying, " I will lose five pounds this month" is more specific. At the end of the month it will be a simple matter of weights and measures: take your measurements and get on the scale.
Measurable: Goals need to be measurable. For example, many of us want to increase our number of contacts. But, "making new contacts" is an ambiguous statement. A clearer objective is "I will attend four networking events each month and try to connect with one person at each." It's a simple, concrete goal. This makes it easy to see if you hit your target.
Achievable: Goals need to be reasonable and achievable. Nearly everyone has tried to drop a few pounds at one time or another. Often their success or failure depends on setting practical goals. Losing 15 pounds in 30 days is unrealistic (unless you're planning a medical procedure). Losing six to eight pounds in 30 days is reasonable. Don't set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach.
Realistic: Goals need to be realistic. When we're kids we think we can do anything. As adults we learn that while we can have a lot, we can't have it all at the same time. It's important to honestly evaluate yourself. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true? Or does it need a little adjustment? For example, you may love to play tennis, but do you have thetime, talent and commitment to become a pro? Be honest.
Time Framed: Goals need to have a time frame. Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. For example, many of us want to find a new job or start their own business. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do, someday. But, without an end date there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the impetus to get started. It also helps you monitor your progress.
Making it Yours
Setting goals is more than deciding what you want to do. It involves figuring out what you need to do to get where you want to go. And how long it will take you to get there.
Now you know the fundamentals of goal setting. Keep the SMART acronym in mind to help you remember the basics. The next step is translating this process to fit your needs.
Get started today by determining what you want. Once you know what you want you're ready to create your goals. Start with your long-term objectives. These are things you want to accomplish by the end of the year. Next, establish short-term goals. These include monthly, weekly and even daily targets that will move you toward your long-term objectives.
Be careful not to push yourself to hard or two fast. While successful people know you have to stretch your talents to grow, they also know it's important to set reasonable goals. Always be your own best friend. Never set yourself up for failure. The first step to success is knowing where you want to go.
The second step is having a plan to get there.
Your goals are your road map. Follow them and you'll be well on your way.