Do you set goals, make resolutions or plan how you’d like the new year to unfold?
We can’t control outcomes but we can make daily decisions that align with our values and contribute to a fulfilling life. In fact research confirms that we feel happiest when we’re working towards meaningful goals—not when we attain them. It isn’t results that enliven us, it’s rising to the challenges that our goals require us to master.
As a species, we never seem to be satisfied. Achieving an ambition or satisfying a desire brings short term pleasure but we soon become restless for the next thing. And the next.
So what’s the key to long term contentment and fulfilment?
Don’t be in a hurry to tick things off your list. Savour the striving and burgeoning self-awareness that comes with doing what stretches you and gives you a sense of purpose. Do things that absorb you in the moment so that the moment itself is fulfilling. That’s when we thrive and come alive. And that’s when we connect most deeply and authentically with our fellow humans.
So what gives you a sense of meaning and purpose? What brings you closer to the people you love? Your answers to these questions are the keys to your health and happiness.
