Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, explains the results of thousands of scientific studies in positive psychology on happiness. He explains that setting goals out in the future and working towards them doesn’t work.
The goalposts keep moving
“If success causes happiness, then every employee who gets a promotion, every student who receives an acceptance letter, everyone who has ever accomplished a goal of any kind should be happy. But with each victory, our goalposts of success keep getting pushed further and further out, so that happiness gets pushed over the horizon.”
Happiness comes first
In fact, the research shows that happiness is not achieved because you reached a goal: a grateful, resilient, positive outlook is what allows people to reach their goals.
Frequently asked questions
Does success make you happy?
According to the research Shawn Achor describes, no: each victory pushes the goalposts further out. A grateful, resilient, positive outlook is what helps people reach their goals.