SMART Goals for
a Happy Life
Is that SMART goals as in Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Realistic and Timely? You might think that sounds very
analytical for something as subjective as happiness, but choosing
happiness over ambition requires clear and conscious decision making.
A recent
review of happiness research shows that the happiest people
make a little less and have fewer degrees than those who were only
moderately happy. It seems that moderately happy people are always
striving for more, looking to fill the gap, full of ambition. They may
achieve higher status, more education and larger paychecks, but they
never get any happier. Happy people live comfortably and live longer.
They have more friends, they give more back to their community, and
they enjoy the ride. So, how do you switch tracks if you are successful
enough and now want to be happier?
SMART Goals and Happiness
According
to Daniel Gilbert, a research
psychologist and author of the book Stumbling
on Happiness, you start by adjusting your expectations or
goals downward. Our happiness is directly proportional to how well we
meet our own expectations. When we aim high and fall short of the goal,
we are disappointed and unhappy.
Dr.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi agrees. He studied how people used
their time then looked for the happiest people. He found that the
people who regularly did activities that challenged them, but were
within reach were the happiest. These people regularly experienced a
state called Flow, the kind of peak experience where you do everything
right and everything fits into place. Athletes often call the state of
flow being in the Zone. Spending more time in flow is one of the ways
we can increase our overall life satisfaction.
These researchers agree that your goals are key to
your happiness. The key to a happy and successful life is to balance
your goals with your capabilities so you are challenged to grow, but
not overwhelmed.
Here are 3 ways that SMART goals help you to be happier
by increasing flow in your life.
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- Specific. One of elements of
flow is a clear objective. This helps us focus for better performance
and for that sense of challenge that is so important to at state of
flow. It is important to set the goal appropriately so it includes lots
of people, good relationships, reliance on our strengths and the things
we like to do, and value on happiness itself.
- Measureable. We perform
better and are more likely to feel flow when we keep score. A
measurable goal gives us a way to do that.
- Achievable, Realistic, Timely.
When we think through a goal to make sure that it can be achieved, even
if it is a bit of stretch we feel challenged and happy. When we take on
an important goal without the confidence that we can achieve it we feel
stress and worry. Planning how we will meet our goal enough to feel
confident is a key to flow.
The act of writing out a goal can be helpful in increasing
happiness as well. Often our expectations are vague and formed
unconsciously. When we write them down, it is easier to spot an
unrealistic expectation and either adjust the goal or the plan to
achieve it to bring us back into a healthy challenge.
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SMART goals are not just the secret of success,
they are a key to a happy life.
Smart
Goals for a Happy Life is part of a series on setting goals. The other
article is Set Your Goals for Peace, Love and Happiness.
Set SMART goals with our FREE goal setting forms!
- Make sure your goals align with
your values for peace, love and happiness.
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- SMART Goals Worksheet.
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