Setting Goals That Actually Bring Happiness
When most of us think about goals, we often frame them as tasks to check off a list or achievements to chase. But goal-setting is much more than that, it’s about creating a life that feels meaningful and brings authentic happiness.
Before diving into future goals, it’s worth pausing to reflect:
What goals have you set for yourself recently?
Did you achieve them?
Did your priorities or circumstances shift, requiring adjustments along the way?
If you achieved your goals, that’s something to celebrate! It is a sign of commitment and follow-through. And if you didn’t, please be kind to yourself. Life isn’t always about constant growth or dramatic transformation. Sometimes, simply maintaining balance or making it through a difficult season is an achievement in itself.
Keep going, you’re doing your best, and that’s enough!
Why Goal Setting Matters for Happiness
Goal-setting isn’t just a productivity hack. It directly contributes to our well-being. According to positive psychology, happiness is influenced by five key elements: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement.
When you set and work toward meaningful goals, you naturally build on these elements:
Positive Emotions: Achieving milestones brings joy, pride, and satisfaction.
Meaning: Goals give your life direction and purpose.
Engagement: Pursuing goals encourages you to stay active, present, and involved.
Relationships: Some goals strengthen your connections with the people who matter most.
Achievement: Reaching your goals boosts self-esteem and confidence.
Even setbacks can serve a purpose, they give you opportunities to practice resilience, adaptability, and a growth mindset.
Why Many Goals Fail
It’s common for people to set goals with good intentions but later abandon them. Often, this happens for two main reasons:
Lack of intentionality: The goal wasn’t truly meaningful to them.
Vagueness: Without a clear plan for execution, it’s easy to lose focus.
That’s why before you commit to a goal, it helps to pause and ask yourself:
Am I choosing this goal for myself, or because I feel pressured?
What outcome do I truly want?
How will achieving this improve my life and happiness?
Sometimes the most valuable goal isn’t about leveling up but maintaining balance. Maintenance is a valid goal. Maybe you’re in a season where the priority is simply preserving your well-being, not adding new challenges, and that’s okay.
Digging Deeper: Finding Goals That Matter
Instead of settling for vague, surface-level goals, get to the root of what you really want.
For example:
“I want to exercise” → “I want to feel more confident in my body and have energy to enjoy life.”
“I want to spend more time with family” → “I want to connect deeply with people who make me feel loved and supported.”
“I want to save money” → “I want to feel secure and reduce financial stress.”
By connecting your goal to a deeper why, it becomes more meaningful and more likely to keep you motivated.
Making Goals Achievable: The SMART Framework
Once you’ve chosen a meaningful goal, structure it for success using the SMART method:
Specific: Clearly define your goal.
Measurable: Identify how you’ll track progress.
Achievable: Ensure it’s realistic within your timeframe.
Relevant: Align it with your values and long-term priorities.
Time-framed: Set a clear deadline.
Example SMART Goal:
Goal: Use social media in a more meaningful way.
Smart Goal Statement: Over the next 12 months, I will reshape my social media use by curating my feed to promote positivity and learning. I will unfollow 5 negative accounts and follow 5 positive accounts in the first week, and I will track my mood and learning after each session. My aim is to improve my average post-scrolling mood rating by at least 3 points within 6 months and maintain that improvement by the end of 12 months.
This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, making it far more sustainable than a vague resolution like “spend less time on social media.”
Specific:
I will improve the quality of my social media use by unfollowing accounts that drain my energy and intentionally following accounts that inspire, motivate, or educate me.
Measurable:
I will unfollow at least 5 negative accounts and follow at least 5 positive accounts within the first week. I will then track my experience by journaling after each session, recording:
My mood before and after scrolling (rated 1–10).
One thing I learned.
One way I can apply what I saw to my life.
Achievable:
This is realistic because it builds on my existing habit of using social media, but shifts it toward a healthier and more intentional practice instead of requiring me to quit altogether.
Relevant:
This goal supports my values of positivity, growth, and protecting my mental well-being. It also aligns with my long-term priority of creating a happier, more intentional daily life.
Time-Framed:
I will review my progress at the end of each month, aiming to see a consistent increase in my “after scrolling” mood rating by 3 points on average within 6 months, and I will fully evaluate success at the 12-month mark.
Final Thoughts
Setting goals isn’t about proving yourself or achieving perfection. It’s about aligning your life with what truly matters, giving yourself direction, and building habits that contribute to your long-term well-being.
When you approach goals with intention, clarity, and structure, they become more than boxes to check, they become steppingstones toward authentic happiness.