Why “Happiness” Shouldn’t Be One of Your 2013 Goals

Everyone wants happiness. Happier people are healthier and more successful at life and business.

However, focusing on (or rather, obsessing about) happiness can make you less happy according to a few studies on the subject. That’s because the constant desire to attain something and not seeing immediate results will keep us further from that elusive goal.

I have been blogging a lot on my personal blog about SuperBetter, the gamification app. It was created by game developer Jane McGonigal. She came up with the idea after a traumatic brain injury kept her bedridden and on the verge of suicide. Her TED talk,
“The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years Of Life”, on the concept is powerful.

“Gamification,” put simply, is turning ordinary activities into a game to encourage follow-through.

I consider it a “productivity” app, because it is essentially a daily to-do list that has helped me appreciate life more. This has helped me get things done.

Today’s “quest” involves seeking other elements of life that trump happiness but slyly give you joy as well.  So for 2013, I choose to focus on the following:

• Compassion – This means being better suited to handle conflict with others, especially the ones I care about the most

• Gratitude – Being deeply thankful is the heart of happiness. Without gratitude, life is constantly meaningless.

• Autonomy – Living in a new state and far away from my family and having a new hubby can be very difficult. So this one is vital to sustain true happiness.

Those are my goals of what I choose to attain over 2013. You can also choose:

• social interaction
• meaningful contribution
• curiosity

Where do you want to grow in 2013? Talk to me below.

Image Credit – *Sally M*