How to set goals that actually make you happy.

By Jena Griffiths | January 1, 2013

With a New Year starting, thought you might like this great video from Brian Johnson on
how to set goals that actually make you happy.

His main point?
Success is a by-product of happiness not the other way round.
So build happiness into your goals by orientating towards intrinsic rather than extrinsic goals.
Meaning contribution to family or society, building deeper relationships or growing as a person. Rather than wealth, fame etc.

How to be more happy?

Here are some methods from Brian:
1. Meditation changes your DNA. Set a goal for this even if it is only 1 minute per day.
2. Keep a daily gratitude journal. (I do this. It’s fantastic.)
3. Avoid comparisons – the only thing you should think about other people is how to celebrate their success.
4. Build your will power – surprisingly slow breathing helps.
5. Exercise – not exercising is like taking a depressant! (Ma ke sure one of your goals is related to how often you get out and walk, run, row, swim….)
6. Put your virtues (strengths) into action and use them to serve others.
Strengths? eg creativity, hope, gratitude, bravery, leadership,
perspective…. (your hands can help you here).
7. Create happiness rituals.
8. Set goals for all your roles. eg your role as a mother or brother
or partner.
9. Begin with the end in mind. On your deathbed, what would you like
to be remembered for? What would you regret if you didn’t do it?

Here are 2 more paths to happiness that I’ve recently discovered.
1. Mythologize don’t pathologize. If something has happened in your life to break your world in two. Betrayal, scandal, whatever.
Step back and look at your life from a broader perspective. How is this your Hero’s journey? How is this serving you and the world in general? How does this help you sing your unique song or offer your unique gift to others? This wisdom comes from Jean Houston via Marc Gafni and his incredible book Unique Self. This is what Jean recommended Marc do when his world came tumbling down. Thanks to Jean, Gafni, an Israeli rabbi, stepped up to a larger worldwide platform with a book that could quite possibly reconcile and heal all the world’s religions.
2. Fill the last 30 minutes of your day with only positive things –
eg your gratitude journal, thinking or writing about what went right today or your goals, hopes and dreams.
Why?
While you sleep, the brain goes over this material 17 times more often anything else you experience during the day.

My 2013 wishes for you:
May you step up to the highest version of who you are.
May you sing the song that only you can sing.
May you be happy.

Happy New Year,
Jena

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