Do Goals Bring Happiness?

Achieve Goal photo from ShutterstockMost people would be inclined to answer that the goals themselves do not necessarily bring happiness but might encourage motivation to start moving toward that end. This would be followed by the answer, Yes, goal achievement does bring happiness. But this isn’t necessarily so.

The goal achievement itself offers some sense of satisfaction. But we all know the sense of achievement is short lived. Just as it is necessary to qualify your best prospective clients for the sale, it will be wise to acknowledge exactly what you expect to obtain from achieving specified goals. In particular, should you establish and achieve a far-reaching goal, it will be smart to have subsequent steps already outlined for moving forward past the initial milestone.

One example is that of those who wish to become first time published authors. It is problematic when they become so focused on getting the book picked up by a publishing house, that no thought is given to what to do after the book hits the market. The more difficult challenge is getting the book into the actual hands of readers by way of sales.

A publishing effort requires dedication to marketing, branding, promotion, speaking, and possibly additional services to accompany the book. Should the author be solely focused on the publishing event itself, despair would set in upon recognizing later that the marketing effort was severely lacking thereby minimizing book sales. Therefore, although the author did become published, she will soon transform into an unhappy author.

A better approach to goal setting is to include the anticipated outcome. Where will your happiness meter rate and why is that? Improving upon the goal setting further, when you are setting a major goal, also include what needs to be incorporated with the outcome complementary to the achievement itself.

Take time to envision the outcome ahead of time and everything you believe will be affected by the event. If it’s a new endeavor, then ask those who have gone before you, if they faced any pitfalls during or after the event was achieved. This may save you from being blind-sided later on.

Another approach to goal setting as you become more experienced in business, is to include successful others in your project. Consider how your peers, whom you most enjoy, may participate. By having company, you also invite brainstorming and additional ideas. Learning from one another propels business far more quickly. Pursuing goals in this manner will keep you moving with the joy of what was just completed and keep you motivated to continue persevering.

The most important key for a longer lasting feeling of accomplishment is to tune into your personal being. Do so on a daily basis. What we achieve in our lives has nothing to do with what others do or do not achieve, it’s about the uniqueness of each of us. Be aware of what it is you desire, what you are working toward, and at which point will you be content with your achievements. This is what develops your personal brand best. And as others see you comfortable with being you, they will be attracted to doing business with you leading to the Smooth Sale.

Picture of Elinor Stutz

Elinor Stutz

Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, was honored by Open View Labs with inclusion in their international list of “Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and the best selling career book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press. She provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed inspirational keynotes for conferences. Elinor is available for consultation. Kred ranks Stutz as a Top 1% influencer; CEO World Magazine named Stutz as one of “The brightest sales minds to follow on Twitter”. She speaks and consults worldwide.

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