proceeds from the achievement of one's values."
- Ayn Rand
What is important to you? In order to have a happy life, you need to be clear about what's important to you. Knowing this is also key to your happiness. It's amazing how so many people think that having more money would make them happier.
"If I could get that promotion or that raise, I'll have more money to spend on things I want. I'll definitely be happier."
Does that sound familiar?
The truth is, once you're above the poverty threshold, more money won't make you happier. More money will definitely make you more comfortable, allows you to buy all the nice things, but it won't necessarily make you happier.
Suppose you've listed your goals, work hard towards achieving them, and you're now a very successful person. Would that make you happier? Not necessarily.
What is the key to happiness?
Well.. I read this interesting article in the ETR newsletter that offers an insight to that question.
We can only be happy when we live our life according to our core values; otherwise, no amount of money and success will be enough to bring us joy.
So before you attempt to set your goals, spend 15 minutes to figure out your core values. What do I mean by core values? I mean the feelings you have about good and evil that are buried deep within your heart. How do you determine your core values?
Close your eyes and imagine your funeral. Imagine people who are there. Your family members, your friends, your business associates. Be specific about each person you see there. What are they saying about you? Answer this question honestly. Could it be something like this:
Negative Statement: "He was always struggling to make ends meet."
Positive Statement: "He struggled for a while and then everything changed. He became very successful and died a wealthy person."
Based on which one you prefer people say at your funeral, you can deduce your core value, for example...
Core Value: "I believe that financial success is a valuable and admirable accomplishment."
Now do this:
- Take out a piece of paper and divide it into four boxes.
- At the top of those boxes, write Health, Wealth, Self-Improvement, and Social Happiness.
- Inside each box, write down statements in that category that you would like to have said about you at your funeral.
For example...
- Under health: "He remained as fit as a 20-year old as he grew older"
- Under wealth: "Of all friends who dreamed of becoming a millionaire, he was the only one who turned it into reality."
- Under self-improvement: "He fulfilled his dream of playing the piano by taking lessons when he was 52."
- Under social happiness: "He was the most generous contibutor to the local charities."
Write down at least two such statements in each of the four categories. Refer to them often as you work on achieving your goals in the coming years.
