Saved by Jonathan Simcoe
I’ve Never Had a Goal
Happiness requires purpose; purpose requires a sense of direction; a sense of direction requires goal-setting—but happiness cannot be had by realizing those goals.
Arthur C. Brooks • Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Formula for Happiness
The problem with a goals-first mentality is that you’re continually putting happiness off until the next milestone.
James Clear • Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Goals are tools to shape who you become, and if you don't set sufficiently ambitious ones, you're unlikely to grow.
Nat Eliason • 293: Big Goals
Maybe it’s not the achieving stuff that makes us happy, but rather the act of chasing after achievements. Most people need to feel that they are contributing to society. At least for me, when I try to picture my ideal days, it doesn’t matter if I’ve accomplished anything in the past. But my visions always involve working towards some kind of goal i... See more
dynomight • Nobody optimizes happiness
You don't need a goal, you need a theme:
"With a theme, happiness becomes more about how you behave rather than what you achieve. Life is not a series of wins and losses. Though our highs and lows may shock us, lift us up, and forever shape our memories, they do not define us. Most of life happens in the in-between, and what we want in life must... See more
goals create an “either-or” conflict: either you achieve your goal and are successful or you fail and you are a disappointment. You mentally box yourself into a narrow version of happiness. This is misguided. It is unlikely that your actual path through life will match the exact journey you had in mind when you set out. It makes no sense to restric
... See more