Goal-setting for 2005: In Pursuit of Happiness

The Goal: Live, love, laugh and have fun.

I've heard that a key part of gaining productivity in your life includes taking time for enjoyment and fun. It has always seemed ludicrous to me that I could be more productive by stepping away from my work, even if only for a period of time.

My experience over the past few weeks seems to affirm this. Contrary to my work-a-holic leanings. Following a very social festive season and a week in the sun I have returned to my routines with renewed enthusiasm and excitement about facing the mounds of work/opportunity in my life.

As a mom of two young boys with a need for personal satisfaction and a focus on professional achievement, I have found life to be unbalanced most of the time. If my focus is on career achievement my household (family life) and personal life are in shambles. If my focus is on the household a lack of progress towards my career aspirations causes considerable anxiety. If my focus is on my personal life I experience guilt and chaos within all other aspects. A no-win situation!

I would like to pay homage to my inclination to begin the year with some major goal-setting initiatives. This goal-setting initiative resembles a series of New Year's Resolutions, but unlike New Year's Resolutions -- the goals are actually things I intend to make happen.

The theme my goals revolve around this year could easily be titled 'In Pursuit of Happiness' -- although my goals have taken a much more lofty position than pure hedonism. Maybe, better; 'In Pursuit of Happiness within the confines of a Self-Employed Mother's Life' is more fitting. I am so serious about this pursuit I've taken the time to gain an understanding of what leads to happiness. According to my research, happiness is a combination of:

Contentment: this could be defined as satisfaction with your lot in life -- whatever that may be. Interestingly research has proven that contentment is possible regardless of an individual's financial position -- although basic 'needs' must be met, once they are -- more money does not equate to more happiness, in many cases the relationship is actually inverse. The richest people are not usually happy.

Dignity: Rather than a person's financial position, what is actually more important is how a person views their position in society. How much value they place on their contribution to society.

Welfare: Welfare is the simplest to define and the most basic element of happiness -- although when not present -- the most difficult to attain. Welfare involves a person's safety, security and health.

Hence, I support my conclusion that the pursuit of happiness is more than the pursuit of pleasure -- although pleasure can be a component of contentment leading to happiness. Capiche?

Now that I've rationalized this goal and dealt with the Catholic guilt that comes with it, I can continue.

My next step was to examine the different parts of my life using the 'filter' my new definition of happiness created. I looked at my career, my family life and my personal life.

What resulted, for me, was a well-balanced set of principles, that I hope can shape my life -- and create happiness.

I am currently making my short-list of achievements, probably around 15, that will move my life forward around each of the important principles I have defined, and then I will establish a regular schedule that pays homage to each of the elements I want to include. In my opinion I can't fail with this approach!

My list of achievements will be incredibly diverse, one is to introduce my son to skiing, another is to meet a certain level of revenue in my business, yet another is to develop a certain type of work opportunity -- with another to successfully run a 10k road race. I have disected each goal for an understanding of how achievement will impact the 'balance' in my life and my overall happiness. For example, introducing my son to skiing leads to the potential creation of a family-based physical activity that can increase the number of joint pursuits our family has, it provides a social context for strengthening the bond between members of our family (contentment and harmony) and it improves the welfare of our family by opening the doors to outdoor physical activity during the sedentary winter months.

While I understand the Yin/Yang concept of life -- both light and dark elements are necessary. I firmly believe that the above approach will tilt the scale towards more incidents of happiness and satisfaction than their alternatives. Now, you might think I have too much time on my hands but again, I can rationalize my actions in the following way:

If you had a business, or managed a department, wouldn't you put this much time into planning? Wouldn't every resource you read recommend that you put this much time into planning? How about everyone who has ever been responsible for the successful completion of a project, isn't the ration 2 to 1, with recommendations for the investment in planning to be twice as high as the investment in implementation? How is life management any different? How can it be standard practice to let life happen while we methodically plan in business?

Isn't there more likelihood that if you plan it, it will happen?

Wish me luck...