Setting attainable goals now may set you up for happiness later, suggests a longitudinal study in the European Journal of Personality. Researchers interviewed 973 people, ages 18 to 92, living in Switzerland, and followed up with 637 of them two years later and 573 of them four years later. They asked about participants’ well-being as well as about their life goals in 10 areas: health, community, personal growth, social relationships, fame, image, wealth, family, responsibility/care for younger generations and work. In particular, the researchers assessed how important those goals were to the participants and how attainable participants felt they were. On average, participants who felt their goals were more attainable at the beginning of the study reported greater well-being two and four years later. (Monitor on Psychology)

Susie Bean Gives