[May 2024] Happiness, Purpose, Goals & Habits

Takeaways: 1. We are happy when our actions are in line with our purpose 2. Lasting happiness comes from building good to great habits & 3. Build your own chain of habits to be whoever you want to be.

Hey Champ,

Today, I want to share some thoughts about ‘Happiness’. It might seem simple, but it’s not. As we grow older, it gets complicated.

As a child, our needs are basic: good food, a nice play area, friends, and a good school. As long as these needs are met, and we feel safe around our family, we feel happy. As we grow into adulthood, our needs multiply. We start looking for life partners, work colleagues, and financial independence.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, happiness is ‘the state of pleasurable contentment of mind’. It sounds easy, but it’s not. Everyone has a different idea of what brings pleasure and how much is enough. It’s like a balloon: the more you fill it, the more you want to add, until it bursts. We keep wanting more of what seems pleasurable, never feeling content, until everything crashes and causes damage to our mind, body, or soul.

So, should we not seek pleasure? Of course, we should. Life without pleasure can seem meaningless. It’s important to have goals and a purpose in life to stay motivated.

The lesson is to be mature and responsible about choosing our dreams and goals and to live a life that helps us get closer to our purpose. Don’t confuse temporary sensory pleasures with true, lasting happiness. For example, sugary foods and beverages might seem like a quick joy, but they harm our health and can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes. Similarly, there are many things that bring immediate pleasure but distract us from important, albeit boring and difficult, tasks. A quick video game might seem more appealing than exercising or reading a book.

It sounds difficult, right? It takes years of practice, courage, and self-belief to learn to say ‘no’ to things that bring immediate joy. How do you say no to pizza, cheese, butter, or video games when they are so tempting?

Purpose » Goals » Habits

According to my experience, we achieve happiness when we live according to our goals that align with our purpose. Imagine you need to take a flight from Mumbai to Delhi. You book the flight, reach the airport on time, check in your baggage, board the flight, and follow in-flight instructions. Once you reach your destination, you feel happy. Why? Because you knew your destination, prepared in time, took all precautions, and safely reached your destination.

Chasing happiness is just like that. Know your destination (purpose) and plan your journey to enjoy it and achieve your goals.

1. Know Your Purpose: What have you been dreaming about becoming? Does it excite you? If you can think it, you can do it!

2. Break Down Your Purpose into Time-Bound Goals: You are the director of your life, so decide the timeline for achieving your goals. Make sure your goals align with your purpose.

3. Build Habits That Help You Achieve Your Goals and Avoid Those That Don’t: This is crucial. Many of us set goals but don’t build the habits needed to achieve them. We say we want to be rich but don’t adopt the habits of rich people. We say we want to be experts but don’t spend time researching and reading. Instead, we set goals and then let our minds do whatever they want, sacrificing true purpose and long-term happiness for momentary pleasure. Success comes from building one good habit at a time.

Good habits to pursue include waking up early, finishing homework on time, practicing difficult problems, clarifying doubts, being curious, making good friends, learning new skills, staying athletic, following healthy eating habits, drinking water regularly, and taking care of your mind and body. These habits are like ‘brahmastras’ that give you an edge. You might fail at times, but keep trying until they become part of your daily routine. Most importantly, choose your own chain of habits. Pick the ones that help you get closer to your goals and drop the ones that don’t. You be the judge.

So, this is it, champ! You may already have many good habits that have helped you achieve great things, and I am proud of you for that. Remember, you mean a lot to many people who want to see you happy and achieve amazing things. Your true happiness ultimately counts for all of us who love you and, most importantly, for yourself.

Love you infinity times infinity!