Making manageable goals a part of your outlook can be a great way to feel good about yourself. You’ve likely felt this in your own life—the deep sense of joy that accompanies passing an important milestone, or the happy anticipation of completing a special project.
If you feel like you’re working toward something good, you’re probably a little quicker to jump out of bed, more ready to flash a smile, and more energetic throughout the day. Why exactly is that?
How setting goals can boost your happiness, and how procrastination shreds it
1. Setting goals gives you purpose
Happiness isn’t just about pleasure—it’s about finding meaning too. Knowing where you want to be keeps your life in motion.
If you’re feeling drained by a project that feels like an emotional labor, try setting small, manageable goals. The going will likely get easier, and you’ll feel even better when you’ve gotten it done.
Procrastination prevents happiness by making you feel like the goals you have in life are unattainable. You might wonder if you’ll ever get to where you want to be. Instead of feeling proud of what you’ve done, you’ll focus on what you’ve been putting off.
2. You do better work when you have a goal in mind
When you set a particular goal, you give yourself the resources you need to do a good job—time and direction.
Researchers have found that when you meet a goal, you’re rewarded with a burst of happy feelings. This emotional paycheck can actually make you feel more enthusiastic and forward-thinking. Productive and happy, you’ll be better able to regulate yourself to stay focused on the next goal.
Procrastination pushes you to work under very stressful conditions. You’ll be less focused on what you want the final result to look like and more focused on minimizing negative consequences.
3. You’ll enjoy the journey
Setting goals is an important part of emotional well-being. It isn’t just in your ultimate success that you find meaning and pleasure; you’re happier when you’re making progress, too.
When you enjoy the goal you’re working toward, you can lose yourself in your work in a way that can feel almost meditative. You might feel stressed at times when you’re working on something with a deadline, but stress can also come with a sense of relief that you’re getting it done.
The momentary stress of working on an important project eventually gives way to happiness; however, when you procrastinate, the stress grows and takes over your whole outlook. Instead of feeling rewarded when it’s all over, you’ll probably just wish you’d given yourself a head start.
4. You’re better able to savor the sweet moments
When setting goals becomes a habit and you’ve learned how you want to reach them, it’s easier to savor moments of relaxation. It feels like you’ve earned a special dinner with friends or a trip to the movies. Life’s pleasures become even sweeter when you’ve been working hard.
Procrastination hangs above the present moment, casting a shadow over activities you want to enjoy.
5. Goal setting keeps you fresh and flexible for life’s next curveball
If you’ve been setting goals for awhile, you’ve come to look at problems in a different light. Rather than shrinking at the magnitude of a problem, you’ll think in terms of the steps you need to take to resolve it. Instead of feeling anxious and unsure, you’ll feel ready to tackle the workload.
If you procrastinate often, the unexpected can be pretty terrifying. It’s harder to think about how to solve a problem. You might find yourself trying to avoid the problem altogether, pushing away discomfort instead of facing it.
