“I can’t wait until I can fit back into my old Levi’s.” (They did make your butt look amazing!)

Have you ever said or thought something similar to that?

Consider this thought:
“I will only be satisfied when my income exceeds six figures.”

“I will be overjoyed when my son or daughter gains acceptance into an excellent college.

“When I find my ideal partner, I will feel complete.”

Most of us harbor such beliefs.

As a coach, you may have witnessed something similar:

Clients who believe they will only find contentment once they reach a particular weight, body fat percentage or athletic achievement are at risk of dissatisfaction and must find ways to adjust their thinking to meet this goal.

“Enjoy the journey? Nah… it’s all about reaching your destination,” they argue.

Of course, any eagerness to reach the finish line is understandable and acceptable.

Setting goals is awesome!

Goals provide a sense of purpose and direction, pushing you beyond previous capacities to become wiser, better versions of yourself. According to research1,2 goal setting shows confidence, commitment autonomy motivation.

Problematic is that some individuals keep postponing happiness in hopes that something better awaits them in life.

But in this article, we’ll take a closer look at this counterintuitive fact:

Reaching your goal won’t necessarily bring happiness.

By placing too much emphasis on the end goal, too many goals may cause you to neglect the present opportunity for happiness that exists right now.

If this applies to you (or someone you know), below is a quick three-step process that should help.

This simple exercise can be useful to any person feeling stress.

Feeling trapped until they achieve their goal – making life miserable until reaching it – and being worried it might not be sustainable or possible to achieve. Does that sound familiar? Read on.