Putting Happiness on the To-Do List

“Why just alright?”
“Oh it’s nothing…Just really stressed about school/work”

This is a conversation I’ve had too often with peers. A conversation I’ve had with myself a little too often as well. Millennials are constantly surrounded by success stories. From the struggles and hardships that our parents and previous generations overcame to the inspirational achievements amongst friends and immediate communities; Generation Y is almost too familiar with the glamorous end results. Whether it be through the blossoming grapevines of social media or through the constant gossip of success, our newsfeeds and minds are filled with everyone’s most recent achievements. Tremendously so, the focus on success has created a generation where the obsession with achievement almost dictates one’s feelings. However, this generation’s biggest strength has also become its biggest problem; the hunger to achieve, our near-extreme obsession with checking off accomplishments has had a large impact on clouding the difference between the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of success. Understanding that happiness can be a product of achievement, but that achievement doesn’t always bring happiness is imperative to remember as we all look to lead meaningful, fulfilling lives. Here are a few tips that I have found useful to make sure you can “check-off” happiness as you lead your busy, goal-oriented lives:

Becoming Self Aware
Self-awareness is the first step towards leading an impactful life that can leave you feeling accomplished and content on a regular basis. Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses will help you find your edge at work and allow you to maintain a balanced lifestyle, leading to happiness both professionally and successfully. The process of understanding yourself, what you excel at and what frustrates you requires time, effort and patience as you experience and learn from different situations. The ability to understand your own capabilities and setting your ambitions accordingly, will allow you to manage your expectations more accurately as you become less frustrated with circumstances and more encouraged by your abilities.

Controlling the “What if?”
As a finance student, I have always found myself questioning the opportunity cost of every social and professional decision. From the college I chose to attend and the career choices before me to deciding between two items on the lunch menu, I have always found myself lingering on the mind-wracking question of “what if?” Not only does this take away from living in the moment, it forces you to think about the hypotheticals that you have no control over. Taking that decision, sticking with the choice you have made, and focusing on it will only allow you to take the natural and quickest path to finally arriving at the point where you would like to be. Moving forward with reality is in your control; decisions of the past are not.

Believe in Yourself
Everyone always says it, but very few people understand the true power of it. Having the inherent belief in your abilities, having the resilience and strength to push through obstacles will help quell the anxiety and the fear of possibly not reaching your achievements. The trust and confidence you have in yourself is one of the very few variables that are under your total control and it is vital for your happiness when situational circumstances just don’t work out. Everyone around you may seem to be progressing with their lives with their new job, new promotion and new house but at one point of time, all they had was the belief that they could do it. So, when things get tough remember to never give up on yourself.

Happiness and success may have become more intertwined over the years but it is always refreshing to take a step back and separate them to enjoy the bustling world and plethora of experiences around us. Hustle on but remember to check happiness off during each day.

Este artículo forma parte del programa de Linkedin #StudentVoices. Sigue las historias en LinkedIn Pulse.