Balanced Life -- Why 'Having a Mission' Can Make You Happier

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now.

Writer Jean Stafford scoffed, "Happy people don't need to have fun," but in fact, studies show that the absence of feeling bad isn't enough to make you feel good; you must strive to find sources of feeling good. Research shows that regularly having fun is a key factor in having a happy life; people who have fun are twenty times more likely to feel happy.

Recently, I noticed a pattern among activities that people find fun: Have a mission. There's something about having a playful purpose, of trying to achieve something, that makes an activity more fun.

For example, a friend told that she loved visiting flea markets and antique stores to look for old globes - not fancy ones, cheap ones. She has a rule that she'll never pay more than $20. She's the kind of person who loves poking around in those kinds of shops in any case, but having a mission makes it more fun, less aimless.

For that matter, having a collection of any sort is a very popular way to have a mission. You get the little zap of satisfaction whenever you find another piece of blue sea glass on the beach or another out-of-print book by Charlotte Yonge. Or you collect experiences, like attending a game in every Major League Baseball stadium or running in as many marathons as possible.

Taking photos is a common way to incorporate a mission into traveling. Not only does this help keep memories vivid, it also makes you more attuned to your environment while traveling. (Although for some people, taking photos can become a barrier to experience; they get so focused on getting the photos that they don't enjoy the reality.) For example, during my most recent visit to New Haven, I had a lot more fun wandering around once I set myself the mission of taking tourist photos of my own romance.

Some people have a mission to take photos during everyday life: taking a photo of people's bare feet whenever they get the chance, taking a photo of every red barn they see. Artist Nicholas Nixon did a series called The Brown Sisters, a series of black-and-white photos of his wife and her three sisters taken every year from 1975-2006. It's absolutely riveting.

Why is this true? The First Splendid Truth holds that to be happier, you have to think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.

The more I've thought about happiness, the more surprised I've been at the importance of the "atmosphere of growth." I think this is a huge engine of happiness, and when you have a mission, you create an atmosphere of growth whenever you pursue that mission.

Have you found a way to have a mission? What is it - and does it boost your happiness?

P.S. I'm chuckling away at my choice of image. Get it?

* On Gimundo, I read about a very reassuring study that concludes that workers who are permitted to spend time each day (less than 20% of total time) puttering around the internet are actually more productive than those who aren't allowed to do so. Phew.

* Interested in starting your own happiness project? If you'd like to take a look at my personal Resolutions Chart, for inspiration, just email me at grubin, then the "at" sign, then gretchenrubin dot com. (Sorry about writing it in that roundabout way; I'm trying to thwart spammers.) Just write "Resolutions Chart" in the subject line.

 

 

Comments

[SaltySaltillo]

Excellent work, Ms. Rubin. I really appreciate how you point out that a "mission" is not and need not be a world-changing goal like finding a cure to cancer. It can be something as simple as making a family tree. I have been a "project starter" since I was a child. It seems like I always have something going on that keeps me occupied and working towards something on and off over weeks and years, whether I ever reach the goal or not. Keeping these projects going is what keeps me sane. I am glad to see that this sort of activity is perfectly human.

[JimMan35]

I've become incredibly bored with my job this year, which is unusual for me. I've also taken up vegetable gardening and have two 30' x 10' raised beds which has given me a great focus and sense of accomplishment. And then this summer I started sewing on a machine that my mom bought for me several years ago but I hadn't done much of anything with. I lost my mom 2 years ago and sewing gives me a connection to her - and to her mother. I'm making roman shades this week and will go on to more clothes once they're done. The gardening and sewing improve our family, teach me countless lessons, and provide me with a great sense of accomplishment and purpose that I'm not getting from my career at this point. I understand what you're saying in the this piece!

[SaltySaltillo]

I appreciate your comments. "Gardening" is also one of the ongoing projects that helps me stay grounded. I have found over the years that taking care of the big trees - the apple trees, etc. - has also provided me with an an-going, long term sense of purpose that I wouldn't have had if I were merely planting vegetables each spring. I don't know if you have done any work with fruit trees, but you might also find the long term commitment very grounding.

[khanti]

Pt.2
As I look around from the cabin I saw the bird on the roof of another telescopic machine making that sound. What is wrong? I asked gently. The Merbok turned its head sideways and looked down below. I too followed its gaze and saw a monitor lizard just below my machine. It wasn't a huge one just medium size but instantly I know the bird was warning me against what it perceived as danger It flew all the way across the river to warn me. I was touched by its concern and at the same time extremely happy. This also strengthen my respect for animals. You can view a Merbok at this site. http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090814-161170.html Let nature be admire its beauty at a distance.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/balanced-life----why-havi_b_291016.html

[khanti]

Pt.1
I have a mission to ask people not to buy cage birds and I would be happy if you would stop buying one in the future no matter how beautiful it may sound or look like.
I am happy to hear a bird flying into my garden and singing. They sing with a free heart. I am really sad to see caged birds singing . I share this true experience with you.
I was working on a telescopic machine in Malaysia in a machine yard. The yard was wide and at the perimeters was a meandering river. Far off across the river was a tree where a Merbok bird had made its nest. Every day I could see hear this Merbok bird singing. Now this is a popular bird in South East Asia so priced by the Malays, Thais and Indonesians for its gentle and soothing singing.
But when danger approaches it makes a unique strange rasping sound difficult to describe.
I was busy repairing inside the cab of the telescopic machine which was about four feet off the ground when I heard the rasping warning sound of a Merbok very near me. I have a strange habit of talking to birds, dogs, cats even though they may not answer back.