Is Setting Goals Healthier than Enjoying Life?

I remember taking part in a pleasant but not light conversation involving happiness and a sense of purpose, yet I don’t think anyone said what gave them a sense of purpose. But no matter whether a person has clarity on what gives them a sense of purpose in life or not, the topic is a substantial one. Not only that, it can be confusing. After all, what does having a sense of purpose even mean? Notions of “meaning” and “purpose” can get fused, and explanations of what it is to have a sense of purpose can vary in how circumscribed or wide-ranging they are.

All the same, a sense of purpose largely pertains to ambitions that give people a sense of guidance as they move forward and navigate their world; it involves a person finding aspirations they care about. For instance, someone could set their sights on cultivating a health-conscious way of living, realizing deeper connectedness with their inner emotional world, being helpful and of service in the world, nurturing their imagination, or enhancing their social connections and close relationships. These are just some examples, and people can vary in how many purposes they hold.

Let yourself stop and think about what might resonate with you as your sense of purpose. What if you were to juxtapose that alongside how happy you are with your life? Although our enjoyment of life and our sense of purpose are each connected to our physical well-being and how long we live, we don’t know whether one of them is more connected to our lifespan than the other.

Recently, a team of researchers addressed this question using data from a study spanning over 20 years. The study contained information on various aspects of people’s backgrounds and their health and lifestyle habits. They found that both people’s sense of purpose and their contentment in life were each linked to lower odds of a shorter lifespan. However, when the team considered the role of all of the different aspects of people’s physical health, including their sense of how healthy they are, only a sense of purpose was connected to a person being less likely to die earlier.

Now this work can’t tell us whether our sense of purpose can cause us to live longer than we might otherwise, and even if a sense of purpose turns out to lead to a longer lifespan, it’s unclear why. The study also doesn’t imply that it’s not worth the effort to cultivate our sense of gratification in life. Instead, this study shines a light on the merit of also attending to what gives us a sense of purpose as we aim to enjoy our path through life. And if you're not sure what gives you a sense of purpose right now, that's certainly okay too. Perhaps that question in and of itself might point to possible purposes, such as or nurturing self-discovery or cultivating greater self-acceptance and self-compassion with wherever you are right now.