141. Five Barriers to Joy: Spinning Your Wheels

Lives of Courage with Jessica Stong

We all feel stuck sometimes. And as a result, some of us try to go into overdrive. We over-perform, over-work, over-think.

But when we start spinning our wheels, we need to get clear about our goals and what matters. Here's where I love to discuss extrinsic goals - fame and wealth vs. intrinsic goals - personal growth, relationships and community. Researchers asked graduating college students about their aspirations and followed up two years later. Those who pursued extrinsic goals reported greater anxiety and poorer physical health despite their accomplishments, while the group with intrinsic goals cited greater well-being and self-esteem and fewer physical signs of stress.

What you can do:

Find a purpose. What drives you? What matters - personal, family, work, community roles? You can live a multi-purpose life. Ask yourself - Is this serving my purpose here?