by Dr. D Ivan Young, ICF Master Certified Coach

A lot of people choose to believe they can’t achieve, or maintain, long-term success and happiness. You might believe it’s possible, but not at a high level.

Are you tired of feeling like you’re stuck in a rut, both personally and professionally?

Believe it or not, you can have significant success and happiness in all aspects of your life. It all depends on your commitment to personal growth and being intentional about it.

Think about the beginning of any relationship. It’s thrilling and euphoric.

But maintaining that feeling as you enter the next stage is the challenge.

The same goes for your career. You may have started your job with optimism, but it’s easy to get too comfortable and feel stagnant.

So how do you keep the sparks alive and avoid falling into a routine?

As a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, as well as a relationship expert, I see a theme. Many of my new clients, despite their success, are struggling.

They can’t figure out how to achieve success and happiness.

In the initial stages of our collaboration, we take a big-picture approach. We examine what their goals are. We determine what’s most crucial in their current situation. Then we figure out what’s hindering their progress.

Understanding these factors helps me guide them to gain the clarity they need to make informed decisions that benefit them in the long term.

I’ll walk you through some of the tips I share with my clients for achieving sustainable success and happiness. First, let’s discuss the meanings of success and happiness.

The Relationship between Success and Happiness

Success and happiness can have different definitions for different people.

An analysis of several studies on the relationship between success and happiness defined happy people as those who experience positive emotions a large percentage of the time and experience negative emotions far less often¹.

It found that happy individuals are generally more successful in the three main life domains. These are work, relationships, and health.

Of course, not all successful people are happy, and not all happy people are successful. But well-balanced, happy people have better outcomes in several areas of their lives.

There are many possible reasons for this.

One is that those who view their current situation positively are far more likely to have positive motivations for wanting more.

In fact, another study showed that those who believe money can buy happiness are the same people who reported poor subjective well-being². Their lower levels of well-being were related to their pursuit of financial success.

My clients who put professional success before happiness in their personal lives often end up realizing that they should have invested more in their happiness.

Success means nothing if you have nobody to share it with and no purpose behind it.

How to Achieve Success and Happiness

There’s no blueprint for success and happiness. But there are a few things I work on with my clients to make success and happiness a likelihood for them.

These apply to career success and happiness and fulfillment in your relationships. Your relationship with yourself will also benefit from taking these steps.

1. Find something to appreciate.

It’s easy to forget to practice gratitude in our everyday lives.

Whenever we experience something new, such as a relationship or job, we often feel excited and full of hope. But as time passes, we tend to neglect certain things.

Remember how you once prayed to find the right person to spend your life with? Or how thrilled you were when you first got that new job?

Now reality has set in.

But your perspective can change everything. There’s likely a lot to appreciate in every area of your life.

Your best life is in front of you, not behind you.

Take time to appreciate and celebrate yourself. Think about it: can you really enjoy success and happiness if you don’t like yourself?

Countless studies suggest that those with high self-esteem often have better social relationships, perform better in work and school, and are healthier³. These outcomes are closely related to individual success and happiness.

2. Don’t forget the fuel.

Figure out what fuels your relationships with others and yourself. Find what drives your professional growth. Then make sure you’re prioritizing your success and happiness.

There are many ways to go about this.

Nurture your connection with your partner by planning a weekly date night.

Explore new software or productivity approaches that can help you increase your capacity and elevate your performance at work.

Lastly, I encourage you to make self-care a priority. Be kind to yourself and celebrate your abilities and achievements, big and small.

It’s also crucial to reflect on your thoughts and feelings regularly.

3. Set aside time.

Make time for what’s important to you.

You’re an adult, and adulting can be tough. So it’s important to set boundaries and make yourself a priority.

Your relationships and professional life are important, but you can’t tend to these areas if you don’t take care of your physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being first.

If you’re not feeling your best, you won’t be able to give your best to the people and things that matter most.

You can’t find success and happiness if you lack discipline and don’t set boundaries for yourself and others.

Your Success and Happiness Lies in You

If you take one thing from this article, I want it to be this: you are responsible for your success and happiness.

You have to be intentional about cultivating an environment for your success and happiness to come to fruition.

And you have to keep at it.

Don’t settle for mediocrity. Take control of your life, commit to personal growth, and watch as you achieve the success and happiness you deserve.

If you’d like more inspirational content, sign up for my email list. I’ll encourage you, help you hold yourself accountable, and motivate you to take action.

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Bio – Dr. D Ivan Young is an expert on human behavior and relationships. He’s a Master Credentialed expert on personality type, an ICF credentialed Master Certified Coach, a Certified Professional Diversity Coach, and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. Dr. Young is also a member of the prestigious Forbes Coaches Council.