ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a brief review of goals theories, focusing on the association between goals and wellbeing, how goals promote ¬performance and the process of goal pursuit. Goal pursuit can therefore be seen as a mechanism that elevates wellbeing both by enabling us to embark on a purposeful and meaningful journey to incorporate destination, as well as through accomplishment of incorporate goals. Scholars have identified several crucial points pertaining to the process of goal pursuit which can shape how we travel to our destinations, and can facilitate or hamper goal attainment. Financial goals and materialistic aspirations are associated with extrinsic motivation and research has found that these are linked with poor satisfaction of basic needs, lower wellbeing, negative self-appraisal, loneliness and risky behaviours. Research suggests that intrinsic and autonomous goals are more beneficial to our functioning and wellbeing than extrinsic and controlled goals. An important aspect of goal pursuit is to monitor and assess progress in each of our goals.
