ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on using goal setting to promote well-being. Setting highly valued goals gives life purpose, meaning and direction. Well-being increases as individuals move towards highly valued goals. Highly valued goals have the following characteristics. They are appropriate to our life circumstances, intrinsically rewarding (not extrinsically rewarding), involve doing activities (rather than acquiring possessions), involve approaching a valued outcome (not avoiding an unpleasant outcome), involve a high level of commitment (not a low level of commitment), fit together (don’t conflict with each other), are visualisable (not fuzzy) and are measurable and can be monitored regularly (not vague). The best possible self, eulogy and legacy letter exercises are positive psychology exercises that may be used to set highly valued goals in domains of health, relationships, work and leisure. Periodically rating progress towards highly valued goals may indicate how to stay on track in the pursuit of highly valued goals. Corrective action may involve setting short-term SMART or CLEAR goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. CLEAR goals are Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable and Refinable.
