The Solely Factor You Can Purchase That is Assured to Make You Happier, Backed by Science

The only catch? You need to have a plan for what you just purchased, and follow through on that plan.

EXPERT OPINION BY JEFF HADEN @JEFF_HADEN

An entrepreneur friend of mine struggled to balance business and family. Business usually “won,” since professional demands often feel more urgent.

Miss a school event because of a shipping problem? That sucks, but you promise yourself you’ll make the next one. Miss dinner with your family because you had to deal with a problem employee? That sucks, but you tell yourself tomorrow is another day.

Sound familiar?

Hold that thought.

Refreshed leadership advice from CEO Stephanie Mehta

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Generally speaking, research shows that when you buy

Generally speaking, research shows that when you buy material items, adaptation occurs relatively quickly. That new car is exciting at first, but the feeling quickly fades. The same for new clothes, new houses, new anything, Social scientists call the phenomenon hedonic adaptation, the rapid return to a stable baseline level of happiness after a major positive or negative life event.

And then there’s this: while making a purchase — or achieving a certain goal — rarely results in lasting happiness, the pursuit of that item or goal can actually make you less happier:

• Research described in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience found that people who value material possessions over relationships or personal growth report greater anxiety and lower life satisfaction.
• A study published in Journal of Consumer Research found that buying things with the goal of being happier actually leads to “chronic dissatisfaction.”
• A study published in Journal of Economic Psychology found that “retail therapy” is linked with regret and lower life satisfaction.

At a broader level, the often-cited 2010 study by two Princeton University researchers concludes, “Beyond $75,000 [toss in a little inflation and the figure is somewhat over $100,000] higher income is neither the road to experience happiness nor the road to relief of unhappiness or stress.”

Source: www.inc.com