Harvard happiness expert: The No. 1 thing to avoid to achieve a ‘real sense of satisfaction’

It's easy to think that true happiness and satisfaction can only be achieved by accomplishing major goals, but that's far from the truth, according to Arthur C. Brooks, a social scientist and professor at Harvard University who teaches a free course about happiness.

“A lot of people think that once they learn their skills, once they're set in life that everything will be okay, but that's a fallacy that we call in my business, ‘The Arrival Fallacy,'” Brooks said during the CNBC Work Summit 2023 this month.

The premise of the arrival fallacy is that once you accomplish a certain thing, you'll automatically be happier and more satisfied with your life, Brooks said.

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Some examples of the accomplishments that people think will get them the satisfaction they're looking for, according to Brooks, include:

• Securing a high-paying job or financial stability
• Getting married
• Buying the house they've always wanted
• Losing a certain amount of weight

Regardless of what that destination is for you, Brooks said you should avoid the arrival fallacy and embrace change in order to really be happy.

“Human beings are wired for progress. Progress is what brings us a real sense of satisfaction. Forward motion. Goals, moving towards them are what we really need,” he said.

“Ultimately, the goal isn't happiness because happiness isn't a destination; it's a direction. The way that we get happier has somewhat to do with the things going on outside of us, but it has more to do with our inner lives.”

To feel more satisfaction in your life, Brooks suggests treating your happiness like an investment portfolio by prioritizing these four areas:

• Faith and life philosophy
• Family
• Community and friends
• Meaningful work

“None of these things can make up happiness all on their own,” Brooks says during his course about happiness. “They complement each other and exist in harmony.”

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