Goal Setting and Laughter

In my job I run across lots of different people. One thing that has struck me is that the ones who persistently stick with the large-picture goals that they set out for themselves, despite short-term setbacks, generally have a positive outlook on things. You know, the people who are able to climb back on the bandwagon, even after falling off for a couple days or a couple weeks. And when you're talking about goals like weight management, exercising more frequently or being "good" in your eating habits, not everyone is able to bounce back from a string of days or a hard time in personal affairs.

The pattern I noticed between those who bounce back and those who don't, the ones who are more successful at maintaining habits for the long-term and sticking with their goals tend to have a positive outlook on life. They try not to take things too seriously, and understand the ways they react to stress and how to handle unexpected changes.

If you were to sit back and think of the characteristics of someone who keeps going with their goals, you might guess they possess some combination of optimism, determination, persistance, and that knack for taking life's obstacles in stride. Interestingly enough, those are not the overt personality traits that I've picked up.

Instead, what I've noticed is that they tend to be the type to make jokes, seek light in a situation. They're the ones who like to joke around at work or with people they've just met. You know, that person you want in your team because the day goes by faster when you're working together. Interesting how being equipped with these seemingly "social" traits also seems to help out when dealing with setbacks in life, no? I'm sure it isn't cause-and-effect but associations [epidemiology terms I'll explain later], but still, a fun observation for today ...