"Extrinsic goals are things like wealth, status, and fame. These generally depend on recognition or validation from others and do not directly satisfy our psychological needs (even though we often think that they will). Extrinsic goals seem valuable, but their value is really based on what they give access to, not the goals themselves. The pursuit of extrinsic resolutions tends to crowd out more fulfilling pursuits, meaning a person can end up feeling frustrated and unfulfilled even when they succeed in their pursuits."
"We realize this sounds obvious but you would be surprised at how often people set goals that make them unhappy. It's such a frequent occurrence that researchers refer to it as increasing ill-being. Why? We think that it is the same reason you can't stop eating that raw cookie dough. People just want things that are not good for them."
Not all goals support happiness; some goals can actively undermine well-being. Extrinsic goals such as wealth, status, and fame depend on external recognition and validation and do not satisfy core psychological needs. The pursuit of extrinsic resolutions tends to crowd out more fulfilling activities, producing frustration, rapid adaptation to success, escalation of expectations, and harmful social comparison. Intrinsic goals focused on self-improvement, physical health, personal relationships, and community service carry inherent value and produce more durable satisfaction. Framing resolutions as things to do more of, breaking them into manageable steps, and permitting adjustments sustain progress and protect happiness.
Read at Psychology Today
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