Why Setting Goals May Lengthen Your Life

People with a Sense of Purpose are Happier and Healthier

A few weeks ago I visited my hometown in New Jersey and had lunch with one of my mentors, Susie Wilson. I worked as a summer intern for Susie after my first year of college and we’ve continued our personal and professional relationship ever since: we’ve collaborated on several writing and research projects and Susie hosted both my wedding and baby showers.

Susie has by all accounts led an incredible life. She worked as a reporter for LIFE magazine, assisted Jackie Kennedy in setting up the first White House Nursery School (for Caroline Kennedy), and directed the Network for Family Life Education at Rutgers University for decades (where I worked as her intern way back in 1987).

Following her retirement, Susie served on the board of the Fistula Foundation, which provides help to women in Asia and Africa who have experienced childbirth injuries. In May 2016—at age 86—Susie was the top female finisher in the 80-and-over Masters Division of the hundred-meter dash at the Penn Relays.

Susie’s life is a vivid illustration of what empirical scientific research tells us about the power of setting and working towards meaningful goals - no matter your age. In fact, people who feel they’ve made progress toward their goals on a given day report feeling happier and experiencing fewer physical symptoms the next day. People with a sense of purpose in their lives also have lower levels of anxiety and depression.

To examine the value of finding some purpose, researchers in one recent study reviewed data from a 23-year longitudinal study including nearly 6,000 middle-aged adults. Study participants reported on their physical health, including their weight, chronic diseases, and health-related behaviors such as smoking and alcohol use. They also reported on their relationships, work status, and life satisfaction.

Most importantly, participants answered a series of questions about their overall purpose in life, such as:

• I have a sense of direction and purpose in life.

• Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them.

• I enjoy making plans for the future and working to make them a reality.

The researchers then examined how these assorted factors predicted how long people lived.

First, and as you might expect, demographic factors were a strong predictor of longevity. Women tended to live longer, as did people who were more educated, white, and married.

But even when researchers took into account these various factors, people with a stronger sense of purpose tended to live longer. Having a sense of purpose was also a stronger predictor of longevity than life satisfaction, indicating that it’s not simply that happy people live longer.

Instead, what’s really helpful in terms of increasing longevity is deliberately pursuing something you find meaningful. And it’s never too late - or too early - to develop a sense of purpose.

As author Charles Dickens noted, “The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.”

And now a question for you: Do you set and work towards meaningful goals? If so, please share! And if not, does this research inspire you to find a sense of purpose?