Why 'I want to be happy' is a terrible goal

3 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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This content was created by Jay Shaw. This content was uploaded by Jay Shaw. This is a YouTube video titled "Why 'I want to be happy' is a terrible goal" (posted 2026-06-03). The excerpt is a spoken, coaching/lecture-style monologue in which the speaker challenges the vague goal of “being happy,” asks the listener to imagine concrete signs and internal states that would indicate they were truly happy upon waking, and stresses that clarifying specific thoughts, feelings, and actions is the real work of goal-setting.

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So step one is we got to figure out what you want, and it can't be I want to be happy. What the fuck does that mean? So let me ask you a question. If you woke up tomorrow and you were happy, how would you know? Well, I wouldn't have to know. I don't care what you wouldn't have to do. What would you be doing? And even more importantly than what would you be doing, what would be going on inside of your head and what would be going on inside of about it. That's the work. That's the work.