meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Happiness Podcast

#560 Why Chasing Goals Makes You Unhappy (And How to Fix It)

Happiness Podcast

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.5 • 955 Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We've all been sold the same idea: sacrifice your happiness today for a richer, better "someday" once you finally achieve your big goals. But what if that entire mindset is a trap that guarantees you never actually learn how to live well? In this episode, we're dismantling why this chase so often fails and uncovering the practical secret to finding fulfillment and happiness right now, in the middle of the journey.

New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

🎧 Listen now at https://www.HappinessPodcast.org

Do you want to live a peaceful, happy life? Are you struggling with anxiety or depression? Or are you simply ready to take the next step toward your full potential?

Join Dr. Robert Puff, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience, on the Happiness Podcast. With over 20 million downloads, the podcast explores the specific actions you can take to create lasting happiness.

A licensed psychologist in Newport Beach, California and author of 15 books, Dr. Puff has spent decades studying human achievement and sharing what he's learned. He wants to help you learn the steps you need to take to soar in your own life.

His blog for Psychology Today has captivated nearly 3 million readers, establishing him as a leading thinker in mental wellness.

Explore more:

Contact Dr. Puff:

✅ Follow Dr. Robert Puff and the Happiness Podcast on social media:

·       Instagram ▶️ https://www.instagram.com/robertpuffjr/

·       LinkedIn ▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorpuff

·       Twitter ▶️ https://twitter.com/HappinesPodcast

·       Facebook ▶️ https://www.facebook.com/HappinessPodcast/

🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. https://www.youtube.com/@DrRobertPuff/?sub_confirmation=1

#Happiness #GoalSetting #Mindfulness #LivingInThePresent #SomedayTrap #EnjoyingTheJourney #PersonalFulfillment #SuccessParadox #AchievementCulture #DelayedGratification #WorkLifeBalance #HabitFormation

#DrRobertPuff #FindingHappiness #NewportBeachPsychologist #Happiness #HappinessPodcast

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to the Happiness podcast. I'm Dr. Robert Puff. We can accomplish some amazing things when we put our minds to it. Maybe take a moment and think about a goal you may have had that you've worked really hard at in your life. Don't we all know someone who came from modest backgrounds, studied really hard at school,

0:23.2

got into college, kept studying hard, got into medical school, and became a surgeon, and now

0:29.8

is extremely successful financially? Or how about some entrepreneurial uncle who worked

0:36.0

really hard for years building his business, working perhaps

0:40.2

100 to 120 hours a week, and then finally made it and is extremely financially successful.

0:47.6

Or what about the musicians, the athletes, the movie stars that we all know that worked so

0:53.2

hard on their careers to get where they're at,

0:55.8

and they've made it, and they're successful.

0:59.3

But if we do a little research, and if we're honest, I think we'll admit that a lot of these people

1:05.7

who make a lot of success in their lives that reach their goals that they work so hard for

1:10.6

aren't necessarily

1:12.4

happier. They have nice things, they have wonderful thrills that sometimes only money can buy,

1:20.8

but at the same time they seem to be struggling. Why is that? And you may at this point

1:27.0

not completely agree with me because their lives,

1:29.9

particularly on social media, seems so thrilling. But I think if you do a little bit of

1:35.0

investigative research, I think you'll find that they have the same problems that you and I do.

1:41.5

And sometimes it seems like they have a lot more problems than we do. But why would

1:46.8

this be? I mean, they made it. They're successful. They're doing exactly what their goals told them.

1:53.7

They needed to do. They worked towards it. They got there. All should be well, correct?

1:59.6

After all, haven't we all been taught at some point in our

2:02.7

lives? If we really want to be successful, we have to sacrifice our happiness a day for a better

2:08.5

someday. I mean, the successful entrepreneur can't be the coach of his kids' soccer league

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D., and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.