People stuck on a downward spiral of unhappiness may be able to alter their course by simply doing "what you believe in, what interests you, or both.

Setting goals that fit with your personality -- self-concordant goals -- and resisting the temptation to do something you feel you ought to, is key in the pursuit of happiness.

The idea that people can make themselves permanently happier is controversial, but this new data suggests that this is so. People can make themselves happier, by doing very well at self-concordant goals.

Investigators found that students who set self-concordant goals were more likely to achieve their goals and in doing so, heighten their sense of well-being (i.e., happiness).

Goals listed by the undergraduate students included getting good grades, getting involved in campus organizations, and not gaining weight.

So, one can't 'spiral upwards' indefinitely, but one can get oneself to a higher level of happiness, and then keep oneself there, if one selects appropriate goals and then continues to do well at them.

Yet, the researcher acknowledged the challenges involved in setting self-concordant goals. We assume that it is a difficult skill to perceive yourself well enough to know what is best for you to do -- there are a lot of things that get in the way of that.

The researchers offered the following advice: Stand back and take stock and figure out what's really most important to you and start going after that. Stop wasting time doing what you think you're supposed to -- that can start this whole positive process.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001;80:152-165