Goals Do Not Buy Well-Being, but They Help

Abstract

Abstract. Although personal goals give meaning to life and contribute to well-being, achieving goals can become difficult in older adults faced with age-related challenges. A group of 49 older adults aged 65 to 92 years completed a semistructured interview on personal goals, obstacles to goal achievement, and contributors to well-being. Using thematic analysis, we identified several types of goals contributing to well-being and general aspects of well-being. Results revealed that, although older people might say that they no longer have major goals in their lives, they end up mentioning many activities that theoretically are goals. Many of these activities are geared toward maintaining or increasing their general well-being. Of importance, they report few complaints regarding goal achievement, which they explained by (1) reducing the number and breadth of their goals, (2) adjusting and reevaluating these goals, and (3) overcoming difficulties and stabilizing current functioning, thereby maintaining a sense of continuity and satisfactory levels of well-being. This study illustrates the interactions between resources and stressors from the viewpoint of older adults. Taken together, the results advocate for the usefulness of the functional quality of life model and proactive approaches to successful aging, and they provide directions for individualized interventions in the elderly.