Happy Achievement

Happiness does not lie in happiness, but in the achievement of it.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

The article “The Only Way to Eat an Elephant ” from Psychology Today features the SMART acronym to “guide the process of turning big dreams into reality.” It’s one of those mnemonic things that help ground goal planning around a criteria that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, it’s probably not attainable to go from a couch body to running a marathon the next day. Instead, first commit to a walk around the block on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Small bites.

About the author

Fyodor Dostoevsky (11 November [O.S. 30 October] 1821 – 9 February [O.S. 28 January] 1881), was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. Numerous literary critics regard him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as many of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces. Dostoevsky’s literary works explore the human condition in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. His most acclaimed novels include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), Demons (1872), The Adolescent (1875), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). His 1864 novella Notes from Underground is considered to be one of the first works of existentialist literature.