With the dawn of a New Year, many people are making resolutions, goals, and promises to propel them into success and happiness in the coming months. In the elusive search for happiness, many people fall flat and end up more miserable than ever before. So what is the true secret to happiness? How can you end up with positive results in your efforts to be happy in the New Year? The key is to take things one step at a time and realize that happiness is the by-product of doing the next right thing.

Most people assume that happiness is something that will happen all at once.  They set it up in their mind to assume that happiness will happen in one glorious moment when they achieve their goal. Whether it is financial freedom, career success, of landing the love of a lifetime, most people concentrate on one of these goals as the only way to achieve true happiness. However, this is a myth. Happiness comes in the chasing of dreams and true contentment comes in each individual step of the journey.

Every dream begins with a series of steps. Ultimately, you have a choice to make. You can continue to feel unhappy and think about all the things you are lacking that keep you from being happy. On the other hand, you could choose to take the first step towards your happiness and take action to change your circumstances. You might be surprised to find that as you take that first step, happiness starts to creep in and take over.

Instead of focusing only on your end goal, focus on doing the next right thing. By breaking up your goals into smaller, actionable steps, you can make them become a reality. As you take each new step, you will gain confidence and happiness as you work towards your dreams.

Don’t underestimate the power of daily decisions. You have dozens of choices to make every single day and each one can powerfully impact your state of mind. If you choose to do nothing, you won’t feel any differently tomorrow. However, if you seize the opportunities of today and choose to take the next step, you will feel a little happier when you go to bed tonight. Even if you are the only one who sees the tiny step you took towards your dream, the knowledge that you are on the way will propel you and unlock a whole new world of happiness and motivation with each passing day.

As you chase your dreams and goals in the New Year, don’t get so hung up on the long term goals that you forget to make the right choices in the here and now. Do the next right thing and you will unlock a whole new world of happiness.

Resource Box: Doug Dvorak is a motivational speaker offering corporate workshops and productivity training. Learn more about his upcoming conferences at http://www.DougDvorak.com.