Abraham Maslow (1908–70) is most famous for creating his hierarchy of needs, the pinnacle of which is self-actualisation. Failing to at least try to achieve self-actualisation can result in disappointment and unhappiness, namely:

WHAT TO DO

• Identify which of the following groups you belong to: (A) the lucky few who knew from a very early age what they wanted to do, (B) the majority who learnt to become good at something that then becomes their life’s work and (C) the rest who never find what they are good at/interested in.
• If you belong to either group A or B, then you are lucky. However, true happiness doesn’t come from just doing what you want to, it is found in doing it to the absolute best of your abilities. So aim high. You may fail but that is more satisfying than aiming low and succeeding every time.
• The people in group C probably drifted into their job. Typically, they’ll say, ‘My job’s OK. It pays the mortgage/rent.’ If you are one of these, you need to ask yourself, ‘Do I really want to spend the rest of my life doing this job?’ If the answer is no, then identify what you want to do and go for it.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

• Do I work just to pay the mortgage?
• If the answer to the question above is yes, do I have the determination, drive and guts to do something about it?