Why are you investing?
What are you trying to achieve?
What does your ideal future look like?
What would make you feel free, secure, and fulfilled?

These are the questions we start with—not because they sound nice, but because they give direction.

They create meaning.
They reveal what truly matters.

But for someone like this professor, this was unfamiliar territory.

He had grown up on “what.”

What is the return?
What is the NAV?
What are the quarterly numbers?
What’s the alpha?

The language of investing for him was product-first. Numbers-first. Data-first.

And now, here we were, talking about his life.
His dreams.
His future.

It made him uncomfortable.

Not because he didn’t care.

But because he had never looked at money this way.

He told me, “I’m not sure about these goal statements. It feels vague. I just want my portfolio to perform well. I just want 10-12%”

I asked him a simple question.

Do you know how much you need to live the rest of your life, on your terms?

He paused.
Thought about it.
And said, “Honestly, I have no idea.”

So I asked again, gently.

Isn’t that the real question?
Isn’t that your call to action?
Isn’t that your true benchmark—not how the Sensex performs or what some mutual fund delivers, but whether your investments are helping you live the life you’ve imagined?

That’s when something shifted.
He didn’t say much after that.

But I could see the wheels turning.

Because somewhere deep down, he knew that all the reports, charts, and metrics meant very little if he didn’t know whether he was heading in the right direction.

We’ve met many investors like him.
Smart people.
Disciplined savers.
Deeply analytical.

But disconnected from the one thing that should drive all financial decisions—clarity of purpose.

You can know everything about the market.
You can track every fund.
You can run simulations, back tests, and projections.

But if you don’t know what you’re investing for, you’re just moving.

You’re not progressing.

Because motion is not the same as direction.

We’ve been taught to focus on performance.
On beating the market.
On maximizing returns.

But rarely are we asked to think about what we’re trying to achieve.

What does wealth mean to you?
How much is enough?
What does a life well-lived look like for you and your family?

These questions sound philosophical.

But they are financially critical.

Because if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you’ve arrived?

That’s why we start with goals.

Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it’s softer.
But because it’s smarter.

When you define your goals, you shift the frame.

Now, the question is not “Did I beat the market?”
It’s “Am I on track for my daughter’s education?”
“Will I be able to retire at 58 and travel with my spouse?”
“Will I be able to support my parents with dignity?”

Suddenly, investing becomes real.
Personal.
Emotional.

And guess what—this also makes it more disciplined.

Because when you invest for a goal, you’re less likely to panic during market dips.
You’re less likely to chase fads or jump ship.
You’re less likely to compare your portfolio to someone else’s and feel inferior.

Because your path is your own.
Your destination is personal.

That’s the real beauty of goal-based investing.

It doesn’t eliminate risk.

But it gives you a reason to stay the course.

Now, I know some investors push back.

They say, “But goals change.”

Yes, of course they do.

So do lives. So do plans.

The point isn’t to lock yourself into rigid targets.
The point is to create intentionality.

To be conscious of your choices.
To align your money with your life—not the other way around.

When you know your goals, your decisions become easier.

Should you take that big loan?
Should you spend that bonus?
Should you delay that investment?

All of it becomes clearer when you ask, “Does this move me closer to my goal, or further away?”

That’s what the professor I met didn’t fully see at first.

He was used to some specific reporting, but not high-quality reflection.

But numbers without narrative are hollow.

The real power comes when we combine precision with purpose.

When your reports tell the story of your progress—towards the life you want.

That’s what we do at Happyness Factory.

We are not just about investing.
We manage meaning.

We help you measure what really matters.

Not just your portfolio’s XIRR.
But your progress.
Your peace of mind.
Your ability to live without fear.

So to every investor like Aakash—the professor, the analyst, the product-focused thinker—I invite you to pause.

Ask yourself:

What am I investing for?
What will this money help me do?
How will I know I’m winning?

If you don’t have answers yet, that’s okay.
That’s what we’re here for.

But once you begin to ask those questions,
everything starts to align.

And suddenly, the numbers make more sense.

Because now, they have a purpose.

Now, they’re not just about performance.

They’re about progress.
They’re about you.

And that’s what investing should have been about all along.