So, what would it take to make you happy? More money, or a better job? Finding your soulmate and falling in love? A slimmer figure, or a holiday somewhere exotic? Less work, more work, no work? A never ending wheel of cheese?

Happiness is an elusive state of being, a magical formula. It always seems to be just out of reach, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. For many of us, happiness comes down to big, fat, pie-in-the-sky dreams. Ones that exist not in the today, not in the tomorrow, but somewhere in the future where you will finally nail being ‘happy’.

Maybe not.

I’m on a bit of mission at present, you see. After a rocky start to the year, and a slight freak-out-birthday looming large (almost 30, send help) I’ve been really tuning into how happy I am. Healthy? Yep. Successful? Sure, at everything except food shopping and driving a car. But happy? Well, jury’s out on that one.

What my journey to happiness has taught me thus far is that ‘happiness’ has become a saleable commodity. It might still be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but did you know that rainbow costs you money? It comes in the form of yoga classes, meditation classes, a new dress, a new figure, a new haircut. That rainbow can be a self-help book, a diet plan, a set of organic cotton sheets, or an account with SugarDaddy.com which I’ll definitely pass on, thanks.

"What my journey to happiness has taught me thus far is that ‘happiness’ has become a saleable commodity." (Image: iStock)

“The answer lies in the pie chart theory of happiness,” explains Lyubomirsky.

“Recall that 50 per cent of individual differences in happiness are governed by genes, 10 per cent by life circumstances, and the remaining 40 per cent by what we do and how we think - that is, our intentional activities and strategies.”

The 50 per cent figure references the ‘genetic set point’ of happiness. This is a predisposed ability to feel happiness. Like some people are genetically predisposed to being skinny, or tall, or athletic; some people are genetically predisposed to being happy.

But the rest? That’s in your hands.

40 per cent of happiness can be traced to ‘Intentional activities’ - that is, the things you do that make you happy. (And no, that doesn’t mean spending an entire weekend in front of Gilmore Girls with a tub of ice-cream…)

These happiness-creating activities could be exercise, spirituality rituals, regular social engagement, charity work, writing down goals or dreams, living in the present, or self-care rituals (ok fine, that could include Gilmore Girls and ice-cream).

The takeaway nugget of advice was pretty simple: if you want to be happy, you need to work at it.

Like many millennials, I am exceptionally good at identifying what makes me unhappy. Intense scroll sessions on social media, weekend binge sessions (booze, food, all of the above), and skipping yoga classes are all sure-fire ways to send me spiralling into a sad hole. But I can now understand that I need to shift my focus big time, to understand what makes me happy.

This friends, is happiness. (Image: Netflix)

Bringing a healthy lunch to work. A bubble bath. Hiking on a Saturday morning. Singing Ed Sheeran with my girlfriends in the car. Going to bed early. Finding time to write, not for work, but for myself. Fresh sheets. Crappy movies from the late 90s. Calling my Dad. Having my Dad call me. Booking a trip away, and looking forward to it for months. Fairy lights in my bedroom. Fresh flowers on a Sunday. Nailing a new record running. CHEESE.

None of these things are expensive, and none of these things are impossible. When I scrapped my standard list of happiness - a size six figure, and a six-figure bank balance - I found that peaceful and cheerful living comes down to the little things.

So, I dare you. Figure out what your 40 per cent of happiness comes down to, and write the list. Rip it out of your notebook, and stick it to your fridge. That’s your mantra for the next little while.

What does happiness mean to you? Do you feel like it's attainable?