Uncovering the secret to living your best life

It’s not money. It’s also not how many vacations you take, or whether or not you have pets, or if you own a big house. So what, then, is the secret to living a fulfilled life? The highly debated answer to this question might surprise you. Nearly 2 million people around the world have spoken through a global survey conducted by Abbott, the global healthcare company. Most people feel the key to living a full life is family, followed by success, giving, and health. Interestingly, family outranked the next-closest factor by more than 20 percent.

If you think money is keeping you from living a full life, you’re not alone. An eye-opening 44 percent cited money as the top barrier to living a full life, followed by time, work and priorities. Meanwhile, attitude was the top reason people thought others live fulfilling lives, followed closely by health.

“We uncovered the passions and obstacles that people have as they try to live their best lives. We set out to get people talking about what it means to live fully and how they can get the most from their lives,” says Elaine Leavenworth, senior vice president, chief marketing and external affairs officer, Abbott. “Ultimately, we want to help people live the fullest, healthiest life possible. Understanding more about what everyone values the most and what gets in their way will help us serve them better.”

When asked to rank how fulfilled they are on a scale from 1-100, the global median for people around the world was 68. Those who listed family or spirituality as a top factor for living fully often rated themselves higher on the fulfillment scale. In contrast, people who listed success as a top factor for living fully tended to rate themselves lower on the fulfillment scale.

“These results reflect a dynamic that has been ingrained in humans for much of history. There’s always a sense of tension between what we value as a society and what might actually be possible for individuals,” says Eric Hedberg, Ph.D., sociologist and assistant professor, Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University. “Around the world, most societies value family and success; these are core needs of any human being. However, not every society provides the same opportunities to achieve those goals. Instead of accepting barriers to fulfillment, it’s important for individuals to refocus on what they can do to change these conditions.”

To learn more about the survey, visit www.LifetotheFullest.abbott.