What does happiness have to do with your success in life?

Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappos.com, has been a serial entrepreneur for the entirety for his young career but sold his last company because he didn’t like doing it anymore!

He thought it was a great idea, but lost the desire to go into the office. He went on to found Zappos with a very different vision.

“What I think of as happiness has changed a lot over the years,” Tony admitted. “There’s a lot of talk about happiness coming from within—not from external factors. But most people go throughout life thinking it does come from the outside. I think it’s about being part of something bigger than yourself, something that has meaning.”

Happiness does indeed mean so many different things to so many different people, and our definition changes throughout our lives. But here are four ideas to consider when it comes to creating happiness:

1. Freedom of Choice

We all want to feel a sense of control in making choices in our lives and that we have the freedom to make them.

2. Making Progress

We want to feel we’re in a position of making progress and hitting the milestones and goals we’ve set for ourselves.

3. Deep Relationships

We want to feel connected to others—that we’ve established deep and meaningful relationships with genuine intimacy.

4. Doing what Matters

We have to feel like we’re doing something bigger than ourselves, that we’re pursuing our own passions and participating in something that’s going to have a larger impact on the world.

So, how do you define happiness?