<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">What's happening? </h2>

A new survey of Britons found a surprising result. When asked how successfulAccomplishing a desired aim or result. Can mean having achieved fame, money or status. they think they are, 56% of people give themselves a rating of 7-10.

PhilosophersPeople who ask big questions about the meaning of life and how we should live. have long argued about both what happiness really means and how important it is.

But this new poll suggests that all of them are wrong. For most of us, happiness really means having control of our lives.

Top of the list of things that make people successful are: owning your own home, building up a good pensionA regular payment made to people who have stopped working due to their age. , not needing to work and having time for hobbies.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Find out more </h2>

In other words, people feel happy when they have enough money to be in control of their time, and do not have to spend all of it working.

This also means most people want to think they are in charge of their own happiness. Only one-fifth to a quarter think things that come down to random chance, like your family and just being plain lucky, are important.

Yet plenty of studies suggest that luck is the only thing that really separates successful people from unsuccessful people.

Yes! Most people really want the same things: having a nice house and the time to do things we enjoy. We need to be able to control what we do with our lives to be happy.

No! Too much control means life will become boring. These are not the things that really make us happy. We need our lives to be exciting.

Successful - Accomplishing a desired aim or result. Can mean having achieved fame, money or status.

Philosophers - People who ask big questions about the meaning of life and how we should live.

Pension - A regular payment made to people who have stopped working due to their age.