Adaptive self-regulation, subjective well-being, and physical health: The importance of goal adjustment capacities

This chapter addresses how people manage the experience of unattainable goals and protect their subjective well-being and physical health. It is argued that goals provide structure and meaning to a person's life and that goal attainment contributes to patterns of successful development by facilitating subjective well-being and physical health. However, when goals become unattainable, people need to disengage from desired goals and pursue other, meaningful goals. Theoretical considerations and empirical research associated with the concept of goal adjustment capacities are discussed. The reviewed literature leads to the conclusion that goal disengagement and goal reengagement capacities represent adaptive self-regulation factors that benefit subjective well-being and physical health. In addition, emotional responses to emerging problems and intractable losses, such as depressive mood and sadness, are identified as psychological factors that can facilitate goal disengagement. This chapter concludes by highlighting some remaining questions and suggesting avenues for future research.