It seems like everyone these days wants to achieve happiness. Everywhere we look, there’s a plethora of articles discussing the topic, telling us how we can be happier if we do X,Y and Z. As if there’s some secret formula.

After all, how many times have we heard the cliche phrase – “happiness isn’t a destination, it is a journey”? One too many times, I’m afraid. But now, according to science, it looks like there could be some truth behind the cliche.

The folks over at Happify created a handy infographic (below) that explains the “science of happiness” in the simplest way possible. According to the study, 40 percent of our happiness is actually controlled by us. Our thoughts, actions and behaviors play a large part in our overall happiness.

However, 50 percent of our happiness is genetically determined. The fact that the majority of our happiness is out of our control, determined by our genes, is a scary thought. Only 10 percent of our happiness is actually due to our circumstances.

According to the study, “we get used to our circumstances over time, so they don’t play as large of a role in our happiness level as we might think.”

The infographic also offers ways to increase your happiness over time as well as ways to boost it instantly. But remember – it’s the journey not the destination (we just hope it’s a journey with good genes to boot!).

[h/t Design Taxi]

Infographic via Happify