Interest has more meaning to me than the idea of happiness.
Award-winning painter, Georgia O'Keefe, suggests optimizing for your interests rather than your happiness:
"I do not like the idea of happiness — it is too momentary. I would say that I was always busy and interested in something — interest has more meaning to me than the idea of happiness."
My father-in-law is 72 aged, and he has a healthy body. He is also a small entrepreneur when he was 30-40s, and he made huge money in that period, but he didn't feel happy that time. As time goes by, his business declines, he has less more money than before, but he feel more and true happy now.
He has a very healthy interest: Roaming everywhere.
He doesn't like posh cuisine, fancy car, expensive costumes, etc. He like to pick some simple foods to feed himself in car, and roaming driving everywhere to enjoy sceneries. We want to serve him to great restaurant or high class hotel, but he always rejects our offer. He doesn't mean that will cost we too much, he just really doesn't enjoy our arrangement.
So do people in works.
People maybe not get happiness with higher position. If he/she has clear interest in something, that will be a healthier meaning for him/her.