Having happiness as a goal seems to pose problems for people, as it does for me. There is a vast "learned helplessness" that makes people feel like they shouldn't be happy.

I think the strategy is to frame happiness as the following:
1) a means to an end
2) a measure of good performance in things that matter.

AREA 1

Happiness provides energy, encouragement, and a cooperative bent that are all useful for most productive goals. Pursuing happiness is therefore expedient.

AREA 2

Happiness is a wealth of positive feeling, and your goals are there because they make you feel positive. For example, altruism, success, sex, etc.. are all important to me because I know they make me feel good. Happiness is a measure of that good feeling. So by pursuing happiness, I'm asking myself to do all of the things that make me feel good.