You are touching on something called the "4 pillars of happiness":
1) Having a purpose and meaning
2) Feeling as though you are in control
3) Feeling as though you are making progress
4) Being connected to other like-minded people
If you Google it you'll see similar ways of describing the same concept. I've personally used it as a framework in my professional career to help me understand why I'm unhappy. You can then use that information to identify opportunities to improve happiness or as a realization that a pillar won't improve. What you do from there is up to you. I personally strive for 4 out of 4, I can survive (sometimes) with 3 out of 4, anything less and it's time for a change.
1) Having a purpose and meaning
2) Feeling as though you are in control
3) Feeling as though you are making progress
4) Being connected to other like-minded people
If you Google it you'll see similar ways of describing the same concept. I've personally used it as a framework in my professional career to help me understand why I'm unhappy. You can then use that information to identify opportunities to improve happiness or as a realization that a pillar won't improve. What you do from there is up to you. I personally strive for 4 out of 4, I can survive (sometimes) with 3 out of 4, anything less and it's time for a change.