Have you chanced upon Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics?

He argues that true happiness comes from being-at-work in accordance with virtue. And that virtue can be cultivated through habit. So in his scheme, you can work towards sustained happiness.

Three of the important virtues he devotes separate chapters to are: courage, temperance and practical judgment ('phronesis', sometimes translated as 'prudence').

Of course, everyone develops their own map on how to understand and go about their lives. Just thought I'd share a pointer to the one in this work.