Why Success Can Feel So Bitter
Five takeaways:
- This piece warns us against anchoring our happiness to a far-off goal– especially those attained at significant personal sacrifice– because there is no guarantee that it will bring you long term satisfaction.
- Dreams and goals are valuable to us because they give us a metric for measuring progress. But Brooks argues that happiness in life is derived from progress, not from specific outcomes.
- Researchers have said that “when a goal is a true end point for progress, the cessation of forward motion can lead to a feeling of emptiness” once a goal is attained. This might be called the “post-achievement hangover.”
- To make sure you are channeling your goals positively, ask yourself three questions about your journey to accomplishment:
- Are you enjoying the journey?
- Is the reward for achieving your goal something you truly want?
- Can you take one step at a time?
- One should always ask themselves: why is this my goal in the first place? If they cannot really answer that– it is time to move on with life.
From Arthur C. Brooks at The Atlantic:
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