When I hit 10k followers on Instagram, I thought that was it. I'd made it. I remember the exact moment I crossed it, and for about a day, it felt great. Then I wanted 50k. Then 100k. Now I'm past 130k and already thinking about 200k. The number keeps changing. The feeling never lasts.
This is the hedonic treadmill. The idea that no matter what you achieve, you adapt to it quickly and return to roughly the same baseline of happiness. A promotion, a new personal record, a milestone you've been chasing for months. The high fades faster than you expect.
And if you don't understand this, it will silently run your life.
The trap of chasing outcomes
Most people structure their happiness like this: once I have X, I'll feel good. Once I graduate. Once I get the job. Once the account blows up. Once I hit a certain income.
The problem is that "once I have X" never actually arrives. You get X, adapt within weeks, and immediately start chasing Y. The finish line moves the second you cross it.
What actually gives me joy
When I'm honest with myself, the moments that consistently feel good are not the milestones. It's the process of actually working. Writing a newsletter and finding the right way to say something. Sitting down with a project and getting into flow. Posting a video and watching how people respond to it. Learning something new that immediately connects to something I already knew.
The process gives you something the outcome never can: it's always available and it is in your control. You don't have to wait for it. You can access it every single day.
Find the process that's yours
This looks different for everyone and that's exactly the point. It could be studying, reading, building, training, traveling, cooking, writing. Whatever it is, there's usually a version of the work that feels genuinely good to do, independent of where it leads. Your job is to figure out what that is for you, and then make that the thing you show up for every day.
Outcomes still matter.
I want to be clear here: I'm not saying stop caring about results. Chase the degree. Chase the audience. Chase the goals that genuinely improve your life. A good outcome will 100% benefit you and create real, lasting advantages.
But your happiness cannot depend on it. The moment you tie your wellbeing to an external result, you've handed control of how you feel to something you can't fully control.
💡 My Recommendation of the week
Next time you’re planning out next weeks To-Do’s and goals try to frame them as input-based goals instead of output-based goals.
Instead of “Growing 1000 Followers” → “Post 5 Videos”
Instead of “Finishing the book” → “Read 20 pages every evening”
Instead of “Good midterm grade” → “Spend 2 hours per day preparing”
Have a great week,
Chris