If you’ve ever wondered why happiness always seems just out of reach, the answer might be simpler than you think. It’s not a lack of money, success, or even purpose—it’s the fact that you’re stuck on one (or more) of life’s endless treadmills.
No, not the ones at the gym. I’m talking about the psychological treadmills we run on every day—patterns that keep us chasing happiness, only to find ourselves right back where we started.
The truth is, most of us are running in place. And it’s exhausting.
The Trap of Hedonic Adaptation
At the core of this problem is a concept called hedonic adaptation—the tendency for humans to return to a baseline level of happiness no matter what happens to them.
Something good happens, and for a while, you feel great. But then, slowly but surely, that happiness fades, and you settle back into your default state.
The same thing happens when something bad occurs. Sure, it shakes you up. But given time, you adjust and return to your normal emotional range.
This is why big life changes—good or bad—rarely lead to lasting happiness or misery. You win the lottery? You’ll be ecstatic for a while, but eventually, you’ll feel just as content (or discontent) as you were before. Lose your job? It’s devastating at first, but soon, you’ll settle back into your emotional baseline.
And this is where the treadmills come in.
The Three Treadmills Keeping You Stuck
Most of us are trapped in one of three (or all three) psychological treadmills. We keep running, thinking happiness is just over the horizon, but we never actually get anywhere.
1. The Hedonic Treadmill: The Illusion of Buying Happiness
This treadmill is fueled by spending. The idea is simple: buy things, feel happier. And for a little while, it works.
• You get the new car, and for the first few weeks, it’s exciting every time you drive it.
• You move into a bigger house, and suddenly, life feels luxurious.
• You splurge on a designer bag, and there’s a rush of joy every time you wear it.
But then? The car just becomes “your car.” The house just becomes “your house.” The bag is just another thing in your closet.
This is hedonic adaptation at work—we adjust to our new reality, and the excitement wears off. But instead of recognizing this cycle, we assume we just haven’t bought the right thing yet.
So we do it again. And again. And again.
The problem? Buying things doesn’t create lasting happiness—it just resets the baseline.
2. The Overdrive Treadmill: The Obsession with Saving
On the flip side, some people believe happiness comes from financial security rather than spending. They set goals for their net worth, aggressively save, and invest every penny, convinced that once they hit a magic number, happiness will follow.
• “I’ll be happy when I hit a million dollars in savings.”
• “Once I retire early, I’ll finally enjoy life.”
• “When my investments generate enough passive income, I’ll be free.”
But just like with spending, the goalposts keep moving.
You reach your savings target, but now you’re anxious about market crashes. You retire early, but now you feel unfulfilled. You hit financial independence, but you can’t bring yourself to spend the money you saved.
Security feels good—but it doesn’t replace meaning.
3. The Achievement Treadmill: The Chase for More
This treadmill is for the high achievers. It’s fueled by accomplishment, and it works the same way as the others:
• You think, I’ll be happy when I graduate, land that job, or make partner.
• You work tirelessly toward the goal.
• You finally achieve it! And for a moment, it feels incredible.
• But soon enough, that achievement becomes the new normal.
And then what? You set a new goal.
You tell yourself you’ll finally be happy when you get the next promotion, build the next company, hit the next milestone. But no matter what you achieve, the feeling never lasts.
This is why so many wildly successful people feel unfulfilled. They’ve checked every box but still feel empty. Because happiness doesn’t come from goals—it comes from what you do every day.
So… How Do You Get Off the Treadmills?
If spending, saving, and achieving won’t make you happy, what will?
The answer isn’t in the next purchase, paycheck, or promotion. It’s in purpose.
Forget the Treadmills—Find Your “Little p” Purpose
We tend to think of purpose as something grand—a big, world-changing mission. But that’s not what actually brings lasting happiness.
True fulfillment comes from what I call “little p” purpose—process-oriented, joy-filled activities that light you up. Not because they lead to something bigger, but because they’re meaningful in themselves.
• If you love writing, write—not to publish a bestseller, but because the process brings you joy.
• If you love coaching, coach—not to build a six-figure business, but because helping others fulfills you.
• If you love woodworking, make things—not to start a company, but because creating is satisfying in itself.
When you focus on doing what you love in the present, rather than chasing future milestones, you stop running and start living.
Rewriting the Equation for Happiness
If you want to escape the endless cycle of wanting more, stop chasing and start doing.
• Ditch the hedonic treadmill. Instead of buying more, appreciate what you already have.
• Step off the overdrive treadmill. Money is a tool—not the end goal. Use it to create experiences, not just savings accounts.
• Quit the achievement treadmill. Define success by how you feel today, not by some future milestone.
Happiness isn’t something you arrive at—it’s something you cultivate daily.
The question isn’t, What will make me happy someday? The question is, What brings me joy right now?
Once you start living with that in mind, you won’t need the treadmills anymore.
Did you catch this week’s episode of Earn & Invest (Click to listen)?
The Purpose Code is Now Available!
