Change your expat life
Why Success Doesn’t Always Make Us Happy
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to give into imposter syndrome?
Have you ever felt yourself self-sabotaging right when you reach your goal?
Have you ever gotten exactly what you wanted, only to discover that you didn’t feel satisfied?
If so, you’re not alone.
Avoid normalizing burnout
Something I see regularly in my coaching practice is people who have achieved what they set out to achieve—only to burn out (sometimes even flame out!) once they finally get there.
When it happens, it’s really easy to build up toxic narratives about what went wrong. Maybe you think you didn’t deserve it in the first place; maybe you think you lost the spark or passion that originally got you there; maybe you feel like you gave up too much trying to achieve your goal.
Unsurprisingly, the brain has an endless capacity to tell you stories about what might have gone awry when you’ve done what you set out to do but you just don’t feel happy in your success.
And because humans love to bask in shared misery, it’s always easy to find books, TV shows, or movies about incredibly wealthy and successful people who are just miserable inside.
In fact, it’s easy to look at all the burnout that people have been experiencing around the world and wonder if it’s just normal to feel unhappy, no matter how successful you are.
But it’s not. I promise. Burnout and unhappiness are not inevitable — and they don’t have to be the handmaidens to success.
It all starts with your mindset
When was the last time you celebrated yourself? When was the last time you celebrated an achievement, big or small?
If you’re like many of my coaching clients, it might have been a while ago. When you reach a goal or a milestone, it’s so easy to simply move on. You might immediately start working on the next goal, or you might downplay the awesomeness and significance of the goal you just achieved. Maybe you feel like there’s no time to celebrate, or you’re embarrassed to admit how much the achievement really means to you. Maybe the attention makes you uncomfortable.
Whatever the reason, we’ve all been there.
But the #1 thing you can do today to cultivate happiness is to meaningfully celebrate what you have — including the things you have achieved!
Success is tricky, I get it. When we’re first getting into the habit and mindset of celebrating what we’ve done and what we have, it can feel uncomfortable to identify what’s worth making a big deal of.
So, here’s the spoiler: everything.
Everything is worth celebrating.
Why? Because every time you take the time to celebrate what you (or someone else!) has done, it expands your mind’s capacity to equate happiness with your successes.
No matter how successful you are according to any external metric, you will be happier — and feel more successful!
It’s brain magic
That’s right. I said it: it’s brain magic. I truly believe that one’s ability to feel happy and enjoy their success starts with mindset — and the data backs me up.
This is where an abundance mindset comes into play.
You’ve probably heard the phrase before. It’s right up there with “gratitude” and “mindfulness” among the top recommendations for how to live a full, thriving life.
But what does it mean? And how does it actually relate to success?
Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. Be sure to tune into Episode 29 of the Love Your Expat Life Podcast to learn all about the incredible power of cultivating an abundance mindset—and how you can start today.
See you there!
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