It’s possible to work hard, invest, sacrifice, and push your way to the top of your field, only to find yourself restless and despondent. The Hedonic Treadmill is a major problem if you’d like to experience a feeling of success or achievement for an extended period of time. Since we’re not satisfied with what we have for very long, it’s only a matter of time before we fixate on something else to achieve or possess. The Hedonic Treadmill explains why people who achieve wealth, status, and fame continue to seek more. As a result, we begin seeking something new, and the cycle repeats. When we finally achieve or acquire what we’re seeking, we adapt to our success in a very short period of time, and our success no longer gives us pleasure. This cycle is called the Hedonic Treadmill: we pursue pleasurable things because we think they’ll make us happy.

Before long, your new car will blend into your surroundings, and your mind will fixate on something else to pursue in the quest for happiness. Over time, however, your joy will fade, a phenomenon psychologists call hedonic adaptation. In the short term, it might: for the first week or so, you’ll probably experience great pleasure when you drive. Let’s assume that you believe buying a fancy new car will make you happy. Josh Kaufman Explains The 'Hedonic Treadmill' We pursue pleasurable things because we think they’ll make us happy.