Why Break Your Unhealthy Addiction to Success?

Success doesn’t guarantee fulfillment. What it does guarantee is a sweet dopamine rush. A temporary yet, very addictive feeling of blissful pleasure. This is what we can thank for the survival of our resilient species. It’s what kept us hunting when we were not hungry and walking uphill both ways for water. It is also the reason we love completing tasks, hitting a milestone or why some can’t stop working endless hours in the office.  It worked incredibly well when we were thumping our hairy chests and stomping around in caves.

Today it’s having us become addicted to our work or pursuing advancement for that delicious dopa-high. The tragedy within it all is no amount of advancement or money will bring you fulfillment and real contentment.

So what does that leave one to do? It leaves one to cover up that unfulfilled dopamine hangover with nightly TV binge watching, endless scrolling through Facebook or buying more crap. Antidepressant sales have doubled in the last few years, self-help books are covering the shelves and Mark Zuckerberg keeps swimming in more gold.

I want to help you to find fulfillment!

Why do I care so passionately about this? I am obsessed with the way the mind works and the science around it. I am still trying to rationalize why I stayed so long at my government job where I was totally unfulfilled. I was among the 87% Americans that are unfulfilled with their job. It is killing us! We are now dealing with a chemical needed for human survival in our incredibly complicated minds and wildly wonderful complex world.

Case study: My father was incredibly successful. Like many, he came from a poor and somewhat messed-up family. He put himself through college and started building his life with a bank account in a pizza box and Volkswagen van. He and my mom started many thriving businesses, nothing could stop them from succeeding. This instilled in me a strong work ethic and a focus on succeeding.

The tragedy is that he took his own life and left this earth without true fulfillment. I will always wonder if he, like Robin Williams, knew that no matter how much money you made or how much you seemed to have succeeded it will never give you real fulfillment.

I know that if it wasn’t for losing my dad to suicide and struggling with the pain around this, I wouldn’t have my mission. My mission of coaching people is to get real authentic happiness in their work and be unabashedly be themselves.

I want you to fiercely chase fulfillment as the measure of success, not work your ass off to succeed, hoping it will give you happiness.

Success does not guarantee fulfillment.

Can you chase fulfillment and still succeed? I would say that’s the whole point of this thing called life. This doesn’t mean quit your job because laying on the beach drinking Piña colada’s brings you happiness. It means maybe you quit your perceived steady job for that wild dream job. Considering that most people hate their jobs, it is time to take a look. I love working with clients to find passion in the work they were born to do. It doesn’t matter if it’s helping them move careers forward or falling back in love with their business.

Maybe you are happy with your work, but not fulfilled with life. Find out what you’re passionate about and do it more. Find something or that someone that fulfills your soul.

We are not guaranteed to make it to retirement or even until tomorrow. It’s time to chase fulfillment and consider your life a complete triumph.

Are you looking to find fulfillment and do what gives you deep happiness? Tell me. I would love to hear.

Go get em’ tiger!

And as always, sharing is caring. You, sweet one.

Interested in hiring a career coach to help reach your full potential? Connect with Kelly Melsted or visit our directory of career coaches and request a FREE consultation!