In a quite miraculous turn of events, it is yet another sunny Friday here in London! London in the sun is a fantastic place to be and on Sunday the streets of east london will be full of thousands of runners taking part in the Hackney Half Marathon. I will be one of them. I don’t think I’m on for a pb but it’s one of the most enjoyable races I’ve done so I’m really looking forward to it.
So in a tenuous extension of the running introduction…
The Hedonic Treadmill
Have you noticed how the thrill of a new achievement at work quickly fades? How once you have completed the race you were training for your Strava drops off a cliff? Or you crush your healthy eating, only for the bad habits to return all too quickly?
This phenomenon is known as the Hedonic Treadmill—a concept suggesting that our baseline level of happiness quickly adapts to positive changes and doesn’t permanently change. Even as our life circumstances improve and we progress this thrill we once received from what we would have previously considered great achievements diminishes. The below is a quote taken from an MiT and Harvard study on the concept…
There seems to be little people can do to improve their well-being. At most, people may hope for temporary lifts from major life events (such as marriage, or winning the lottery) which quickly fade as they return to their usual baseline…requiring them to ever peruse the hedonic treadmill in the hope of finding some temporary increase in happiness. Given the frequency of winning the lottery or getting married (which for most people is a few times at most), the odds of improving wellbeing seem low. Of course, this is not as tragic as it sounds, since most people’s equilibrium state is somewhat happy
So, how can we try to avoid getting on this particular treadmill and what can we do to provide frequent boosts to our well-being, helping us counteract this treadmill effect and achieve lasting happiness - short of getting married or winning the lottery each week?
Embrace Challenges Over Convenience: The path of least resistance often promises comfort but seldom leads to substantial personal or professional development. Choosing the tougher route can sometimes seem daunting, but it is these decisions that can set the stage for significant achievements and deeper satisfaction. This concept, often highlighted in discussions about decision-making, underscores the value of enduring short-term discomfort for long-term gain. I like to think of this as doing hill reps in your running training. I’d love to eschew them in favour of an easy run but by regularly having them in a training plan you develop significant cardio and strength.
Investing Wisely - The True Value of Time: Time is your most valuable asset. Reflect on whether your daily work or activities resonate with your passions or if it merely serves as a means to an end. Engaging in activities that tap into your unique strengths and interests can lead to a richer, more connected life. I think this is especially true at work where finding the right alignment, helps break the cycle by creating a sustained level of satisfaction that doesn’t diminish as quickly as financial incentives otherwise might.
Fuelling Progress with Curiosity: Curiosity is something we have in spades as a child and for whatever reason seems in many people to lessen over time. But curiosity is a way to enhance learning and development; it's also a powerful motivator in our careers and lives in general.
Is there a way to cultivate curiosity? To start with, you want to avoid situations that suppress it. How much does the work you're currently doing engage your curiosity? If the answer is "not much," maybe you should change something.
The most important active step you can take to cultivate your curiosity is probably to seek out the topics that engage it. Few adults are equally curious about everything, and it doesn't seem as if you can choose which topics interest you. So it's up to you to find them. Or invent them, if necessary.
Another way to increase your curiosity is to indulge it, by investigating things you're interested in. Curiosity is unlike most other appetites in this respect: indulging it tends to increase rather than to sate it. Questions lead to more questions.Paul Graham, How to Think for Yourself
Being genuinely curious about a range of things can lead to a more sustainable form of enjoyment. This drive to know more and understand better can make everyday tasks more interesting and fulfilling, helping you to not only to gain pleasure from the outcomes but enjoy the journey.
Showing Up: Being good repeatedly means embracing the grind. It involves setting realistic goals, tracking your progress, and making adjustments as necessary. It's about maintaining discipline and focus, even when the results aren’t immediately visible. Consider the practice of daily training for a marathon. It’s not the occasional long run that prepares you for race day; it’s the cumulative effect of regular, consistent training. The same applies to any skill or career. Repeatedly putting in the effort, refining your techniques, and maintaining a high standard of performance build a foundation for enduring success.
I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest, sometimes not even the most diligent, but they are learning machines. They go to bed every night a little wiser than they were when they got up and boy does that help, particularly when you have a long run ahead of you.
Charlie Munger
And the earlier you begin to build your base the better as your life evolve and becomes more complex there will be things which for better or worse take up time which you otherwise might spend on this endeavour. It was much easier for me to do more training before I had a child than after for example (though I’m incredibly lucky to have a wife with the patience of a saint!).
So to avoid the treadmill…
Choose things that excite you immensely: Opt for opportunities where your initial reaction is enthusiastic and positive.
Take on challenges that may initially intimidate you: These are often the ones that promote the most growth. Read about the concept of Misogi’s here…
Let curiosity lead your career decisions: Engage deeply with your work and continuously seek to learn and improve.
Align yourself with what you’re passionate about: Doing what you love will naturally bring higher and more durable satisfaction.
Maybe I talk too much about running?
Anyway the other rabbit hole I went down this week was on Jeremy Giffon. Jeremy was the 1st employee at Tiny capital - I’m not going to get into all of the detail here but there are a couple of concepts he talked about which I think I would like to write about maybe sometime. There are 3 podcasts you can listen to which are honestly a blast. here here and here
Thanks for reading and I hope you found it valuable. Help hold me to account by subscribing and making me write one of these every week!