We live in a world where the unattainable often seems just within our grasp; humans never cease to keep chasing what they cannot have. The “impossible” is constantly evolving as people reach new heights and the range of what they can pursue increases—thus, the beauty of the cycle. The impossible keeps us driven and hungry for more. In a world filled with people chasing the next big thing–seeking self-improvement and paving their own paths–it is important to understand why we can never truly be content with what we have, and how we can instead use it to fuel us.
As humans, we are constantly imagining new futures for ourselves. Unlike Dr. Strange from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we cannot accurately predict what will happen to us next, leading us to fantasize and yearn for things we may never be able to get. One would think that attaining these once impossible goals would make us happy, and it does—for a very brief period of time. That feeling of joy or pain never lasts for long.
Psychologists call this phenomenon the “Hedonic Treadmill,” a belief that all people have a baseline level of happiness. When events shift our happiness higher or lower, it always returns to this point. In other words, your expectations change so that your new level of happiness becomes that baseline and is not special anymore. After people adjust, they find themselves hungry for even more just to maintain that new baseline.
While this may sound bleak, the idea that you can never truly be happy or content, the Hedonic Treadmill has been and will continue to be useful in many instances. It kept the cavemen going after they first started fire. It kept Einstein going even after he made his first discovery. But why does this matter for students?
Motivation, much like an emotion, ebbs and flows. Why is it important? Because motivation leads you to do things and take actions. Motivation is driven by a simple, singular goal. When you accomplish that goal, your motivation dies down, until the Hedonic Treadmill starts back up again and gives you a new goal to chase.
In the need for more than just simple, meaningless motivation, drive appears. Drive is like motivation, except it fuels one for longer. Drive is like running on the treadmill for hours and hours at nine miles per hour without stopping. Everyone has varying levels of it; some walk at two miles per hour and hop off here and there until they get a new motivation to continue while others sprint all the time.
Drive is more important than motivation. It is what leads you to study late into the night not just to get a grade, but to really learn. Drive and constant hunger get you good grades in your classes, fill up your brain with knowledge and make you feel momentarily rewarded when you accomplish something. Drive is not just wanting to get something over with, rather it is wanting to soak everything up and then still keep moving.
As important as this is, it is crucial that you hop off of the treadmill once in a while. Driven people can still take breaks to reflect—and it makes all the difference. When you keep running, you get tired. You burn out. Your pace slows and slows until you basically crawl off the treadmill entirely and only get back on in certain situations. Yet when you take the occasional break, you become re-energized and can always get back on and resume at the same pace.
Taking the time to escape the Hedonic Treadmill, and adding gratitude, deliberation and variety to your life can make all the difference. When you achieve something, celebrate it. Do not act like it is a norm; take the time to think about how you accomplished it and be present as you think about it rather than just moving ahead again. This gives you a sense of self-worth and accomplishment, while still leaving you excited for the future.
Instead of being numb to the excitements of daily life — because you witness them every day— add some variety into your life. Take the time to smile, be present and say kind words to people. As cliche as that may sound, being present and positive will add excitement and break the constant cycle of normalcy in your life.
As you get ready for the 2025-2026 school year, set your goals and stick to them. Go score thirty points in a basketball game or achieve your potential on your AP exam. Except this time, remember to take a step back, celebrate yourself and your achievements and most importantly, reflect on how you got there. You can never truly be content, but by taking the time to pause and think, you can reach new heights of happiness.
