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We live in an age of «achievement» when we are defined by our success. It seems that anyone can become whoever they want, earn large sums and have authority in the professional community. There is no ceiling for ambition. And it turns our life into a constant race. We understand how it happened and why the cult of success harms us.
The race for success in our time is especially facilitated by social networks, television, non-fiction literature and the media. We see how others relax in expensive hotels, live in luxury residential complexes and wear branded items.
Such pictures cause dissatisfaction with oneself: “If I have not achieved such results, then I am a loser.” So there is a need to meet social expectations, and now we are already included in the race for achievements.
If we look at the “be successful” attitude from a different angle, we will notice that it is more about self-realization. There is no need to chase someone at all: it is about what exactly we do for the soul and for our own pleasure. This approach is more ecological in relation to oneself.
The very word «race» seems to contain tension, stress and high expectations. When we strive to be more successful than others, we are in a neurotic state that makes it difficult to control negative emotions. Let us analyze in detail why the cult of success harms us.
Reason 1. Suppression of emotions
In order not to go the distance due to an overabundance of negative emotions, they need to be suppressed. After all, they can confuse or interfere with important decisions. But as we have noted earlier, the race is a stress, primarily emotional.
Therefore, blocking emotions can lead to emotional exhaustion and fatigue. Negative feelings accumulate inside us, affect sleep and nutrition, and then break through with great force.
It is impossible to experience only positive emotions all the time. It is normal for human nature to experience various states. Bad things can be moderately controlled, but definitely not worth suppressing.
Reason 2. Burnout
Burnout is the exhaustion that occurs in response to the intense stress of performing work tasks. Not all overexertion can lead to exhaustion. This happens when we do not see meaning and value in our own achievements.
There are many symptoms of burnout, from loss of interest in work to health problems. It also happens that exhaustion leads to depression and suicide.
Studies conducted by a group of scientists from Spain and the United States have shown that in countries where GDP per capita and the level of development have not yet reached a high and stable level, suicide occurs more often. Where you have to work harder and harder, and the level of stress is higher.
Reason 3. Physical exhaustion
As with emotional exhaustion, the pursuit of success can physically weaken our body. To stay resourceful, we need to sit back occasionally, get enough sleep, and eat a balanced diet. Our experiences prevent us from sleeping well and eating right, do not allow us to enjoy the rest.
It seems to us that while we sleep or relax, others work and become successful. This condition depletes the body at the physical level, which leads to an exacerbation of diseases. For example, if you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, then against the background of constant stress, they can become even more serious.
Reason 4. Deterioration of relations with others
Success is a relative concept. To determine how successful we are, we have to compare our position with the status of other people. This leads to problems in communication both at the interpersonal level and in society as a whole.
Stratification leads to inequality and separation of others. We stop trusting even close people, everyone is now for himself. This situation leads to mental health problems for all members of society.
Reason 5. Destruction of the planet
The race for success leads to constant economic growth. This, in turn, affects the performance of goods and services. We become more successful and consume more food, entertainment, energy, etc. Increasing production is harming our planet.
For example, in Europe the same wardrobe item is worn less: if in 2000 the average number of wearing was 200 times a year, by 2015 this figure had dropped to 160 times. We need the newest, the best, and more and more of it.
This approach to consumption is observed in many areas and leads to irreversible consequences for the planet. And that means for our lives.
How to cope?
It is important to understand that the pursuit of success is not a pathology. You need to develop and become better, but not in order to be approved by others, but for yourself. Here are a few tips to help you fight achievement:
1. Notice the real you. It is important to pay attention to your true goals and motives. A mood diary will help with this. You don’t have to have a notepad^ and notes on your phone will do. Fix your state in it during significant situations. What do you feel? What emotions does the event evoke?
2. Learn to have fun. In pursuit of success, we often work only for the result, which does not bring any pleasure. In this case, it is important to consciously approach your “I want.” Only after determining true desires, “I can” and “I deserve” begin.
Try writing out your wish list. There can be an unlimited number of them. They will help you understand yourself better and inspire you to perform them. You can try to fulfill one wish per week. So you will understand what from this list really brings you pleasure, and what is simply imposed by others and not at all about you.
3. Plan your vacation. This task must be approached with the same care as the work planning. To understand how much rest you need, you can build a Mayer balance wheel.
It looks like a pie chart, which is divided into eight sectors: career, family, health, leisure, self-development, friends, money, hobbies. Your position in each of the areas must be assessed on a 10-point scale, where 0 is “a complete failure”, 10 is “everything is super”. This will help you understand what you are missing for balance and well-being. Most often, people who build this diagram lack quality rest.
4. Pay attention to the body. It always lets us know if something is wrong with us. So stress makes us feel worse. To cope with it, try breathing practices and meditation. Increase physical activity to shed negativity and reboot. This will help in the fight against burnout and bad mood.
Satisfaction with life is not always associated with success. For our activity to be joyful, it must have meaning for us.
The key to a good life is the ability to enjoy the little things, know your “wants” and be conscious in consumption and work. Now that you understand the implications of racing to be successful, ask yourself, “Do I really want to achieve this or that?” Perhaps the answer will surprise you.