The Paradox of Satisfaction and Success

1. The Internal Conflict

Voice 1: “You’re not doing enough. Push harder.”

Voice 2: “You should be more balanced, you can’t always work all the time.”

This tension never really leaves. It’s the war between ambition and presence. You hit a milestone; but instead of satisfaction, you feel the itch for the next. You rest for a day, and suddenly, guilt creeps in. You’re stuck between becoming more and being enough. 

The truth? 

Most high-performers don’t know how to sit still without feeling like they’re falling behind. In a sense, this is true (think alpha decay). In my career, I understand that if I’m not constantly improving, I will fall behind. New sources of alpha in financial markets are being discovered every day. If I’m not finding alpha, I’m essentially losing alpha. 

🡲 Solution: Learn to take pride in the process, not just the outcome. You’ll realise the climb is the point. Should the stone resent the sculptor’s chisel?

2. Diminishing Returns of Success

• The first 100k is a strong start.

• The first 1M builds your launchpad.

• With each level, the marginal joy of more luxuries begins to fade.

• How about 100M?

Success starts to feel like a treadmill. The faster you run, the more you stay in place. Every win is less satisfying than the last, and it’s easy to confuse progress with fulfillment. You realise: success stacks in numbers, but happiness doesn’t scale the same way. Everyone’s marginal utility curve for additional capital looks different. Some people may be satisfied with 10M, some only when they reach 100M. Personally, my curve is somewhat logarithmic and tapers off after a certain point. Beyond that, it’s not about lifestyle. It’s about building something that outlives me.

“A man may die… but an idea lives on” John F Kennedy

🡲 Solution: Make sure your ambition is attached to meaning. Otherwise, the scoreboard will never stop moving.

3. The Chase vs The Reflection

The Chase: Fuelled by pressure. Tunnel vision. Nothing else matters.

The Reflection: You zoom out. You realise the view from here isn’t bad. But you've barely looked up.

Most people are addicted to the chase. They forget the point of the chase was never just to run, it was to arrive. But if you never stop to look back or breathe, you don’t even know what you’re chasing anymore. Reflection forces clarity. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s necessary. I write a quarterly reflection every 3 months, and anytime a major life event happens. I break down my reflections into 5 categories: physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual. Further, I provide guidance on what I want to achieve in the next quarter. It’s my way of zooming out.

🡲 Solution: Schedule time to reflect, a weekly walk, a trip, a journal, anything that reminds you of the why behind the hustle.

Can You Have Both Satisfaction and Success

• Can you be ruthless in pursuit but still content in your soul?

• Can you sprint with hunger but walk with peace?

Maybe balance doesn’t mean slowing down. For me, it just means knowing why you’re speeding up. You can still climb the mountain. Just don’t forget to enjoy the view on the way up.

Scottish Highlands

Man conquers the world by conquering himself.