A common paradox for high-achievers is feeling dissatisfied despite success. This often happens because they fail to celebrate accomplishments. This lack of positive reinforcement makes it difficult to muster the motivation for the next, harder challenge.

We have a mental "thermostat" for success. When we exceed what we subconsciously believe we're worth, we slow down or self-sabotage. To break through plateaus, you must consciously reprogram your mind to treat that previous peak achievement as your new minimum standard of performance.

A powerful diagnostic question for high achievers: "When things go well, is your presiding sensation joy or relief?" If the answer is relief, it suggests your motivation is rooted in the abatement of fear and anxiety, rather than genuine celebration or self-worth.

When you consistently perform well, you recalibrate your expectations. Success is no longer an achievement to celebrate; it's simply what's supposed to happen. This creates a psychological asymmetry where wins are baseline and anything less is a significant failure.

Many successful people maintain their drive by constantly focusing on what's missing or the next goal. While effective for achievement, this creates a permanent state of scarcity and lack, making sustained fulfillment and happiness impossible. It traps them on a 'hamster wheel of achievement'.

Happiness is a fleeting emotion because its primary trigger is surprise—experiencing something positive you didn't expect. Once an achievement becomes the new normal, the element of surprise vanishes, and the associated happiness fades, regardless of your absolute success.

Many high-achievers are driven by a constant need to improve, which can become an addiction. This drive often masks a core feeling of insufficiency. When their primary goal is removed, they struggle to feel 'good enough' at rest and immediately seek new external goals to validate their worth.

Success creates a new, higher baseline. To maintain that position and not seem to be "falling off," one must exert as much or more effort than it took to get there. Like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland, you have to run as fast as you can just to stay put.

Like astronauts who walked on the moon and then fell into depression, hyper-achievers can struggle after massive successes. They forget how to find joy and adventure in smaller, everyday challenges, leading to a feeling of "what now?" and potential self-destruction.