This Is Why You're Successful But Still Feel Like Shit

I know the words I share often shine a light on truths you don’t want to face.

Or maybe you’re just not ready to face them... yet.

And that’s OK. But let’s be real: at times, I feel like it doesn’t make me very likeable.

In fact, more than one person has told me they scroll right past my posts because they hit a little too close to home.

And that’s OK too.

Sure, I could soften things up to make myself more palatable. But honestly? It’s way more on brand for me to twist the knife just a little deeper. 😂

With that said, let's dive into why your success still hasn't made you happy. And why your mind is still a mess...

The Old Formula

Most of us were raised to believe this was the key to success:

GOAL + E STRATEGY + HARD WORK = RESULTS

And the “e strategy”? Effective Strategy. Essentially, do whatever it takes. And more so, do it in the quickest time possible.

Does this approach work? Absolutely.

But the hidden cost of this approach exists in those problems you’ve grown to believe are just part of life... addiction, mental health struggles, shaky relationships, crutches and bad habits just to cope.

Because even when you win? Even when you hit a goal or reach a new level of success? The high doesn’t last. The happiness doesn't last. You need more to feel satisfied. So you do more. And more. And more. And your headspace snaps back to default: like a Ferrari screaming at red line.

Meanwhile, true rest and relaxation stay out of reach. Even when you crave them, your worth feels chained to your productivity, your bank balance, and the appearance you project. Not necessarily your physical body (though that can play a part), but the polished front you hide behind to convince the world you’re doing better than you actually feel.

That’s why time off feels unbearable: because it strips away the busywork and leaves you face-to-face with the uncomfortable truth...

You're not happy unless you're being busy. Or drunk. Or high. Or... distracted.

Familiar? Yeah, thought so.

why it isn’t sustainable: this formula can deliver results, but it rarely delivers peace and long-term happiness.

Yes, you might fool the world with your highlight reel. But let's be honest: you're not fooling yourself. And you certainly won't fool me.

Because I've been where you’ve been, and after two decades of that suffering, I edited the equation.

The New Formula

Here’s the formula that actually works for success and inner peace/happiness.

ALIGNMENT + GOAL + J&E STRATEGY + FLOW = RESULTS

This isn’t about abandoning ambition. It’s about redefining your journey to success so it actually feels good whilst you're doing it, not just when you achieve the results.

Let’s break it down.

1. Alignment: Find What You Love

When you base your efforts and 'hard work' on what you actually love doing, you are basing your life on joy, not obligation. (N.B. the work won't be hard, it will flow easily - more on that later!)

There's a power that we can all tap into when we work from a space of alignment, and that's a magic that is not limited by thought or knowledge or even what already exists. That power is guided by something that cannot be touched, smelled, heard, tasted or seen in this world. It can only be felt.

So when you finally tap into this magic within yourself? You won't need to chase happiness, or success, or fame or even other people's approval (yes, I see your thirst traps on your personal social media accounts! 😝) because you will already be happy. Being in alignment with what you do is one major step in being successful as well as happy.

(Side note: Yes, keep the thirst traps coming. Personally, I'm here for it! But, when you're doing it because you need the validation... That's a whole different story! The same goes for success and fame and all that. Yes to it all. But if you need it to feel better? If you need it to feel worthy? To feel happy? You're running with an ineffective approach to your life. Because what if you lose it? Make a mistake? Your whole life goes up in smoke.

2. Goal

You’ve already mastered goal setting. You've probably even mastered the hard work approach to ensure you achieve your goals. Fuck yes to that. The difference is that an aligned goal becomes a marker of progress in a life you love, not something you need to achieve to feel happiness or worthy.

3. J&E Strategy

Your approach is currently based on being the most “effective.” But, if you want your mind to be at peace and, oh you know, maybe actually be happy, you’ll want to make sure your approach is joyful and effective.

e.g. there are endless ways to build success: YouTube, TikTok, online stores, ads, Books, workshops, communities, magazine, SaaS business, shop fronts, events... and millions more!

The real questions you get to ask yourself are:

What do you want to do?
Which one would you happily learn?
What is the one topic that you love so much that you could spend time on this every single day of your life (at least for the forseeable future).
What's the most effective approach that combines something you want to do in a way that you want to do it?

The point is, your life journey gets to be exciting. With this equation, you curate an approach to your life that is embedded with joy + effectiveness, not just effectiveness.

When you add joy into the mix, you'll rarely be searching for ways to cope with your shitty work week because what you do actually brings you joy.

And yes, that's the kind of joy you chase on weekends because you've been sacrificing yourself for 40+ hours a week doing something you don't really want to be doing, but do anyway because it pays for your lifestyle.

Sorry, not sorry. But someone had to say it.

4. Flow

Yes, “hard work” is ingrained in us. It certainly was for me. And at times, I still wrestle with it.

And yet, the crazy thing is that our life's work isn't meant to be hard! It's meant to be so deeply fulfilling and rich with passion and joy that what we do in our day-to-day life is legitimately our favourite thing in the world.

Because here's the thing.

You can be the most successful person in the world and be a miserable cunt. (And no, I'm not going to edit myself here because I call it as I see it).
You could have the best body in the world and still hate yourself.
You could be the best at anything and still feel empty.

Why? Because if the foundation piece of why you do something isn't embedded in joy and love, your mind will be a fucking minefield, your brain working overtime to help you find what you're missing so you can actually find peace.

And that search doesn't end until you actually take note: your happiness matters.

5. Results: Success + Happiness

Lasting happiness is not dependent on your job title, your corner office, the amount of money in your bank account, nor is it pinned to some future date when you get to jump on a plane for your next overseas adventure. Yes to experiencing all of that.

But I'm talking about how you feel in your day-to-day life.

Because right now? This moment fucking matters.

And if you sacrifice your happiness now for some future result, you will always be searching for something you cannot find. And your mind won't find peace.

Because what you actually want in the pursuit of all your goals is to feel good. That's it. You don't want anything else. You want to feel good.

And the sustainable approach to feeling good starts by finding what you love to do and 'working hard' on that.

Essentially, find what lights you the fuck up and playing in life again. <-- That.

That's the big secret of our human existence you've been quietly searching for your entire life.


Love you (not sorry about it).
Adam xx