The 2020 Treadmill

2020 has been a wild year, and everyone has been impacted to varying degrees. Rather than closing my eyes and hoping things get better, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what “better” really means for me.

The New Normal

“The New Normal” is a term that a lot of groups and media have latched onto in recent months. At first glance, it seems to reinforce the idea that life has changed as we know it and we are currently stepping into unknown territory. I feel that it can also be interpreted in a different light, albeit one that’s a little less sensational.

Many of us find ourselves isolated and living drastically stripped-down lives. Our communal hubs and gather centers have closed or are heavily restricted, many of us are working from home indefinitely, and those who are not as fortunate may be without jobs all-together. On top of this, the recent wildfires along the west coast have left families without homes and have wiped entire towns off the map. Every day, we find ourselves increasingly alone.

But in reality, this is no “new normal”. If there’s one constant in this world for each of us, it’s our very selves.

Finding My “Better”

With so little in the way of distractions and social outlets, I have found myself deep in thought more during this past year than ever before. Much of this has centered around my concept of “better” - what is it that I really want out of life?

It’s easy to always focus on the next best thing. The next product to buy, the next job or promotion, the next place to live. The grass is always greener, as they say. This sort of incremental pleasure is tempting to indulge in, but it never lasts as long as you think it will. Soon enough, the momentary thrill from having something new in your life will fade and you’ll be searching for the next “better”.

I used to watch a streamer named Reckful, and he would often talk about the hedonic treadmill. The concept is that no matter the external stimulus which may impact your life, you will inevitably level out to the same relative level of happiness.

The baseline of happiness varies from person to person based on things such as genetics, culture, and upbringing. I’ve pondered what this means for my own pursuit of happiness, and I’ve come to several conclusions:

1. Temporary indulgences (i.e. happiness candy) are ok, so long as I don’t expect them to make my life better holistically
2. Stop comparing my life with others’, everyone has different happiness baselines and approaches to bettering themselves
3. Strive to appreciate my baseline happiness, and by doing so recognize what improves the quality of my life rather than what makes me “happier”

Final Thoughts

This was a pretty lofty post, but it pretty much boils down to appreciating what you have, remaining modest, and recognizing that chasing the next best thing will never lead you anywhere truly “better”. This is a concept that I’m still working out in my mind, and I hope that by putting it into words I was able to figure it out a little better. If you took the time to read all of this, then I hope it helped you get a clearer picture of how to find your own happiness as well.